The friendliest café in Madrid
I can safely say that Madrid is filled with amazing cafés. However, sometimes it’s hard to find somewhere you just feel comfortable. At least that’s what I think anyway. One day though, I stumbled upon this little café in the barrio of Lavapiés and definitely felt a sense of comfort. By far, Plántate is the friendliest café in the city.
I first heard about this place when I was looking for a place to go and have some lunch with a flatmate. We got bored of going to the same places and we hadn’t really ventured much into Lavapiés. We actually found this place on another blog and thought it was the perfect place to go! It was a trek to get to because it’s on such a steep hill, but it was definitely worth it!
When you arrive at this café, you are normally greeted by the owner, Kevin. All the way from Canada, Kevin moved here to Madrid many years ago and decided to open up Plántate due to his love for coffee. You know it has to be some of the best coffee when the owner has a real passion for it!
The coffee
I’ll first start with the main event – the coffee. Kevin has sourced a variety of speciality coffees from around the world but are from suppliers here in Spain. These are both on the menu and on the shelves around the café. There is an assortment of coffees on their drinks menu. For instance, the range of drinks include the traditional flat whites, iced lattes (for those basic b*tches out there). They also have a wide range of teas and kombucha too! On our trip there, I treated myself to a kombucha and my flatmate ordered herself an iced latte. Of course, they definitely went down a treat on a hot summer day in Madrid. You can for sure tell that the coffee is made with love.
The food
To get a proper experience here, I just had to order one of their signature dishes. So, once I saw the grilled cheese on the menu, I just had to get it. As a matter of fact, I had my flatmate there with me and she wanted to order one of the set breakfast or brunch menus. I had many a toastie back then when I lived in the UK, and I’m glad I was able to get one here. A touch of home with a Spanish twist is a great combination.
If you’re just looking for a light snack however, there’s definitely plenty of options here. For example, a chia seed yoghurt or one from their selection of cakes. And, for all you vegans out there, they have such a selection for you too! In fact, the majority of food on the menu is vegan-friendly.
The aesthetic
Walking into this coffee shop is like walking into a florist. Plántate is filled with so many flowers that you don’t need people for this place to be full of life. Even though the place is quite small, it makes it feel that extra bit cosier. The interior sticks to its natural aesthetic with the majority of surfaces being wood. It totally makes you feel like you’re in a garden. I previously talked about how Zenith has a natural but edgy ambience, but this is definitely at the other end of the spectrum. Indeed, the natural atmosphere just puts you at ease.
The verdict
In a nutshell, Plántate Café is 100% a place you will want to go to if you want to relax. A refreshing cuppa coffee here and a chat with the friendly owner is a great way to take away the stress of city life. The owner will always remember your name here, and after visiting, you will be sure to remember the café’s name too.
Looking for other Madrid coffee conquests? Click here to see more!
