Bombon is my local in Madrid. I don’t actually live in Madrid, so I don’t have a local bar/cafe either, but if I did live in Madrid, I’d probably start my apartment searches around this area because of Bombon. I love everything about this tiny cafe; the location, the decor, the vibe and, of course, the chocolate. In addition to a wall selling a range of really good single origin bean to bar chocolates from around the globe, they offer a range of hot chocolates made with organic and fair trade chocolate, a blend of beans from Peru and Sao Tome. With these, they can create all sorts of drinks for you in either traditional Spanish style (thick) or in what they call the American way (less thick). To these you can also add a long list of organic spices including, but not limited to, ginger, cinnamon, cardamon, orange, mint, orange blossom water, lavender and vanilla. You can also have a hot chocolate with organic nut butters added including hazelnut, peanut, almond and tahini. With great music (the founder/owners Carloso del Amor and Lua Rios are musicians in a band called Gold Lake), I’d probably start and end my days here.
What is so special about Bombom is that unlike most Spanish hot chocolates which are made from powder with added cornstarch, here the chocolate is made with good quality, often single origin chocolate. I was so lucky to have the chance to sit down and have a hot chocolate with Lua when I visited. My recording of our interview is so noisy, I can hardly hear all the really interesting things she told me about the chocolate and the music scene in Madrid. She did say it was typical to enjoy chocolate at the end of an evening out and that the chocolate is thicker in the south than in the north. We tried many different chocolates, including some from the growing number of Spanish makers.
Bombon felt the COVID restrictions hard and had to close. Unfortunately I’m not sure whether the current Bombon is still run by the original owners, or even if there is still a focus on chocolate. Therefore, this post is more of an ode to what Bombon was when I visited and what I hope it will still be when I visit again soon.
Bombom is at Plaza Carlos Cambronero 1, open everyday from 9am until late with a siesta between 1:30 and 3:30.
