Toma Café
Malasaña · Madrid · Steep Index 7.8/10
One of the original specialty roasteries in Madrid, running out of a small Malasaña room since 2011. The flat white is honest, the cinnamon pastry will cost you a second coffee, and the solo experience is better than most.
The Steep Index
Coffee earns 8.5 for a program built on in-house roasting since 2016, with a seasonal rotation of five or six single-origins and a flat white that shows the work. Solo scores 9.0 because the counter setup, unhurried rhythm, and staff who do not make you feel watched make this one of the more comfortable solo spots in the city. Atmosphere and staying power sit at 7.5 each — the room is small and without much visual interest, but it does not need any.
- Coffee / Drink Quality: 8.5/10
- Atmosphere: 7.5/10
- Solo-Friendliness: 9.0/10
- Value: 7.0/10
- Staying Power: 7.0/10
- Overall: 7.8/10
Perfect for: working alone, slow weekend, espresso pilgrimage
The Space
A narrow room on Calle de la Palma with a counter and a handful of tables. It has been here since 2011 and shows it in the best way — nothing new has been added that did not need to be there.
The Coffee
The flat white is clean and well-balanced, drawn from beans they roast in-house in their own small production facility. The cinnamon pastry is genuinely good and the kind of thing that makes a second coffee feel necessary rather than optional.
Founded by two art directors who got tired of flying to London for good coffee. Thirteen years later, they are still roasting in Malasaña and the flat white still makes the point.
The Vibe
Friendly without making a show of it. Solo visitors settle in easily at the counter, and the staff move between regulars and first-timers without any visible gear change.
The Verdict
Toma was doing this before most of Madrid knew what specialty coffee was, and it still does it without needing to remind you of that fact. One of the more honest and reliable roasteries in the city.
Practical information
- Address: C. de la Palma, 49, Centro, 28004 Madrid, Spain
- Price: €€
- Type: roastery
- Wifi available
- Laptop friendly
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