Federal Café
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After traveling overnight and landing in the early morning, we were looking for a good breakfast. We checked into Hotel Montera and the girl at the desk gave us a short list of places nearby and Federal Café stuck out from the egg bake photos. We walked through Plaza de Sol and sat at a cute outdoor table. We started with a couple flat whites which were delicious and ordered two of the egg bakes to share. One was the bacon and the other was the shakshuka. They were both delicious but I think I liked the shakshuka a little more. It was such a relaxing atmosphere and the perfect spot to rest up after a long day of travel.
To quote a diner, this is more of a European restaurant than a Spanish joint. Astonishingly all of my neighboring tables, be they from Finland, Germany, or Southeast Asia, were speaking to each other in English. That's not a criticism of the atmosphere; it's just an observation. What makes this place not worth the visit is the total lack of seasoning in the entrees. How can cheese, hazelnut crème fraiche, mushrooms, and baked eggs come out so bland? The food is pretty enough and it's in a nice secluded courtyard. But I didn't really enjoy anything I ate. The waiter I had was obviously uncomfortable speaking in English, although the other woman to whom he deferred was.
Started every morning of our week long Madrid stay at Federal so it's safe to say we were devoted fans by the time we bid adieu to the city. Service is a bit slow as expected in Spain but when you're here, no rush! Enjoy the tranquility of it all :) Love the modern brunchy vibes and the delicious food. You won't find anything authentically Spanish here just your usual modern brunch food but it's a great break in between the savory cuisine you're bound to enjoy throughout the day and a yummy coffee to kick off the sightseeing with. I opted for chai tea lattes and vanilla oat lattes the times I went. Stellar place will def be back next time I'm in the city.
This is my number one favorite specialty coffee place in Madrid. I am a huge coffee lover and I search everywhere to find a great place that makes bold, energizing coffee. So to search coffee that has added flavors like vanilla or different oat milk you have to search "specialty coffee" on google. Oat milk is called leche de avena. This place was a short walk from plaza de España and a must go. I arrived at 10am on a weekend and shortly after the entire place was filled up and a line of about 15 people waiting. The coffee is absolutely the best specialty coffee in Europe. Again my opinion but this is after traveling to so many countries & really getting that caffeine boost and flavor I love. I had the cappuccino with leche de avena and my god that was exactly what I was looking for. Perfect amount not too much milk and bold caffeine with a sweet flavor. I can not ever forget about the French toast fruit breakfast with the sweet plantain. It had a strawberry sauce glaze on the bottom with fruits all over. I finished the entire thing so quickly it was that good. Mision has the best delights !!! When I visit Madrid again I 100% will be back again
If you're craving an American-style brunch in Madrid and aren't scared off by a long line, Café Federal is the place to go. So far, I've tried their French toast and their banana pancakes (both were good, but I'd recommend the pancakes). The ambience inside is lively and service is fast. I didn't love the specialty coffee -- it was a bit watered-down for my taste -- but I appreciated the variety on the menu. Would go again!
American style brunch in the Barrio de La latina area. There was a line when we arrived but the plaza this restaurant is located in is so cute yet very quiet and local art vendors had booths set up to display art. It was a good 20 min wait before we were seated. I had the avocado toast with pumpkin seeds and husband got the oven baked eggs with bacon, both delicious and fulfilling. They had the Mumbai chai (Indian tea) which I got very excited to try but it was disappointing and didn't taste much like the name claimed. Not a bad drink, just a different take on it with primarily hot milk and spices and less caffeine. I would skip this next time. We even got a croissant to go. I think they also have several locations in Barcelona, we came across one out there.
We came to Café Federal for a late breakfast one morning in Madrid. Free wifi is a big plus for those traveling abroad without a data plan. We were seated quickly and there's lot of outdoor seating available. My chai latte was just ok- I wouldn't order it again though. My girlfriend and I shared banana and mascarpone pancakes (very good) and a cauliflower toast (wouldn't order again). It wasn't our favorite place but they did have a lot of other things on the menu that looked good so would be willing to give it another go.
Ventured here after having Spanish breakfast for too many mornings and this place hit the spot! I had the poached farm eggs on sourdough toast topped with smoked salmon and macadamia pesto and O.M.G., I can honestly say it was the best tasting pesto sauce I'd ever come across. Super fresh ingredients made our dishes flavorful and satisfying. Highly recommend if you're looking for a hearty, healthy and fresh breakfast.
When visiting Madrid with my gf, this was a great stop for brunch! There's plenty of seating both indoors and outdoors. English menus available for those that don't speak Spanish. I got a cafe con leche which was great but my gf's chai was a bit watery. Our food was great, artfully plated and came out promptly. Prices around 10 euro per plate. A solid place and would come back!
5 months ago
Everything was delicious, so fresh! Service was great! They have two stories with seating downstairs as well. Their iced coffee is also 10/10 read more
8 days ago
2 years ago
After traveling overnight and landing in the early morning, we were looking for a good breakfast. We checked into Hotel Montera and the girl at the desk gave us a short list of places nearby and Federal Café stuck out from the egg bake photos. We walked through Plaza de Sol and sat at a cute outdoor table. We started with a couple flat whites which were delicious and ordered two of the egg bakes to share. One was the bacon and the other was the shakshuka. They were both delicious but I think I liked the shakshuka a little more. It was such a relaxing atmosphere and the perfect spot to rest up after a long day of travel. read more
Cute cafe with plenty of indoor and outdoor dining. We stopped in while sight seeing and enjoyed a chai latte as well as an Americano. Service was friendly and lots of natural light to watch outside traffic while relaxing. read more
7 months ago
To quote a diner, this is more of a European restaurant than a Spanish joint. Astonishingly all of my neighboring tables, be they from Finland, Germany, or Southeast Asia, were speaking to each other in English. That's not a criticism of the atmosphere; it's just an observation. What makes this place not worth the visit is the total lack of seasoning in the entrees. How can cheese, hazelnut crème fraiche, mushrooms, and baked eggs come out so bland? The food is pretty enough and it's in a nice secluded courtyard. But I didn't really enjoy anything I ate. The waiter I had was obviously uncomfortable speaking in English, although the other woman to whom he deferred was. read more
Started every morning of our week long Madrid stay at Federal so it's safe to say we were devoted fans by the time we bid adieu to the city. Service is a bit slow as expected in Spain but when you're here, no rush! Enjoy the tranquility of it all :) Love the modern brunchy vibes and the delicious food. You won't find anything authentically Spanish here just your usual modern brunch food but it's a great break in between the savory cuisine you're bound to enjoy throughout the day and a yummy coffee to kick off the sightseeing with. I opted for chai tea lattes and vanilla oat lattes the times I went. Stellar place will def be back next time I'm in the city. read more
This is my number one favorite specialty coffee place in Madrid. I am a huge coffee lover and I search everywhere to find a great place that makes bold, energizing coffee. So to search coffee that has added flavors like vanilla or different oat milk you have to search "specialty coffee" on google. Oat milk is called leche de avena. This place was a short walk from plaza de España and a must go. I arrived at 10am on a weekend and shortly after the entire place was filled up and a line of about 15 people waiting. The coffee is absolutely the best specialty coffee in Europe. Again my opinion but this is after traveling to so many countries & really getting that caffeine boost and flavor I love. I had the cappuccino with leche de avena and my god that was exactly what I was looking for. Perfect amount not too much milk and bold caffeine with a sweet flavor. I can not ever forget about the French toast fruit breakfast with the sweet plantain. It had a strawberry sauce glaze on the bottom with fruits all over. I finished the entire thing so quickly it was that good. Mision has the best delights !!! When I visit Madrid again I 100% will be back again read more
If you're craving an American-style brunch in Madrid and aren't scared off by a long line, Café Federal is the place to go. So far, I've tried their French toast and their banana pancakes (both were good, but I'd recommend the pancakes). The ambience inside is lively and service is fast. I didn't love the specialty coffee -- it was a bit watered-down for my taste -- but I appreciated the variety on the menu. Would go again! read more
2 years ago
American style brunch in the Barrio de La latina area. There was a line when we arrived but the plaza this restaurant is located in is so cute yet very quiet and local art vendors had booths set up to display art. It was a good 20 min wait before we were seated. I had the avocado toast with pumpkin seeds and husband got the oven baked eggs with bacon, both delicious and fulfilling. They had the Mumbai chai (Indian tea) which I got very excited to try but it was disappointing and didn't taste much like the name claimed. Not a bad drink, just a different take on it with primarily hot milk and spices and less caffeine. I would skip this next time. We even got a croissant to go. I think they also have several locations in Barcelona, we came across one out there. read more
3 years ago
Hands down, one of the best breakfasts I have ever had. Every single dish was delectable and the coffee was delightful. And special shout out to the honey and smoked salmon pancakes. Never in a million years would I have thought that would be a sane combination but it was SO good. read more
We came to Café Federal for a late breakfast one morning in Madrid. Free wifi is a big plus for those traveling abroad without a data plan. We were seated quickly and there's lot of outdoor seating available. My chai latte was just ok- I wouldn't order it again though. My girlfriend and I shared banana and mascarpone pancakes (very good) and a cauliflower toast (wouldn't order again). It wasn't our favorite place but they did have a lot of other things on the menu that looked good so would be willing to give it another go. read more
Ventured here after having Spanish breakfast for too many mornings and this place hit the spot! I had the poached farm eggs on sourdough toast topped with smoked salmon and macadamia pesto and O.M.G., I can honestly say it was the best tasting pesto sauce I'd ever come across. Super fresh ingredients made our dishes flavorful and satisfying. Highly recommend if you're looking for a hearty, healthy and fresh breakfast. read more
3 years ago
When visiting Madrid with my gf, this was a great stop for brunch! There's plenty of seating both indoors and outdoors. English menus available for those that don't speak Spanish. I got a cafe con leche which was great but my gf's chai was a bit watery. Our food was great, artfully plated and came out promptly. Prices around 10 euro per plate. A solid place and would come back! read more
3 years ago
Great breakfast in Madrid. The portions are large though, so you could totally share and have plenty for two. The staff were excellent. Food was delicious and fast. I would definitely eat here again. read more
5 years ago
Such a cute little spot, the food was good but there isn't a lot of options. What we ordered was delicious though! read more
This place came highly recommended from friends who studied abroad in Madrid, and based on their recommendation, and the fact that there are tons of really positive reviews of this place, I was slightly disappointed with our brunch. The space is really cute and has a Coworking area if you wanna bring your laptop. You can make reservations online, but we went on a weekday and didn't make reservations and were able to be seated immediately as a group of four. everything about breakfast was honestly just slightly underwhelming. the eggs Benedict was fine, but the holidays could've used some additional seasoning. The pancakes were OK. The halloumi shakshuka was probably the most disappointing, they were completely unseasoned and unsalted which is NOT how shakshuka is meant to be. The highlight for me was the fresh juice that we got but honestly the food was so mediocre that I have to take away two stars. I will admit it is totally possible that we just ordered wrong because again lots of people are into this place, but if I was to come back, I would use the coworking space, get a juice, and maybe try something else. read more
Best breakfast/brunch spot I been to in a while! The fluffy banana and praline pancakes are scrumptious, and the best on the menu. The veggie burger is really delicious too. Prices are very reasonable and portions are a good amount. I recommend visiting this cafe if you're in the area. Also WiFi is free and service is quick. read more
2 years ago
3 years ago
Delicious!!! I had the eggs Benedict. Coffee ... kids had the pancakes and loved them. Place is sharp. Clean. Friendly staff. Spoke English and Spanish. read more
4 years ago
Excelente sitio para brunch. Lla huevos benedictos con salmón y la good morning hamburguer ÉPICOS. 10/10 read more
5 years ago
A bit tricky to find. But once you do, you will find this place that it's a nice and relax breakfast/brunch restaurant...the iced coffee with Oatmilk and Vanilla syrup was delicious. For breakfast we picked the shakshouka with chorizo (as pictured) read more
3 years ago
The Shakshuka is amazing and I love their iced vanilla latte. The eggs were very very over cooked in the Shakshuka, which was the only disappointment. Would definitely have it again, though! read more
8 years ago
The morning before we had to leave, we had our last brunch at federal cafe. It was raining that morning, but, it does not seem to phase the people to Spain to eat outside. It all seemed to natural, i love it! We joined the crowd outside. The waitress was so patient with us. We had a group of 12, it couldn't be easy i imagine.. especially because we were foreigners. The avocado toast was one of my faves, but you can't really go wrong with avo toast if you know what i mean. The eggplant was a bit strong on the alcohol ... but i love eggplant. The fritters were okay, and the Benedict's were rich, so that's always good. Overall , i liked it read more
8 years ago
The service was super slow. We were instructed to sit anywhere we wanted, and waited 5 minutes after being seated and never got a menu. We decided to go to the front and get our own menus. After ordering our food, it took them over half an hour to get the food. It appeared that they were catering towards the people sitting outside and took their presence as priority. My eggs Benedict with smoked salmon was good, but the egg was colder than room temperature. Usually in many restaurants, it should be warm/hot and that was not the case here. I also order homemade fries which were a bit crunch but most were soft and soggy. In addition I ordered a lime chipotle sauce, but was given a spicy mayo sauce. My wife order an egg with spinach, her spinach was half burnt (black). And she didn't finish more than half her dish. When we were ready to leave, we asked for the check and waited more than 5 minutes, nothing!!! We went to the front of the restaurant and demanded our bill so we can leave. A group of 8 followed, I guest they weren't being service correctly as well. I'm not sure how this place is so popularly rated in Google or tripadvisor, but I definitely will not be coming back here. Both the food and service was lacking. read more
I can't say enough about this place! When I travel, I love trying new places, but after trying the coffee and food here, I came back 3 times during my stay! I loved everything about this place... I looked for an iced vanilla latte throughout my entire Europe trip, and this was THE place to go. Not only did I order one during my meal, but also took one to go every day! I ordered a skillet dish- omelet, spinach, mushrooms, cheese, and a side of toast with peanut butter and jelly. The food was plenty! You can come here to work, but there are assigned tables for computers. There is indoor and outdoor seating in addition to a downstairs area to sit. read more
2 years ago
7 years ago
Worth the wait here! This was one of the places we enjoyed eating while in Madrid. We came here for brunch and I ordered the Morning bacon burger. It definitely tastes better than it looks! It was really good to my surprise. My cousin ordered the Morning hamburger and my aunt ordered an egg dish which came in a skillet. We also ordered the fluffy pancakes to all share. We all enjoyed our brunch and was fully satisfied with the meal here. read more
3 years ago
7 years ago
This place was pretty good overall. The food was very good for a light breakfast type of place. The service however was tremendous. The waiters moved fast and were very attentive even though they were busy. Together we ordered 3 different dishes. The egg Benedict with salmon. It was probably the best dish we got. The Hollandaise has sauce is really good and the salmon tasted fresh. We also got the breakfast burger with bacon and egg. Be warned this is not American bacon it not crispy it's actually more like a strip of ham but it was still good. The final fish we ordered was the French toast which was also very good. It came with blueberries which was a nice touch. For drinks we got a cappuccino which was very pretty to look at as for taste it was ok. Overall I would definitely recommend this place for those in the area looking for a breakfast or light lunch. read more
3 years ago
Glad we found this nice clean breakfast nook near our hotel. The service was excellent as was the food. Definitely recommended! read more
Came here after reading this was worth a visit while visiting Madrid. Despite the cute outside and inside I would have to say pass. If you're in the area, check it out. If not, don't need it. Staff was nice enough and was able to get us out in the time we asked them. Space us obviously cute and liked how they have designated tables for study and for eating and drinking. There's a downstairs as well. As for the food I just didn't get it. We ordered the egg with mushrooms and spinach with buttered the toast. The mushrooms were fresh and tasty but it could be chopped into thinner pieces making the bite easier/better. The bottom layer of spinach was ridiculously burnt. There was a hazelnut creme fraiche that didn't make sense and didn't go with the dish at all. The toast was the star of this dish. Nice and buttery but not too much and had a nice crunch. We also got a mixed berry and cream on a French baguette. Again. the star of the dish was the baguette itself. The side of caramel didn't make sense with the dish and was straight up caramel. Maybe I mixed soemthing.... ? The fresh squeezed orange juice was delicious. read more
2 years ago
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More info about Federal Café
Plaza Conde de Barajas, 3
28005 Madrid
Spain
Palacio
Directions
918 526 848
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Visit Website
http://www.federalcafe.es/madrid-condedebarajas/
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Federal Café - breakfast_brunch - Updated May 2026
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