La Duquesita

La Duquesita is everything a historic Madrid confitería should be—elegant, consistent, and quietly excellent. Founded in 1914, it delivers tradition without feeling dated. We enjoyed a beautifully curated afternoon selection: crisp sparkling water, perfectly prepared café solo and café con leche, and an outstanding lineup of desserts. The postre de queso was balanced and refined, the pistachio dessert rich yet elegant, and the crujiente de avellana was the standout—textural, nuanced, and expertly executed. Service was warm and professional, with attentive pacing that allowed the experience to feel relaxed and intentional rather than rushed. Everything felt precise, from presentation to flavor. La Duquesita continues to set the standard for classic pastry and café culture in Madrid. A must-visit for anyone who appreciates craftsmanship, heritage, and understated excellence. Would absolutely return.

Beautiful place with a sophisticated atmosphere and pleasant vibe. Service was quick and kind, although not as refined as the setting suggests. We ordered two café solo, one bottle of Agua Cristal, one Cuatro Texturas dessert, and one Pistachio dessert. Everything was excellent — both desserts and the coffee were outstanding. The total was €24.60, which I found fair considering the quality and sophistication of the place. Overall, a great experience with nothing to complain about.

Best palmera (elephant ear) I've had. Buttery, flakey, delicious. They have an assortment of pastries and chocolates. Very chic seating area to have coffee or tea. I come here every time I'm in Madrid and the quality is consistent.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I had an amazing experience at La Duquesita in Madrid! I ordered a latte and a gianduja croissant, and both were absolutely delicious. The croissant was rich, flaky, and perfectly balanced, while the latte was smooth and comforting. The staff were incredibly kind and attentive, making the visit even more enjoyable. The ambiance of the place is stunning—classic and elegant, with so much charm. It’s the perfect spot for a treat and a bit of relaxation. I can’t wait to return and try more of their offerings. Highly recommended!

A very beautiful place with beautiful sweet treats. Plenty to choose from and quick to receive your order.

I don’t speak English so after I ordered and wanted to sit at the back in the nicer part of the cafe, she seem to be indicating that the area is for some special order and I can only sit in the front. I was also made to bring the cake to the table myself while I see everyone else being served to the table. Not sure what’s with the special treatment. Nonetheless, cake is nice but rather one dimensional aside from the outer shell which adds to the crunchy texture.

A very beautiful place with beautiful sweet treats. Plenty to choose from and quick to receive your order.

Had a few fancy sweet snacks for a late breakfast, our favorite being the lime tart that was complex yet light. Cafe con leche was excellent as well and very friendly service in the table section of the store.

Cute shop with traditional pastries and coffee. Upscale clientele and limited seating. Always busy but the hours are short

Possibly Madrid's most famous Bakery, its century-old footprint operated by Chef Oriol Balaguer since 2015, La Duquesita takes guests back in time thanks to a gold, wood and mirrored interior attesting to a time when the shop specialized in Jam Tarts and Chocolates. Home to limited seating and abrupt service, a lack of Spanish fluency treated to one-word answers and guessing through a selection of Cakes and Viennoiseries, it was with three items selected that Balaguer's "dedication to gastronomy" was gauged, his Palmier holding up well to a sloppy Chocolate paint job while a Frangipane-laden Almond Croissant felt soggy in comparison to a Caracola with dried Fruit and Butter amidst its coils.

The perfect place to come for coffee and a shared dessert! The prices are hefty in comparison to other dessert places, but the beautiful desserts and atmosphere make up for it! What I ordered: I had a cappuccino and a chocolate dessert which I believe was called cuatro textures. The cappuccino was strong and very foamy. The dessert was small, but I would recommend sharing it with someone! The flavors are so rich I couldn't finish it all by myself! I can't stress how beautiful it is on the inside. I felt like I was in an old romance movie! This would be a great date place; however, the one bad thing is there are not too many places to sit. So adorable!

A quaint bakery with a cute interior and alluring window displays. Stopped by for a quick breakfast and got three mini turkey sandwiches with cheese. The bread was very interesting, not quite like a sandwich bun and not quite like a croissant. The two workers nicely translated the items for us. Although the shop is small and does not have much options to choose from, I wish I had a chance to taste their sweets. There are two tall round tables and one bar table along the wall.

Hi hello why are you reading this review when you should be at La Duquesita eating the best pastries on the entire planet? Put down your fucking phone, and start with a croissant, and finish with one of everything.

Never have I so willingly consumed so many calories in one place. You must go. Cookies, sweets, coffee, amazing chocolate concoctions. They have a small sit down area inside as well.

Three words: croassan de praliné. Best pastry ever. This Patri shop it's beautiful, good quality and always the best product. You have to try it. Su croassan se praliné es de lo mejorcito que he probado jamás. El mantener la decoración del local y combinarlo con la pastelería de Oriol Balaguer es una maravilla. Sea lo que sea que toméis merece la pena. Lo único malo que no hay mucho sitio para desayunar, pero en producto merece la pena.

I love heritage businesses that use classic elements in a sincere way. La Duquesita (affectionately, "the little duchess") is an ADORABLE pastelería and chocolatería ensconsed in a feminine and imperial circa 1914 shop revived by chocolatier Oriol Balaguer. If you agree that artisan traditions are key to reviving Spain and supporting its talents, this is a fine place to shop. I toted away a giant, slender box of truffles (ranging in flavor from violet cassis and pop-rocks crunches to classic dark) and a large bar of dark chocolate that lasted me WEEKS. It's nicely dark chocolate with a big emphasis on smooth cocoa butter, so make sure that's your preference in terms of texture. The essential flavors were sophisticated and unique enough to make this gift-able. And, again, the boxes, bags, thick gilt ribbons were just so friggin' charming that I skipped out of there like a spoiled girl who just scored a particularly cute kitten.

What a charming bakery in the awesome neighborhood of Chueca! I came here to pick up a cake for my son's birthday but decided to just get several different small cakes so we can sample them all. I also got a box of macarons and some of the smaller tea biscuits. I don't know the exact names of the cakes that I got but the flavors were: hazelnut, raspberry, dark chocolate and vanilla. All were absolutely amazing but I have to say the raspberry cake and the dark chocolate were my favorite. I don't think you can go wrong with anything in the shop. Pricey but well worth it.

The best patisserie we have ever been to. We ended up coming back three times during our short stay in Madrid to enjoy the incredible pastries and cakes.