This cafe & bakery is eye-catching. If you catch a glance while strolling along Fuencarral you know what I'm talking about: it's woodsy, or rather, rustic looking, but in a cozy French bakery way (though it's origins are Belgian) and not in the tavern with medieval light fixtures and straw on the floor way. The large window view invites you to take in the bakery delights offered for take-away, breakfast, lunch or a comforting late afternoon snack. And what I'm talking about here are gorgeous breads, cakes and pastries made on the premises and with mostly organic ingredients.
Breakfast happens to be my favorite meal. I love to start my day with something wholesome, delicious and substantial. So you can imagine my sheer delight when I discovered this place. The menu makes me swoon. Aside from the great bakery selections (croissants, chocolate pastries, scones, grainy bread rolls served with various jams), I could also opt to start my day with one of my absolute favorites: a belgian waffle with fruit! And I'm happy to report, having tried all of the options along with a piping hot, frothy cappuccino, it's all good. The oatmeal scones and fresh breads being particularly good.
Then, there's lunch. I'm a big salad eater so menu offerings are right up my alley. There are roughly 4-5 salads to choose from, and I've had several of them and they are good. The stand-out salad, in my opinion, is the Mediterranean salad. I was about to order one solo the other day when the friendly waiter recommended the lunch special where I could choose from a first course, like gazpacho, and one of the salads as the second. Which absolutely turned out to be the better deal: gazpacho with all the extra toppings, a huge delicious salad, bread, a drink and coffee or tea. The average "menu" is reasonably priced considering portions and quality at 13 Eur. Had I just ordered the salad, that alone would have cost me about 12 Eur, so the special is definitely the way to go.
Their menu also includes sandwiches (on their awesome bread), a variety of soups, lentils, humous, and other healthy and scrumptious options. The dining area is nicely lit, with plenty of solid wood tables for any size party. I've been to the 3 locations in Madrid and the on Fuencarral has the best service, without a doubt. read more