Wanda Café Optimista - Madrid

Great place for work coffee. read more Great place for work coffee.

Can a café sum up the mood of a city? Designer Parolio thinks his latest project, Wanda, does just that. The Spanish capital was hit hard by the financial crisi... read more Can a café sum up the mood of a city? Designer Parolio thinks his latest project, Wanda, does just that. The Spanish capital was hit hard by the financial crisis, but now fresh rays of optimism are peeking through, with funky new hotels and trend-tapping restaurants opening in a flurry. Nowhere is this positivity more visible than right here. ‘After the grey recession years I wanted to communicate the opposite: vitality, joy, colour’ says Parolio. Walls are painted ice-cream shades; fluorescent tones pop from the ikat motifs on cushions below photos of Californian summers. That new-wave healthy West Coast feel extends to the menu too: sea-bass carpaccio and lentil-and-tofu burgers with beetroot houmous. It gets more sinful after dark when bright young things sink frozen Melon Daiquiris. This day-to-night hangout is forging a fresh-faced revolution in the city, with organic market El Huerto de Lucas and juice bars such as the living-wall-covered Fit Food popping up all over town.

Food quality is very good. The prices are a little bit expensive, and the staff is not very helpful and polite sometimes even though we are frequent... read more Food quality is very good. The prices are a little bit expensive, and the staff is not very helpful and polite sometimes even though we are frequent...

Perfect little place for a bite to eat and cold beer. Great selection of mini bites and large meals. Great service too. read more Perfect little place for a bite to eat and cold beer. Great selection of mini bites and large meals. Great service too.

Very courteous service and excellent chocolate and coffee offerings : read more Very courteous service and excellent chocolate and coffee offerings :