Café
Chocolatería San Ginés
Madrid's most famous chocolatería, serving thick hot chocolate with churros and porras in a lane off Calle Arenal since 1894.
La Mallorquina
A pastry shop on Puerta del Sol since 1894, the original of a small Madrid group, selling traditional cakes, pastries and seasonal sweets.
At a glance
- Type
- Historic bakery and pastry shop
- Area
- Sol, Madrid, Spain
- Price
- $ · Budget
- Opening
- Open daily · 08:30–21:00
- Official site
- pastelerialamallorquina.es
Good to know
- Takeaway counter
- Café service
- Open daily
Why we recommend it
La Mallorquina has been a fixture of Puerta del Sol since 1894, when it opened its first shop on the square that is often called the centre of Spain. The shop on Sol remains the most emblematic of the small group of bakeries that has grown from it, and it is still one of the busiest places in the centre for a quick coffee and pastry. Generations of Madrileños have stopped here on the way to work, after shopping or before catching a train at Sol.
The counters are packed with traditional Spanish pastries and cakes. The napolitanas, flaky pastries filled with cream or chocolate, are a local favourite, and the ensaimadas, the spiral pastries from Mallorca that give the shop its name, are another classic. Through the year the range follows the Madrid calendar of sweets, with seasonal specialities for Christmas, Easter and the San Isidro festival in May.
Many customers simply choose their pastries at the counter and take them away, though you can also have a coffee on the premises. The atmosphere is brisk rather than leisurely, especially in the morning and around midday, but the turnover is fast and it is worth joining the queue.
The Sol shop is open every day from 8:30 to 21:00, which makes it convenient for breakfast before sightseeing or an afternoon pick-me-up. It suits anyone on a budget, families and solo travellers, and the pastries make an easy picnic for the Retiro. Ordering is straightforward even without Spanish, as everything is on display behind the glass. If you are in other parts of the city, the group has further shops on Calle de Velázquez in Salamanca, at Glorieta de Quevedo in Chamberí, and on Calle de Narváez and Calle de Carlos Maurrás.
Puerta del Sol is the hub of central Madrid, with Sol metro and Cercanías station directly beneath the square. From the shop, the Kilometre Zero plaque, the statue of the Bear and the Strawberry Tree, the Real Casa de Correos and the start of Calle Mayor and Calle Arenal are all within a minute or two, and the Plaza Mayor is about five minutes away on foot.
La Mallorquina FAQs
When did La Mallorquina open?
In 1894, on Puerta del Sol.
What are the opening hours of the Sol shop?
Every day from 8:30 to 21:00.
What should I try?
Napolitanas filled with cream or chocolate, and ensaimadas.
Can I sit down?
There is café service, though many people take their pastries away.
Does it sell seasonal sweets?
Yes, it follows the Madrid calendar with specialities for Christmas, Easter and San Isidro.
Are there other branches?
Yes, including shops on Calle de Velázquez and at Glorieta de Quevedo.
What is the nearest metro?
Sol, directly beneath Puerta del Sol.
What is nearby?
Kilometre Zero, the Bear and the Strawberry Tree statue, and the Plaza Mayor.