Toma Café

Toma Café is considered a pioneer of the specialty coffee movement in Madrid, having opened on Calle de la Palma in the Malasaña neighbourhood at a time when the concept of single-origin, carefully prepared coffee was largely unknown in the city. The café has been credited by many coffee professionals in Madrid as having established the template for specialty coffee service in the capital — importing quality green beans, training staff in precise extraction, and treating the sourcing and brewing process with the same seriousness that chefs apply to ingredients and technique. The café is small and intimate: wooden tables, vintage-influenced décor, and a counter that is the visual and operational centre of the space. The coffee programme focuses on single-origin and traceable-blend espresso that rotates with sourcing seasons, ensuring freshness of roast and variety of flavour profile. Single-origin espressos from Ethiopia and Colombia appear alongside Central American and Asian origins depending on the season. Filter coffee using manual brew methods is available for those who prefer the nuanced flavour extraction of pour-over rather than espresso. A small food selection of breakfast items and pastries complements the coffee offering. Toma Café does not aim to be a full breakfast or brunch restaurant — coffee is the central proposition. The café attracts a loyal local clientele of Malasaña creatives and professionals alongside coffee enthusiasts from across Madrid who make specific trips for the quality. The Malasaña location puts it within walking distance of Misión Café and other specialty coffee destinations, making the street Calle de la Palma a natural coffee destination for those wanting to explore Madrid's specialty coffee scene in a single area.