Ladurée and my favorite tea rooms in Madrid
My favorite thing about having a cup of tea is ironically not the tea itself… My favorite thing is what goes with the tea. I mean, who could say no to a heavenly tartlet with cream of strawberries and fresh forest fruits? So whenever I’m meeting up with friends for have a lunch, I try to make sure we’ll end up at a place that does excellent desserts as well.
After a summer of short summer dresses and light tank tops, it's time to put on that knitted sweater, cozy scarf, and those leather boots ... Which also means that a few pastries will not really hurt that much ... Well, at least that's what I keep telling myself, because after all, life is but a cluster of small pleasures, do not you think? (yes, that's my theory and I'm sticking with it).
And ... among all the tea rooms, the queen of the pastry shops, is without a doubt Ladurée. I love Ladurée not only because of its delicious macarons but also for its special atmosphere. Every shop is so colorful and magical so that it fills my heart with joy. It is a luxury just to look at its shopwindows and taste its delicious Macarons and Petit Chou ... a dream! Two macaroni cookies with ganache in between, apparently a simple recipe, which in the 1930s revolutionized the upper classes of french society with the foundation of Ladurée, one of the first tea rooms of Paris.
However, it is not necessary to travel to the city of lights to obtain these delicacies.
In the Spanish capital you can find 'La Duquesita', located in the Calle Fernando VI, began its history in 1914, becoming an emblematic bakery in Madrid, distinguished by its desserts and sweet artisans. Focus on chocolate with an exquisite selection of flavors and combinations like crunchy, orange, lime-mint, truffle ... or our favorite raspberry-lychee, of course, always under the watchful eye of La Duquesita, one of his mythical cakes, which remains immutable as spectacular.
The 'Salón de Fleurs' in the center of Madrid is a bookstore-cafe where you can have lunch with your friends, celebrate a birthday party and even attend flower workshops and buy a bouquet! Its pink wooden door introduces us to a vintage salon where you can taste more than 20 varieties of tea surrounded by flowers and beautiful plants.
The 'Vailima Tea Room' has cakes of different flavors, such as salted caramel and lemon and meringue chocolate, biscuits and macaroons. The variety of teas is very complete, with some as appetizing as the Baya! (vanilla rooibos, jasmine and spices) or Saïgon (lemon, fig and lotus flowers).
'Lolina Vintage Café' is one of Malasaña's most amazing cafes. Has relics features such as a late 50s radio or a 60s television. The lower part is made up of a room where where you can celebrate birthday parties or more special meetings, you can even invite a djs to puncture retro music. They have sweets like apple pie with caramel or superchocolate cake.
If you visit or live in Madrid, do not hesitate to enjoy the magnificent snack in one of these tearooms, you will surely love it .... and if you have the possibility of traveling to Paris, what can I say? Going without visiting Ladurée is a real nonsense!!!