El Riojano

This place is dripping in royal vibes and antique mirrors and that makes sense. Once upon a time, the queen’s personal pastry chef wanted his own bakery. And the queen helped him make that dream come true. El Riojano is a fancy sugar and treat palace where your coffee comes with a side of powdered sugar and thick chocolate to dip. Reminder: if your employee is amazing, promote them or they’ll open a pastry empire and flex on you as they should.

One of the oldest bakeries and tea rooms in Madrid, known for its rich history and delicious treats. The pastries are always fresh. If you visit during Easter, try the Torrija, it’s famous for a reason! My personal favourite is the palmera de chocolate.

We had a nice experience here. We went early in the morning so it wasn’t too crowded. The pastries were very good, the waiter was very nice. We enjoyed it and we’d definitely come back.

A gorgeous space of marble and wood and gold. Delicious pastries and espresso. Fast and friendly service. The entryway is as it was in the early 1800’s. As the property was a gift from the queen to her pastry chef, the chef’s family still owns it and pays no rent!

A whole lot of goodies and treats to choose from, so delightful to see the wide array of baked goods. Walking into the store felt like walking into a time capsule bringing me back to great, great grandmother’s era. Fascinating place. The baked items I bought were good but not overwhelmingly so. I have tried better piñones in other stores but the treats here were still good. I would still return to try the rest!

Historic café, but they could care more about the ambience. It's a bit delapidated and the cold energy saving lights do not match the classical style. The hot chocolate and the ladyfingers are OK, but nothing special.

Royal cake shop used to be serving royal family sweets and treats. We simply bought two pastry and they're so delicious and delicately made. Love the sweet cream in the pastry. Tasted so smooth and good with the pastry. Would go back again when visiting Madrid next time.

El Riojano is a historic pastry shop in Madrid, founded in 1855. Located near Puerta del Sol, it is known for its traditional Spanish pastries and sweets. The shop has a classic atmosphere that attracts both locals and visitors. Founded by Damián Riojano, who was also the royal baker for Queen Isabel II, El Riojano has preserved its 19th-century décor, with elegant wooden displays and a nostalgic charm. It’s a great place to enjoy authentic pastries in the heart of Madrid.

I went here once and had to return because the Torrija de leche (like a bread pudding) was the best I had. It's a very traditional pastry shop. There's eating inside or you can take your food to go. Service is very fast. It looks fancy.

Cool bakery with crazy history. You're first greeted with the badge of honor outside showcasing this business has been here for over 100 years. Everything is so ornate because the queen helped build this masterpiece.... Over 100 years ago!! We liked the hot chocolate experience. The place really comes alive when you walk in, otherwise you'd walk past it and never know basically a bakery museum is inside.

Yummy pastries and coffee. We really wanted the little lemon cookies but the server had no idea what we were talking about. Once we paid and spoke to the woman in the front area she explained the lemon cookies had it come out yet and we waited patiently for them. Warm and yummy!!

It feels like all my life I've been searching for the best hot chocolate. Rich, creamy, dark-but-not-too-dark, just sweet enough, thick-but-not-too-thick... and, of course, insanely chocolatey. In the U.S. it is a tragedy that the default hot chocolate is that powdery, bland, horrid instant nonsense. This was the opposite - the most perfect cup I've had so far!! Don't be fooled by the long lines and make your way to the back for seating - generally seems like you don't have to wait and it isn't too busy, unless you're there during the post-dinner hour. The pastries all look great and the ones we had were fine, but the hot chocolate is the real showstopper. Get the dipping cookies if you want, and yes, they do cost extra. LOVE this place and its history, highly recommend!

If you're okay with getting poor service from the waitstaff and offered average sweets, then this is the place for you. My family came here twice since the first go-around we figured the poor service was due to us coming in 20 minutes before they were closing; however, that definitely wasn't the case. Both times we came, we were confronted with indifferent waiters who quickly became inpatient if we didn't already know what we wanted. Once we did place our orders, I will say that we did receive them in a timely manner. Although I do distinctly remember wanting to try some ensaimada, and the waiter flat-out refused to take that order; I'm not sure if it was because they didn't have any more of it, or he just didn't want to do the extra work. The highlights of this place has got to be the chocolate and cafe vienes. Rich, creamy, and flavorful! Even so, I do think that there are other restaurants that can offer you BOTH great drinks and service.

Staff is not friendly or helpful. They act as if they dont want you there. The cookies are labeled by name but if you dont know what the ingredients are or what they taste like you are going to ask right? When you ask they give you one word responses and act as if you are asking for the world! I had done some research so I knew what I wanted but there were some new things I saw once there. My husband thought the cookies tasted average. Nothing to write home about. We had better at a smaller bakery. We actually gave them away to a homeless person. Alot of the cookies are only available in large quantities. I do not recommend. So much for the oldest bakery which once baked for the royal family.

Founded in 1855 and to this day following Madrid's traditional calendar, El Riojano was originally the idea of a Baker who worked for the Royal Family, its interior of mahogany and marble harkening years past while service is abrupt and most certainly not willing to accommodate English. Maintaining a hidden tearoom and outdoor tables, the latter refused as "reserved" at 08h45 even though only one of four was occupied, it was after perusing several dozen selections that choices were made, some such as a glazed Palmier easy to identify while others required a bit of faith. Now in its fifth ownership, though many of Damaso de la Maza's original recipes remain, it was after passing row-upon-row of Pastas that teeth punctured an airy Ensaimada while El Riojano's Caracola falls short of those elsewhere thanks to too much heft and Fruit that is gummy. Remiss to skip the Torrijas, but not about to abide a bare minimum of service seemingly designed to force tourists out, both Lazos and Mujis each fared well to finish, especially the former which looks like a Donut but eats like Viennoiserie.

The Best Chocolate I had in Madrid. Hands down! Ordered a few treats and pastries from here as well. Superb

We discovered this place as an alternative to the popular Chocolatería San Ginés. Hard to describe their dipping chocolate, but it definitely has a somewhat better pop of richness by comparison. We ordered the soletillas (ladyfingers) which came in a pair for 1.60€. They're almost sponge-like and soft, but a bit lacking in flavor, so I prefer the crunch of a churro instead. The front is filled with glass cases of dozens of bakery goods. The back dining area does full waiter service and has the aesthetics of a 17th century palace dining hall. Scouting the front would give a good idea what the menu items are before sitting to order. Our waitress spoke English after my bout of stuttering Spanish, but I noticed she wasn't as warm and friendly to us or other customers. Note they consistently close for about several hours mid-day so time your visit accordingly.

This was my go-to place to get breakfasts while traveling in Madrid. They were known by their hot chocolate with lady finger, but I prefer to have lady fingers with coffee :) There's a lady at the store who greeted me every time when I stepped in. She's really nice, always explained the bakery varieties to me patiently. Loved their lady fingers and all other cookies :)

If you find yourself in Madrid, do yourself a favor and check out El Riojano. It looks like a tiny bakery with lots of different types of pastries from the outside, but it has a "secret" looking tea room (kinda like a speak easy of some sort) that you only notice if you walk in. This place has some wonderful hot chocolate that's so rich you eat it with a SPOON! Get yourself a hot cup of chocolate, along with lady finger like pastries called Bizcochos de Soletilla for dipping. I guarantee you your sweet tooth will be more than satisfied !! You are welcome ;)

The chocolate drink is much much better than San Ginés', more rich and more chocolate flavor. The only down side is that you can't get churros here, but the other pastries are pretty solid. When you walk in the small door you'll find cases and cases of pastries. The salon/seating area is in the back on the right side. Don't leave without ordering the hot chocolate!

A nice place to rest the back after long walk in this busy neighborhood. The two servers were kept very busy all the time we were there. They performed their duty but lack of any personal touch. Really can't blame them! Actually I felt sorry for them! The pastry and coffee were ok. I am sure many other enticing sweets or else must be very delicious that the business was so good.

This one is going to be extremely short. It was on the wife's to visit list, something different from San Gines because we've been several times. Chocolate was good, lady fingers didn't taste super fresh and the service was terrible. Trust me I'm not the customer that you kiss my butt in order to be satisfied, just acknowledge me common courtesy and I'm good. I won't be back, I'm straight. Oh yeah I did order some pastries in the glass displays and they were pretty good.... great to take for visiting friends.

Amazing little place just down the street from the Sol Station and near our B&B. The pastries in the window are hard to miss. They beckon you. My daughter tried a raspberry pastry and I the blueberry. Instead of taking out like we had done the day before, we relaxed back in the sirting area in the back. Great service there with some excellent coffee and pleasant setting.

Wonderful establishment that makes you feel like a queen (or king) while you dine. I wanted to try the melted chocolate for breakfast since I've heard they melt down actual chocolate in comparison to powdered chocolate used in other establishments. During my time in Madrid, I tried a few chocolate places but nothing comes close to El Riojano. It looks small from the outside but is actually a lot bigger once you get to the seating area further inside. The staff was so friendly and made our experience of visiting Madrid enjoyable. The vibe here just screams royalty as the room will make you feel like you are eating in a royal palace. I ordered the chocolate y soletilla and I thought the chocolate was amazing but didn't care too much for the soletilla. This is just a personal preference though. I didn't like the texture of it after it's combined with the chocolate. I guess I'm in love with my crunchy churros. A positive is that the soletilla was lightly sweetened which I thought was a pleasant experience for my palate. Now let's get to the good part. THE CHOCOLATE!! Man, it was so rich and smooth. I almost wanted to drink the whole cup! I ended up getting in (several) spoonfuls well after my soletilla was gone. I hope that lets you know how wonderful the chocolate really is! I also had a yummy warm crissount and coffee and it did not disappoint. Overall, chocolate lovers must visit! I only regret not buying chocolate in the bakery section to bring back home.

El Riojano in my opinion, has the best drinkable hot chocolate in the city of Madrid. Their cup of chocolate has the perfect amount of sweetness and texture that hits the spot if you're craving something sweet! I watched the devour tours video where James Blick came into this store and ordered a cup of hot chocolate and an order of lady fingers. He said it was the perfect afternoon snack pairing so off we went to this wonderful place and tried it. Mr. Blick was definitely right about the hot chocolate. Our crew felt that it was the best tasting hot chocolate we've had so far. The lady fingers were soft and decadent however I think our crew prefers the crunch of churros (which is a personal preference). I think El Riojano is a perfect spot for an afternoon pick me up meal. There is an abundance of seating in the back of the store whereas the front is a retail bakery. I'm a little bummed I didn't order their pastries that were in the display fridge but it's okay cause I'll come back again in my lifetime to try it. Try this place and their wonderful hot chocolate and assortment of pastries, you won't regret it.

Omg, their hot chocolate is amazing. Before coming to Spain, I did some research and people told us to try churros with hot chocolate. O was about to go the popular place that people keep mentioning, however, someone suggest to come here for the hot chocolate. So I got the hot chocolate with a piece of lady finger. The chocolate was pretty thick, almost like melted chocolate, so I thought it would be super rich. However once I tried it, I was just like omg, this is so good. Even though it was rich, the sweetness was very subtle so you can keep drinking it without feeling a sugar Rush. My friend, who is usually not a sweet tooth, drank it all and even want to lick it. The lady finger was just ok, nothing special

Riquísimo la repostería y el zumo de naranja, el servicio excepcional. Hay que tomar en cuenta que el lugar se llena y eso hace que el servicio sea un poco lento. Pero vale la pena esperar. Las tórrelas riquísimas. El camarero muy atento y servicial "Jesús"

This was my favorite breakfast place in Madrid. It's truly a hidden gem in the middle of all the chaos of El Sol. Truly a locals hide out but they welcome tourists. It looks like only a bakery from outside or when you walk in but go to the back and there is a full service dinning room. Breakfast and pastries on point!!!!!!

Sooo! We found this bakery from watching you tubers. We found it and were able to sit inside to enjoy late breakfast. OMG!!! The hot chocolate and the soletillas. WOW! Biscuits were soft and perfect and the chocolate was perfection. You can dunk the biscuits or just sip on it. Is that amazing! A week later we went back for more!!! Totally worth it!

The poison was a little small but delicious! I liked their atmosphere and food. Good service. It was busy around lunch time.

Came here due to the recommendation from the James Blick YouTube video. Staff here was nice. There is an added cost for dining in instead of takeout. I didn't appreciate the dipping chocolate as much as some people do. That's just me. My favorite pastry was the one that was shaped like a Pringle. The rest were okay.

Came in based on recommendation from YouTube. The staff was dry and ignored us for about 5 minutes even though the place was practically empty. Once seated I ordered the chocolate but it didn't come with anything. Other places serve churros with the chocolate and I was under the impression that this one would come with the cookie as seen in all of the pictures but you must order that separately. It's called a Soletilla. This chocolate was very hard to drink on it's own. I couldn't even finish it. Go to San Gines for much better service and great chocolate with churros.

We t here after watching James Blick on YouTube. Hands down better chocolate than other chocolatia venues. Made with actual chocolate, not powerder. The cakes they serve with are a great compliment to the chocolate. If you seek chocolatia, this is your spot. Staff was very cool as well.

Chocolate was delicious. Very tasty! Rich and the best we tried in Spain. We enjoyed some with traditional lady fingers along with another pastry for breakfast. Lovely interior, highly recommend!

Amazing place for Spanish hot chocolate - in fact the only place in Madrid we would recommend! We found it recommended via a youtube video about good food in Madrid on our last day and wish we had found it earlier. The hot chocolate is served with these larger cake/cookie things, not churros which we enjoyed much more than churros. And the hot chocolate itself is apparently made with really chocolate, not the powder so it's darker and creamier. Some other places had clumps and weren't very flavorful, but this place does it right. Definitely worth it!

This place has such delicious desserts. I ordered some items I saw in the window like the yema, castana, y coco without sugar. Then, because the service was excellent, I asked if I should get anything. She cheerfully replied "yes!" and I asked for her to suggest something. She led me to the house specialty, these little lemon biscuits. I ordered 4 and went away cheerfully, snacking on sweets.