Chocolatería San Ginés, Madrid

Chocolatería San Ginés is the café at Pasadizo de San Ginés, 5, set within a passageway near the church of San Ginés and west of Puerta del Sol. Its story began as a restaurant and inn in 1890, before churros became part of its offering in 1894. Since 1894, its signature pairing has been thick hot chocolate with churros.

The interior keeps the character of late-19th-century cafés, with two floors, marble tables, and a counter faced with tiles. Its reputation grew through theatre audiences who came here after performances at the nearby Teatro Eslava. The façade also appears along the cultural route associated with Max Estrella in Valle-Inclán’s Luces de Bohemia. Literary life, theatre, and a long-running Madrid ritual meet in this small café passageway.