A Brief Introduction To San Gines: Madrid's Oldest Chocolatera

Madrid’s most famous chocolate shop, San Gines, serves one of the city’s most popular breakfast combinations: chocolate and churros. The building dates back to 1890, when it was originally built as a restaurant and inn, but in 1894, San Gines began serving their famous chocolate and churros.

Decorated in green panels with lots of mirrors, green chairs and old-fashioned tables, the San Gines feels authentic right off the bat.

The churros are long sticks of dough created from water, salt and flour. Typically, dough is poured into a vat of hot oil, deep-fried and stirred with a very long stick, which helps the dough form into long spiral sticks – similar to a donut, but not round. The sticks are then cut down and a bit of sugar may be added on top. The hot chocolate is served the authentic Spanish way: thick and steaming, perfect for dipping churros into. If you’ve already tried churros, porras are a thicker, more doughy version and well worth a try. This delectable, calorie-filled treat may not seem like it would be that addictive, but it really is – once you start dipping, you may eat several churros sticks without even realizing it.

Besides enjoying the cafe, you can pick up some San Gines souvenirs, like chocolate bars or mugs. In 2011, San Gines opened a branch in Tokyo, which only lasted a year before closing, unfortunately. However, in 2013 the cafe opened two locations in Bogota, Colombia, which are both doing well.

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