It goes without saying that there’s no shortage of things to do in Madrid. In fact, sometimes there’s so much, you don’t know where to start. On those days when the sun’s shining and you’re itching to get out of the house, sometimes it’s best to just walk to a cool part of town and let the city do its thing. We’re here to give you some inspiration.

Calle de la Ruda

La Latina and Embajadores—bustling multicultural hubs—are connected by a string of tiny streets full of surprises. One of them is Calle Ruda, which takes you straight from Mercado La Cebada to Plaza Cascorro, and makes the very short walk well worth it.

Onis, for old-school charm

If you enter the street from Calle Toledo, you’re greeted by the classic corner bar, Onis.

This place is the definition of castizo. Tapas in the glass display case, tobacco machines, weird arcade games, and a grumpy server who has probably been here since the place opened (which was 1976, I’ve learned).

Ruda Café, for coffee

Looking for something more modern? We got you. Keep heading down Ruda and you’ll come across Ruda Café, a new (opened last year) coffeeshop that’s riding the wave of java experts that has hit Madrid in recent years. We’re not mad about this trend. And yes, they have wifi. They also sell packaged artisanal coffee and tea, jam, art, and coffeemakers.

De Piedra, for handmade jewelry

But there’s only so much coffee you can drink (unfortunate, I know). So now that you’re fueled up, you’re ready to browse the cute little shops of this gem of a street. If you’re a fan of jewelry and creepy mannequins, pay a visit to De Piedra, an artisanal jewelry shop at C/ Ruda 19. They haven’t been at this location long, but the store has been open for some 15 years.

Molar, for records, books and cassette tapes

Next you’ll come across my personal favorite place on the street, Molar. Think record store meets bookshop. They even sell cassette tapes, which is not something you see every day in Mad City.

Mamá Elba, for something sweet

Got a sweet tooth? Mamá Elba has been open a mere 3 weeks, and is already drawing a loyal customer base. Their selection of ice cream (including vegan and gluten-free), cakes, and coffee will leave you overwhelmed by heavenly choices.

Erre Catorce (R14), for art and design

R14 is another brand new spot on the street, just open for a month. It’s a modern interior design shop, with local art, restored vintage furniture pieces (from around the world, namely Scandinavia and the US), apparel, and lots of cool home decor.

Soon they’ll be putting on events to promote and discuss interior design and art, so keep your eyes peeled and follow them on Facebook.

La Tienda de Cerveza, for craft beer

Next up: craft beer. Okay, I lied before, THIS place is my favorite. La Tienda de Cerveza is a must in La Latina (and in the city, really). The shelves are lined with hundreds of bottled or canned craft beers and ciders from both Madrid and around the world. They have a few tables in the back, and they hold tasting events often. An absolute must for cervecerxs.

Tienda Biológica, for something healthy

Something I love about Madrid is that you can eat healthy without going bankrupt. Tienda Biológica is living proof of this. This small organic food shop sells health products at reasonable prices, and it’s run by the sweetest lady.

La China Mandarina, for a great meal in a modern space

And last but not least (and not even covering half of the street’s spots), for a great meal and a laidback ambience, visit La China Mandarina at the end of Calle Ruda (closest to Plaza Cascorro). It’s one of those places that masters the art of offering both very traditional and very modern cuisine on the same menu. So if you’re craving a tortilla de patatas but your friend has a hankering for a vegan burger, there’s something for everyone.

They have great wifi and won’t roll their eyes if you work on your laptop all morning (I know from experience).

There’s also a mushroom-themed restaurant called El Brote! Check out Leah’s article about it here:

El Brote: a brand-new mushroom restaurant in the heart of El Rastro

Calle Ruda is just one of a plethora of tiny goldmines in Madrid. If none of these spots call your attention (tough crowd!), we suggest you still come to the area on a beautiful day and just get lost. You can’t go wrong.

Situated on C/ Tribulete, 6 is the new establishment Pum Pum Cafe. It was brought to my attention by the charismatic Jordan, well known by the coffee-lover community for his tenure as a barista at the popular Toma Cafe in Malasaña. The tastefully exposed brick pattern of the wall is a remnant of the conversion process from the butcher shop that previously occupied the space. I’m always keen on discovering new cafes to perch with my laptop. One can easily foresee this business becoming another thriving watering hole in the barrio.

Pum Pum stands out amongst the competition for its breakfast/brunch offerings: a splendid eggs benedict and avocado tostada, an assortment of healthy juices, baked goods and organic products. Their mission is to offer breakfast at all hours of the day as to not discriminate against those who wake up at 5pm after a rowdy night. Aficionados of coffee will be as thrilled as I was to see that Pum Pum is equipped to prepare V60 and chemex filter coffees. 

The owner Papo is from Argentina, his brother Dam operates the kitchen, barista Jordan hails from Australia and the cafe manager Ira is from Ukraine. Papo has an adorable and well behaved infant son who can be seen on site at the weekend. Their hours during the week are 9am-9pm and their weekend brunch hours are 10am-9pm. This location is strongly recommended to any lovers of coffee and breakfast.

Photo: Steff Gutovska

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• Adress: Calle Tribulete 6
• Metro: Lavapiés

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I think it was first on Instagram when I saw something from Cup of Couple. It was a fantastic breakfast setup with an exquisite-looking cup of coffee. Then Lovely Pepa posted another. Ever-curious, I clicked on top of the pin and found the address. What luck! It was only five minutes from my apartment. So one Sunday afternoon, I entered The Little Big Café for the first time. It’s now one of my favorite spots to write, read The New York Times, or to just clear my head. In fact, it was here where I wrote my Helena Rohner article.

Opened last year by Max and Cris (both with experience living and working abroad), the area of Chamberí between Moncloa and Argüelles now has a perfect oasis.

Now, you’ve already heard about Little Big as a place for the best brunch on a budget in Madrid, and let me tell you, it is absolutely heavenly (my go-to is the tosta de huevos a la plancha al estilo árabe on whole-wheat bread). But this cozy café great for more than brunch. Open from 9 am to 8 pm during the week, you can go to Little Big at almost any hour.

And with that there are several menú options (and let’s face it, a menú del día is one of Spain’s greatest little pleasures). In the morning until 1 pm, you can enjoy the breakfast menu (menú de desayuno). This includes one breakfast plate (I love the bocatín de jamón on whole-wheat…) and a coffee or tea. To round out my special breakfast, I always get one of the make-your-own smoothies. While you can put in yogurt or milk, I prefer to get mine with water so it’s more like a juice.

There are two lunch-time menus, the TLBC (which has a sandwich, salad, and drink for €11), or the menú del día (with two courses, a side dish, drink, and dessert for €10.50). And then on the weekends, the brunch menu is also an amazing meal (you’re way full afterwards).

If you’re just craving something sweet for your afternoon snack, then the baked goods at the counter and window are calling your name. The banana bizcocho is gluten and sugar-free, but everything else,  in spite of the fact that I can’t eat them, looks fabulous. One of my roommates had the cake made with beer and loved it.

Then, of course, let’s not forget what first my caught my eye in the first place on Instagram: the coffee. With a plethora of variations…

you’ll see why their slogan is: “a little café with a big heart.” With to-go cups and a VIP program where you can put your Polaroid on the wall, this is also a place that coffee lovers can love. With the VIP program, you can make The Little Big Café part of your heart the way the owners have seemed to have conceptualize it.

As evidenced by my presence on the wall, the little café with a big heart has become an extension of my home and my little big pick-me-up.

Info: 

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Coziest Cafés in Chamberí

Best Brunch on a Budget in Madrid

Best Cafe-Bookshops in Madrid, Round 1

Best Cafe-Bookshops in Madrid, Round 2

Toma Café — Fuel up, Feel hip

Toma Cafe could very well be a coffee shop in a hipster mecca like San Fransisco or Brooklyn. Upon wandering into the sparse space with narrow benches lining the walls and a bicycle dangling from the ceiling, one might wonder: “Have I wandered onto the set of Portlandia?”

People peck at their laptops while seated at teensy tables. The baristas take their posts at the helm of the espresso machine seriously. More seats can be found in the back, but space is rather cramped. One’s daily dose of espresso can be consumed in various different forms. Options extend beyond the confines of café con leche.

A gem on the beverage menu: chocolate picante. In this concoction, bitter chocolate and prickly heat make ordinary chocolate seem lame.

A limited breakfast list exists offering a few variations on toast (tomato and olive oil, butter and jam, not much more). Alternatively, as Marie Antoinette famously did not say, let them eat cake. The chocolate cake is made with Madrid’s own Cerveza La Virgen–what could be better for breakfast?

The omnipresent carrot cake also beckons from the pastry case. Here, the crowd-pleaser takes on a spicy character and the cream cheese frosting makes an already good cake better.

Luckily for those in search of a caffeinated workspace, Toma Cafe opens for breakfast at early hours. Come here to fuel up and to fill hip.

Here are some more of our favorite cafes in Madrid:

Pepe Botella, a Coffee Place Where You Can Think

La Paca, the Perfect Cafe in Malasaña

Best Cafe-Bookshops in Madrid, Round 1 & Round 2