A little over a year before COVID hit, I bought a flat. A tiny space, but a space to call my own nonetheless. I remember flat hunting with my Mum and her telling me: ‘Choose the flat, or the location—but you can’t have both.’ And to be fair, she was right.
So I opted for the location and plumped for a piso on Ponzano. It meant that what I sacrificed on space, I made up for through ponzaning—being out and about on my street felt like a permanent holiday.
However, fast forward to lockdown, I can’t lie, I absolutely hated it. I questioned my choice of having purchased a bijou (read, small) flat daily. Cohabiting within 30 metres is no joke.
But as Madrid slowly starts to creep back to normality, Chamberí is well and truly back to being the barrio that I know and love. So much so, that new cafes, bars and terraces are opening up with as much regularity as Boris Johnson contradicts himself.
Discovering that Clima Cafecito, a gorgeous new cafe, had appeared right around the corner, was as welcome as a caña on a hot summer’s day.
Martin, the owner, hails from Argentina via California and Lisbon, and the diverse menu reflects these influences. A spot for brunch or lunch, the menu made it nigh on impossible to decide, with everything sounding delicious.
After much deliberation, as ‘indecisive’ should be my middle name, I opted for the chicken parm ‘comfort’ sandwich, while my fella went for eggs sunny side up, with avocado and sourdough toast. Paired with a lemon cooler, great coffee and dulce de leche cookies.
We left with full tummies, but eager to come back and work our way through the remainder of the menu. Other tasty morsels on offer were ceviche, breakfast tacos (with the option to make them vegan) and a Cuban sandwich that also called my attention.
Aside from the food which couldn’t be faulted, I loved the space. Not to dwell on my compact casa, but it’s essentially the opposite of my abode. It’s a spacious bright and light space that conjures up the feeling of being beach side in Santa Monica, or generally just somewhere by the sea.
They also boast a small terraza, which is likely to become a popular place for an afterwork beer, or a chilled glass of wine as the temperatures creep up. Having chatted to Martin about future plans, there are also plans afoot for potential wine tastings which I’ve earmarked for my diary already.
Everyone loves to have places in their neighbourhood that feel like an extension of their home. The kind of place you can rock up to solo with just a book for company, the kind of place you can swing by knowing that you’ll always grab a cosy corner, and some kind of sweet treat.
I have a feeling that Clima Cafecito will become just that, a home from home for when my four walls start to feel a tad claustrophobic. So that’s where you’ll find me from now on, cookie in hand, tanning on the terrace.
Clima Cafecito
- Website & IG: @climacafecito
- Calle de Alonso Cano, 51
- Metros: Alonso Cano or Ríos Rosas
