Cafe Alma is one of my sure-fire standbys when I'm craving a little taste of America. Situated right in the heart of the Anton Martin neighborhood, it's a lovely little cafe with woodsy, artistic decor. The facade is made up of a series of narrow, window-paned doors and in warm weather, they throw them open to allow fresh air to flow through the dining room. There's free wi-fi, so feel free to bring your laptop along if you need a calm place to get some work done.
The menu offers a rich selection of hamburgers and sandwiches. I have always ordered these, either the Mediterranean burger or the Classic - the entire range of burgers weigh in at 200 grams but their various garnishments inspire their names and the corresponding range of prices. I believe they offer a salmon burger, but I haven't tried it.
The burgers arrive on a wooden platter, with homemade potato chips and cute little ramekins of ketchup and mustard. The ketchup they offer is made with alcohol vinegar, so American taste buds will be pleased. The mustard is not your common yellow mustard, either, and is delicious on both the chips and burger.
Alma serves coffee, tea, and beer, among a few other standard drink choices. The waitstaff does well with English, too, and offer table service more akin to stateside service than the typical Spanish service...meaning they server will actually come to your table and return now and again.
Count Alma among the solidly good western restaurants or cafes in Madrid. It hasn't let me down, and I don't believe it will. read more