Many years ago, I regularly visited Madrid and spent a lot of time reporting on its early specialty coffee scene. Then, life happened and you know, the rest. That’s why I was really excited to spend some time in the Spanish capital the other week and to visit a lot of coffee shops that had opened since I was last there. One that was very high on my list was the Acid Bakehouse, the big brother of Acid Café, one of the early multi-roaster cafés in town.
Founded by my friend and former photographer Fede Graciano, Acid Café quickly became a favourite among the caferarti of Madrid and visitors alike. I spent many hours hanging out at the original Acid Café, tasting Fede’s latest Nordic coffees that he had sourced. In the beginning, he primarily served coffee from La Cabra in Denmark but then later expanded to other roasters.
The Bakehouse, which has a striking interior, is where Acid bakes all of its sourdough bread and pastries. The complete range can always be found at the counter of every outlet and includes many Nordic classics like Cardamom and Cinnamon buns, Pains au Chocolat and much more.
During my visit, I ordered a cup of coffee from April coffee but I was a bit surprised by the roast date. I was there at the end of January and the coffee was roasted back in November. The barista told me that they were about to change the roasters on the menu but most of the retail packs I saw both here and at the original Acid Café had the same roast date.
Not that there’s anything per se wrong with coffee that is a bit older but then asking €8 for this felt a bit too much. I did appreciate that the coffee was prepared with the Aeropress because this is a brew method you still don’t see being used super often in a café environment.
What facinated me the most, however, was said striking interior. It felt like there were two spaces joined together in the middle. One half with deep red and white tones and the other half with grey and white tones. Even the furniture had those tones, which creates this very visually satisfying experience.
Truth be told, however, this place might not be for everyone. As the name suggests, they love acid and acidity in coffee is something that many people still find unpleasant. Well, shit. Get used to it because acidity in coffee is what makes it come alive! So, if that’s your vibe, the Acid Bakehouse is your jam.
