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Lovely retro!

Have you ever wanted to live “once upon a time”? Sometimes I feel the need to just chill and watch a black-and-white movie or listen to a good old classy jazz music. And there are sometimes when I want to actually feel the retro spirit in the atmosphere. That’s the time when I get to visit one of my favorite neighborhoods in Madrid- Malasaña.

Want some old-fashion furniture and a place so small, you could hardly imagine more than 20 people could enter, however there’s never less than 35-40...

It will be the case with the three charming little places I’m sharing with you today. The code: retro!

Have you ever been to Malasaña? I feel like the strangest things happen to me when I go there! I am very good with the orientation, really! But somehow I always get lost there EVREY TIME (literally)! 

Well, the result of me, wondering around those small streets is, first, in chronological order the Lolina Vintage Cafe (calle del Espiritu Santo, 9). It can’t be more that 25m2! Nevertheless, it is, indeed, one of the cutest cafeterias-bars I’ve ever been to!

There’re all kinds of tables and chairs, the smallest bar, and the best cocktails at night! The breakfast is good, not expensive at all and there’s quite a choice, that’s what I most liked about it. You choose your coffee, your piece of pastry and the filling. Oh, and I totally love the small super-vintage TV behind the bar. It’s such a lovely detail! Also, last time I checked (went there) the waitresses were really nice! Loved it!

You should have in mind it’s one of the most popular vintage cafeterias in the capital, so if you go there on a weekend and it’s so full, you can’t even make it to the waiting line, don’t be surprised, at all!

My second suggestion is a lovely little cafeteria, situated on the Valverde Street, which you could enter from Gran Via, but the thing is, I don’t remember it’s name... shame on me! It’s somewhere between Puebla str. and Colon str, on the right-hand side if you come from Gran Via. Haha, I think that’s the best directions I can give you, since I don’t seem to even know the name of the place... What I do remember and can assure you, is that it’s lovely! Not as popular as Lolina, so it might be easier to find a free table. My experience with it – finding it and having a coffee only AFTER unsuccessfully trying to enter another one (I’m telling you about later in this post). Definitely a good choice! An excellent mochachino and hot chocolate! Didn’t try anything else, so I can’t go any further with the recommendations! But the atmosphere – just as promised! Retro style with enchanting details! It’s also suitable for bigger groups, but they pretty much take over the whole place! But doesn’t matter if you go alone or with company – good time guaranteed!

If you like friendly staff, all-sorts of furniture pieces which somehow magically match in order to create the perfect homey spirit, a smooth hot chocolate plus incredible toasts – Cafe de la Luz. This is THE place! Definitely my personal favorite amongst the three! I am very proud of finding this one and making it popular among my friends! I’ve been there SO MANY time and ALWAYS I’ve left with a smile on my face! It’s quite amazing! Pretty small, impossibly full on weekends, it deserves the waiting! Because once you’re seated and served (whatever you order), you’re going to love it1 Only two blocks away from Gran Via (calle de la Puebla, 8)! What can I say about it? I’ve spent there some of the best afternoons, whether with a friend or two, it has always came up to my expectations! The detail – their tea cups! And as I’ve already mentioned – the toasts – exquisite! Smoothies! I have forgotten how much I live fruit smoothies until I saw them on the menu there! Fantastic, really!

Do not miss on the retro experience! Cause it’s gooood!

xx

*I do not own the photos. They're taken from the Facebook pages of the cafeterias.

Flowerish afternoons

Special places are for special people. And every moment could be turned into a very special experience if those are combined. There are people who desperately look for this place that would make their day. I myself have had some very unfortunate attempts, and maybe you should be ready to be disappointed once or twice. But that will surely not happen if someone tells you where the right place is.

For me, it is The Secret Garden. El Jardin Secreto is not so secret now for a long time, since there’s always a line of people waiting to have the chance and sit, and enjoy a hot chocolate. In that sense, the place is quite famous amongst people, who have already been there once or twice. Because once you’ve visited it, it’s such an irresistible temptation to go back, and back…and back.

It is the most extraordinary mix of styles and objects I have seen. Sometimes I wonder, how these guys have gathered such uniqueness. Another riddle seems to be the combination of these shockingly different things in one space, and such a small one! I guess the secret is the light – they open only after 6:30 pm, after the sunset, so that the little festive lights insight lighten only what they want you to see, and in the way they want you to see it.

And it feels like home! So wonderfully cozy and pleasant, makes every minute spent there enjoyable! Okay, I know I sound like a gospel song right now, but believe me, there is much of that feeling when you go to the Secret Garden!

Now, the chocolate. WHAAAT can I tell about the chocolate? You know Madrid and those 458394123856 places that you could find for breakfast chocolate con churros. Well, this one’s NOTHING like it. A huge variety of hot chocolate, served in the most beautiful cups (looks like porcelain). My most favorite detail are the little bear-shaped biscuits they serve you the chocolate with, so cuuute! I can tell a lot about the flavors…from a classic After eight, to one with Sicilian tangerines ice-cream, typical Spanish “violetas” ice-cream, raspberry marmalade, spiced with black pepper, and of course, the fantastic Persia – with rose

petals. And you enjoy every last bit of it!

Then there are the cakes. Well, definitely, it was a BIG discovery trying their carrot cake. Youu wiiill love it! And, of course, all kinds of chocolate orgies for those who want to get fat and happy (not just happy, but veery happy)!

As I have seen many times, but never tried, there is some serious food as well, I mean, you can calmly have dinner there. For that you MUST reserve and you MUST do it calling in their working hours! I am sure it will deserve the effort!

I am not willing and not going to reveal to you any more secrets, cause you are the one who have to find it for yourselves. It is surprising how after so many visits, this place can always offer you something more. I guess that’s why it’s called The Secret Garden, one is never able to truly find all its treasures!

P.S. The chocolate and carrot-cake season is NOW, people, and they will change them with fruity lemonades and ice-creams when it gets warmer, so hurry up!

P.S.2 I don’t know why in my previous post there was a P.S.3, since the second doesn’t really exist. Anyway, wishing you a very good day!

Welcome cupcakes!

I have a secret, you know. When I get sad ... Wait, before going on reading, you should know upfront this is not a quote from Barney Stinson. Any resemblance with famous movie headers is absolutely not aimed.

So, when I get sad, as any normal girl, I like to listen to sad, normal songs. Not only I listen to stupid love songs, I like to listen to Westlife, no other boy band, but Westlife. Their songs make me do a good use of handkerchiefs. And I am even not a teenager anymore, neither am I in love with Brian (random boy-band-member-name).

Makes me think ... what other things I love to do when I get sad? *

I also like baking – other casual occupation of normal girls. It all started for me with a book on Muffins that my wonderful friend Sandy gave my few months back. I remember the first recipe I did was a complete disaster, not that it wasn’t edible, but it just wasn’t ANYTHING like the result I should have got according to the book. So I tried again, and again, and again…(well not in the same day, of course!) until I got something good. Again, it didn’t have the smallest resemblance to the picture in the recipe, but it was quite successful amongst my friends (muffins were absent from the plates in less than 5 minutes). And I can continue telling about my experience in the baking world, but it wouldn’t be anything alike, if it hasn’t been for raspberricupcakes.com, a Sydney based blog, that offers you the most AMAZING recipes you’ve ever seen! I have the Trend Hunter to thank for discovering this site, I guess (you should check it every once and then, it has stuff for every taste!) Whatever, what I was saying was that it made quite possible one of my very best friend’s birthday cake! Thank you, raspberricupcakes!

Oh, you surely noticed the “cupcakes” part, I am a big fan! You see, here, in Madrid, there are very few places you can enjoy this American deliciousness, but since I am awesome at finding things, I know them all. It was actually a bit difficult to reach them all, since they are all special places, but I managed to complete the task! If you want easy access and a way not to complicate your life searching, you should go to Cupcake Madrid, on Velazquez 126, it is a super small shop that has beautiful colored cupcakes. I had the extremely bad luck to find it closed, EVERY TIME I went, but I realized it was because I was doing it in siesta timetable, or on Saturdays, always AFTER it closed. So, mind the working hours and dive deep in cupcake universe!

Secondly, I don’t have any idea why I thought that this shop had a brother of it somewhere near Plaza Mayor, but I have certainly fooled myself, since I looked pretty well and didn’t find anything. I’m talking about The Happy day bakery, of course (Espiritu Santo, 11), maybe the most colorful shop I’ve came across. A lot of people know the place, so don’t be disappointed if the only little table they have is taken when you go. I found the perfect refuge in this place on a rainy day and I had plenty of time to look around, and well. Not only cupcakes, but also a lot different pastries are offered there, they even had coffee I think, and of course the cute little accessories for baking they sell. Strangely, there is also a barbecue sauce they apparently sell, made me laugh a lot. 

Although they experiment a lot with the frosting in terms of colors and decoration, I would say, they get to prepare the chocolate ones the best. You might want to try as well their muffins, while you’re there! (Forgive me the “muffin intrusion”, but I think I just can’t help it. And it’s just that they have a great variety of those as well!)

Last (and I always leave the best things for the final), there is the exceptional Cream Bakery! I’ve waited to try those cupcakes for a long time, but somehow, never managed to get to the place. It is extremely well hidden, so that only the real connoisseurs could get there. First of all, it’s the most beautiful shop-pastry-confectionery that you’ll find! The most extraordinary big kitchen! The girl that runs it isn’t Spanish, you understand that right away and you cannot stop to admire her. Normally she has for sale 4 to 6 types of cupcakes that she makes herself there! And then there are the cookies, the other sweets and... the book. She keeps a photo of every one of her artworks! And they are unique, she insists it is not a catalogue, only a guide trough her skills as a pastry-cook. All types of orders for birthdays or weddings, or celebrations, she’s the man! Oh, you can also check her Facebook page; you can see some of the amazing photos. Now, the trick is to find her. It is Paseo de la Castellana 68, posterior. I am sure you’ll comply with the task, if you’re eager enough to try the BEST red velvet cupcakes in the world! 

And that is the magic!

Oh, I forgot. You do not have to be sad in order to try the cupcakes. I am not! They actually make me veeery happy!

P.S. Any other cupcake stores you know in Madrid?

P.S.3. xo

I do not own any of the photos used for this post.