Chocolatería San Ginés
7.6Friend Score / 10#6 of 12 Cafés & Coffee in Madrid
Known forchurros con chocolateporraschocolate a la tazacafé bombón
The 1894 churros-and-thick-hot-chocolate institution in a lantern-lit passage near Sol — a plate of six churros with chocolate runs about €6. Yes, it's on every tourist list, and yes, it's still good, especially at 3 a.m. after a night out (it runs round the clock Thursday to Saturday). Expect a queue at peak times.
Key facts
| Hours | Sun–Wed 08:00–23:30 Thu–Sat 00:00–23:59 |
|---|---|
| Price | $ |
| Phone | — |
| Website | — |
| Nearest transit | Sol or Ópera (Metro), 3-4 minute walk |
| Time needed | 30-45 minutes |
| Best time to go | Late night or early morning; mid-afternoon queues are the worst. The post-club 3-6 a.m. crowd is a Madrid rite of passage |
| Last verified | July 12, 2026 |
Friend Score
7.6/10- Value8.0
- iconic7.5
- Freshness9.2
- Crowd level3.5
- Authenticity7.5
- Accessibility9.5
Frequently asked questions
- Do they serve anything besides churros?
- A short list: coffee, ice cream in summer, and a few pastries. Don't overthink it — this is a one-dish house, and the dish is chocolate con churros.
- How do I avoid the queue at San Ginés?
- Go very late, very early, or on a weekday mid-morning. If the terrace queue is long, check the counter inside — takeaway usually moves much faster.
- Is the hot chocolate meant to be that thick?
- Yes — Spanish drinking chocolate is a dipping sauce as much as a drink, closer to warm pudding than cocoa. Nobody drinks it straight until the churros run out; some never do.
- Where exactly is it? I can't find the passage.
- It hides in Pasadizo de San Ginés, a little alley off Calle Arenal beside the San Ginés church, four minutes from Puerta del Sol. Look for the green-and-white signage and marble tables spilling into the passage.
- Is San Ginés really open 24 hours?
- From Thursday into the weekend it runs around the clock; early in the week it opens around 8:00 and closes late at night. The famous scene is the 3-6 a.m. shift, when clubbers and early workers share tables.
- Churros or porras — what should I get?
- Get one order of each and share. Churros are thin and crisp; porras are thick, airy, and arguably better for dipping in that pudding-thick chocolate.
- Is San Ginés a tourist trap?
- It's touristy but not a trap — the product is genuinely good, prices are honest, and madrileños still come, especially after nights out and on winter mornings. If the line is absurd, plenty of neighborhood churrerías do the same thing without the wait.
- How much are churros at San Ginés?
- A cup of thick hot chocolate with six churros is around €5-6. Porras — the fatter, fluffier cousin — cost about the same and many locals prefer them.
Nearby in Ask Madrid
- Plaza MayorAttraction0.14 km · 2 min walk
- Casa LabraBar0.18 km · 2 min walk
- Mercado de San MiguelAttraction0.25 km · 3 min walk
- Puerta del SolAttraction0.26 km · 3 min walk
- Sobrino de BotínRestaurant0.31 km · 4 min walk
Where to stay near Chocolatería San Ginés
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