Tasty Tuesday: La Mallorquina

What I'm about to say may seem blasphemous to some people, but I really wasn't that impressed by the bakeries when I was living in France. Maybe the bakeries in Nice are especially subpar, but apart from baguettes, a croissant and a ridiculously expensive cookie, I didn't love what Niçois bakeries had to offer. Most of them sold stale pizzas, bread and petit fours that were obviously not house-made.

When I went to Japan and came across their "French-style" bakeries, I thought they were generally way better than the real thing, but even so, I didn't love the chocolate croissants.

So imagine my surprise when I came across the BEST chocolate croissant I've ever tasted right here in Madrid!

You see, traditional pains au chocolat are made of buttery, flaky pastry wrapped around a paltry, skinny line of chocolate running down one side. Spanish napolitanas de chocolate are made of fluffy pastry filled to bursting with rich, smooth, creamy chocolate paste that spans the entire interior of the confection.

My very favourite napolitana de chocolate can be found at the legendary bakery La Mallorquina, which is located at the very heart of the city, right at (one of) the doorsteps of Sol metro station.

There are rows of pastries, cakes and cookies in glass cabinets to choose from, a standing café on the ground floor and a sit-down area on the second floor. But be forewarned that prices upstairs are higher than downstairs!

After some experimenting, I can say that their napolitana de chocolate is their very best product - even better than their cakes (see picture) - so feel free to cut to the chase and head straight for the napolitana de chocolate if you make a trip here. Don't even bother with the regular napolitana, which is filled with custard - the chocolate is a million times better!

I discovered La Mallorquina during my first days in Madrid, back in late June, and I became an instant, avid fan. I was absolutely devastated when they closed for August, like many businesses here do, and I actually had their re-opening date (August 31st) written in my agenda.

Fortunately, the napolitana de chocolate is as good as I remember. Unfortunately, it's smaller than it used to be and the price was raised from 1€ to 1.20€. It'st still totally worth it, though, and I will continue to frequent this establishment - just maybe a little less often than I used to, which is probably better for my waistline, anyway. :P

La Mallorquina
Calle Mayor, 2
28013 Madrid
España‎