Dining ~ Madrid European Bakery ~ Providence

Madrid European Bakery
199 Wayland Ave.
Providence, Rhode Island
AND
230 County Rd.
Barrington, Rhode Island
originally published 10/30/2020
updated 1/3/2024

New kid on the block Madrid European Bakery opened recently, occupying the space that formerly housed Teas & Javas. Recently, M and I stopped in for socially-distant treats.

We loved the open doors to the sidewalk/patio. It made the whole place seem so open and airy, even with masks on. We admired the handpainted sign, and I had to look up what a viennoiserie, patisserie, and pate sablee (a cookie-type pie crust) are. 

We picked a few items to sample. M got a slice of the apple tart, and raved about it all morning. At noon, I received a message: "I miss my apple tart." The next day she went back and got four more.

I tried the cannoli. The shells are filled to order, and garnished with your choice of chocolate chips or pistachio (chocolate chips for me, thank you). It tasted fresh and creamy, with a lovely crumble of the pastry, which was neither soggy nor brittle. Easily one of the best cannoli I've had.

Spacing out my tastings, I also tried the chocolate San Marcos cake. It was sweet and moist without being dense or heavy. If you can't make up your mind between chocolate and vanilla cake, the San Marcos is for you. It's a little bit of everything.

Granddaughter T is a purist. She got a plain croissant and pronounced it, "nice." High praise from a 12 year old.

Our return trip netted more to try. The fruit tart was beautiful, with fresh raspberries and light cream on a cookie-like crust (pate sablee?)

I'm not a fan of meringue, so the meringue and lime curd tart was all about the lime curd for me. Granddaughter took the lion's share of the meringue. The curd was firm and wonderfully tart. The meringue was fresh and sweet and gooey.

Finally, the gluten free option. They offer a couple of GF cakes. I chose the chocolate hazelnut. I don't have much experience with gluten free, but I found the cake tasty.

"I can't wait to go back!" M messaged. Neither can I.

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update

And we have. M and I stop in at Madrid a few times a year, and we each have our favorites. I can't stay away from the San Marcos cake, and M's go-to is the apple tart.

Madrid's reputation has grown. A neighbor gifted me a selection of their pastry as a thank you for shoveling her drive. She's lived in the area for more than 40 years, and declared them the best bakery around.

Since the blog post in 2020, Madrid has opened another location in Barrington. I haven't visited yet, but I'm sure I will.