What do all of you order for breakfast, or what do you eat in the morning when you are Spain? Just a question I would like to know what you guys eat, cause I am always really hungry in the morning, and not many other countries besides the united states eat breakast, so what do you guys eat when you go to Spain, I always have bread and coffee, but are there more options, I would love to know. I always wanted to know what people ordered to eat in the morning, if they did order anything different from bread and coffee, can't wait to hear the responses!!!!!! Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!

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When out and about, I eat a croissant a la plancha con mermelada, y cafe con leche or zumo de naranja (fresh!). My Spanish men eat enormous bocadillos, de chorizo or tortilla. Occasionally we splurge and get chocolate con churros, but I find them extremely heavy to eat so early, and prefer them as a merienda!

When we're in a home (which is most of the time), we eat cereal, leche con Cola Cao, toast, sometimes with membrillo (yummmm), galletas Maria, palmeras, etc. Not as filling, but it makes for a good excuse to eat again later in the morning!

When I lived in Sevilla I drank fresh zumo de naranja and ate Magdalena cakes, (I think that might just be the brand name, they were from that supermercado called Dia), Tostada crackers and Palmeritas and once in a great while a piece of bizcocho (as you can see 3/4 of the things mentioned are brand names but I am sure you know what I mean). Yum I love breakfast in Spain!!! Café con leche is also excellent but I preferred the zumo. Now that I am back in the states I just have cereal and milk.

Breakfast in Madrid can be great or horrid. Sometimes the cafe con leche in certain bars is awful, and everyone seems hungover. Place isn't clean, etc. I prefer VIPS. But breakfast in the paradores, now there's a story (enough food for the day!) Still, my fave breakfast is GOOD cafe con leche and a fresh croissant, and/or excellent tostadas.

I LOVE CHURROS!!! I love getting up early and going to the local churreria and standing at the bar, dunking my churros into my café con leche.

In 1995 I arrived in Madrid at about 8am and my ladyfriend took me to her neighborhood (Barrio Lucero), we parked the car leaving the luggage in the trunk (I know, I know, NOT recommended!) and walked to a place called Bar Lucero, probably the MOST popular bar in this nice little neighborhood at the major intersection.

We walked up to the bar and the place was packed at about 9am, mainly full of older women stopping for a coffee while making their shopping/market-hopping. We eeked out a little elbow space at the bar and ordered our café con leche and churros -- my first experience with both. I loved the coffee, but the churros were dripping with oil, sweet, and felt like a brick going towards my stomach and felt the same afterwards as my "American" stomach tried to digest this lump-o'-oily-fried-dough. That was 5-years ago and with practice, an ever-easing and Span-o-fied stomach, able to now digest the most "fortified" foods Spain can offer, ABSOLUTELY LOVE CHURROS!!!.

Hmmm... After writing this, the bagel and strawberry jam I'm eating seems to lack flavor & substance.

Saludos, MadridMan

[This message has been edited by MadridMan (edited 09-13-2000).]

I'm with Diana that churros con chocolate make the world's best merienda (afternoon snack). MUCH too heavy for breakfast. BTW, what's the singular of donuts in spanish? donus. the plural? donus. Un donus. jajaja, really. and they are usually gross, too.

rgf, this donut comment is so funny! I ordered donuts sometimes and pronounced the word in the English way, and people did not know what I want! Some of my Spanish friends actually thought donuts (or rather donus) were a Spanish invention. So if anyone wants a donut (which belong to the things that are not better than in the US-if you are into it, you will find it, but in my opinion, café con leche con una magdalena, un bollo o una tostada is much nicer), remember to pronounce it in the Spanish way.

i'm honestly not at all a breakfast person. i really don't care for it. however, when i did indulge myself in spain(i think only 3 or 4 times during the month that i was there) i went to a bakery and had an ensaimada. almost every morning though i started the day out with zumo de naranja and usually a little cafe con leche a bit later.

Tostada de tomate. This is toasted "pan pan" (ie not de molde) spread with fresh pureed tomato taken with olive oil and touch of salt. They don't seem to do it in Madrid (or Castilla more generally), but if you ever find yourself in Granada or Almeria, don't miss it. In general, breakfast in Andalucian bars seems to me better than in Madrid (and quite a bit cheaper! ...er, apart from that Sevilla rip off thing!)

[This message has been edited by El Boqueron (edited 09-14-2000).]

On my SECOND visit to Madrid in 1998 I was treated, in home, to pan tostada con aceite y ajo (Toast with olive oil and garlic). It was SOOOO good!! I watched as it was prepared for me, never saw anyone go to such trouble to make me toast for my breakfast before. hehehhe.. And I'm staying with the same, 76-year old woman (my ladyfriend's mother) for half of my nights during the upcoming 2-week October trip -- the rest of the nights I'm staying in 7 different hostales.

Saludos, MadridMan

MissMadrid98,

i die for mermelada de ciruela heaped on top of heavily buttered bread, and then dipped into a very strong cafe con leche... i usually have a chitimoya or some other fruit too... i also enjoy magdalenas in cafe con leche too... spanish breakfasts are nice..!

mermelada de ciruela is MY fave, too!! green, heros. On top of toasted pan gallego + butter is heaven. missing spain....

Can anyone recommend a place for breakfast near hostal ducinea that we can get an american breakfast of eggs & sausage rather than churros? They definitely are not part of our low carb diet!!!

Actually, the singular for donut that I have always heard was "donu" with donus being the plural. Maybe that's just the Canary Islands though. Breakfast in Spain? Oooh, I love galletas and hot cola cao. My favorite galletas are(the name doesn't leave me) the ones that are like maria galletas but a little bigger with chocolate in the middle. Churros y chocolate are a little too heavy for me to have for breakfast but for a merienda? perfect. I also became accustomed to eating pan del dia and dipping it in yogurt. It's so delish!!! Try it MM, it's a lot better than the toast and jam you're eating!

jmg, I wouldn't mind hearing what's around Hostal Dulcinea, Hostal Lopez, and Plaza Santa Ana. I've heard there are number of places around Hostal Lopez and am SURE there are MANY places around Plaza Santa Ana.

By the way, mi novia madrileña also says "donus". I always just assumed she couldn't say "donuts", but maybe that the "t" was silenced somehow in her tongue.

mencey, I really have never had toast and jam, but rather toast and olive oil and maybe garlic. If memory serves, they eat muslix for breakfast cereal too. I'll certainly have to try the toast in yogurt too!

Saludos, MadridMan

thanks so much for your responses!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! nice variety and made me aware of more options i never knew i had!

On Saturday, 16 Sep, Sunday, 17 Sep and Monday, 18 Sep (yesterday) we had Churros (and Porras) at Toribio's on the Plaza in Barajas pueblo. I had the thick, delicious hot Chocolate - other members of our group opted for cafe con leche. A glass of fresh orange juice (squeezed as you wait) and you have Madrid's 'Breakfast of Champions.'
On Saturday & Sunday, the place was crowded with (mostly Iberia) airline crews.