This is the oldest recipe in the pasadizo—churros fried fresh throughout the day and served with chocolate that's heated and thickened in copper pots behind the bar. The chocolate is rich without being cloying, the churros arrive still warm and dusted with sugar. This is how madrileños end their nights and begin their mornings.
Tips from diners
Come Thursday-Saturday after midnight for the true San Ginés experience—tourists, locals, and club-goers all mixing at 3 AM with churros and chocolate. This is Madrid tradition.
Go on a weekday morning around 9 AM when the crowd is older locals and businesspeople. The churros are the same quality but without the party atmosphere.
San Ginés also sells churros to take away without chocolate, wrapped in paper and dusted with sugar. These are meant to be eaten warm as you walk, a staple grab-and-go for locals rushing to work. A few pieces will cost you under 2 euros.
Tips from diners
Grab a bag to go if you're in a rush. Eat them within 5 minutes while they're still warm—that's when they're best.
While San Ginés is famous for chocolate, the café con leche is equally good. The coffee is strong and the milk is steamed until it froths. This is what madrileños drink with their churros on a weekday morning before work.
Tips from diners
Order café con leche if you want something lighter than chocolate. The coffee pairs with the churros just as well and costs less.
San Ginés's chocolate is heated and stirred in copper pots until it becomes a thick, luxurious liquid. You can order it alone to sip—locals sometimes do this with a pastry from a nearby panadería instead of churros. The texture is between a drinkable chocolate and a pudding.
Tips from diners
Order just chocolate and a croissant if you want something smaller than the full churros-and-chocolate combo.
Porras are the thicker cousin of churros—more dough, more crispy exterior, more chocolate to dip. Some madrileños swear by them over churros; try both and decide. They're made fresh daily in the same oil and with the same technique that's been refined since 1894.
Tips from diners
If you want more dough and crispiness, order porras. If you want lighter and more delicate, order churros. The chocolate is the same either way.
Chocolatería San Ginés has been serving churros con chocolate from its location in the narrow Pasadizo de San Ginés since 1894, over 130 years of tradition. During the Spanish Second Republic, it gained the nickname 'la escondida' (the hidden one) for its location in the secluded alley. The shop is open 24 hours Thursday through Saturday, making it the final destination for madrileños celebrating through the night—a centuries-old tradition of ending a party with chocolate and churros at dawn.
The passageway is easy to miss—look for the small opening off Calle de Arenal, very close to Puerta del Sol. It's a narrow alley lined with history. The shop is at the far end.
Plan to visit Thursday-Saturday evening or night when the place is open 24 hours. This is when you experience Madrid's true churro culture.
Expect queues, especially at night on weekends. The line moves quickly—they're practiced at serving crowds. Go early morning (8-9 AM) on a weekday if you want no wait.
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