La Violeta — Local services in Madrid

Our hotel offer us the violeta candy as welcome gift and we were impressed by the taste of it. So we decided to pay a visit to the store to explore other options and intended to buy as gifts for our relatives and friends. I paid a visit on Sept 12th 2024 around 5:45pm. There were no other customers at the shop at the time of our visit. There was a girl as the shop keeper and bluntly told us the prices and available options displayed at a corner of the shop. I would like to try the other product which should be the candied flower, the girl sounds impatient but she did give me a try. It taste good so I told her I would like to buy 2 boxes of the candied flower and 12 boxes of the candy. I also want to try the stone like candy so I asked then she said it's orange or lemon flavor and didn't want to let me try. I buy 200g, 100g per box anyway and the girl seems to be very impatient. I ask her if I was bothering her, then another girl show up at the counter and smile at us embarrassingly. The original girl still serving us seems to be able to change her tone after my question. I know I only bought 45 euro of products might not be much, but we did not deserve to be treated like we were bad people. I was so happy the hotel offering me the candy and so excited to visit the store to try more but end up being treated like I should not be at the shop at all. Very disappointing service. The other girl seems fine I would hope that when I enter the shop she would be the one serving us instead of the impatient and blunt tone girl. Madrid gave me a very good feeling on services compared to Barcelona, but this shopping experience ruined it all. I truely hope La Violeta could improve on training their shop keepers so not to ruin the good efforts other Madrid's service...

We came here to get violet candies as souvenirs. The shop is very small but cute. All the candies are in pretty violet packaging.

My sister and I were the only customers in the store, and when we walked in, all three of the ladies working the store front ignored us. They kind of just stared when I said "Hola, buenos dias", which was a strange experience. We quietly looked around for a bit to decide what to buy, but most of the packages are not see-through nor labeled clearly, so I asked if there were different candies or just violet. They seemed really annoyed by my question (it was the only thing I asked), and the one lady very impatiently said all the candies were the same. So we bought two packages. They did gift wrap them very nicely, but it felt like they didn't want us in the shop at all. It was very off-putting, and one of the only bad customer service interactions we had on our 8 day trip in Madrid. We were raised to be polite, so we still said Gracias and Adios, but didn't get much of a response back.

Reading some other reviews, it seems like they actually do sell other candies, and many other people had the same poor customer service experience.

The candies weren't that expensive. They taste lightly violet-flavored and not too sugary, which is a plus. I don't know if I'd spend my money here again though. They certainly didn't seem like they wanted...

This tiny gem in Madrid is easy to miss but worth seeking out for its authentic Spanish candies. La Violeta specializes in traditional violet-flavored hard candies that have been a Madrid specialty for generations.

The selection of packaging options impressed me - from plain boxes in various sizes to adorable little jars and decorative containers. These make perfect gifts to bring back for friends and family who appreciate unique, local treats rather than typical tourist souvenirs.

The candies themselves are delightful - small, delicate, and offering that distinctive floral flavor that's authentically Madrid. They're reasonably priced considering the quality and presentation.

One downside worth noting - the customer service could definitely use some improvement. The staff wasn't particularly warm or helpful during my visit, which slightly dampened the experience. Despite this, the quality of their unique product makes La Violeta worth a visit.

If you're looking for an authentic taste of Madrid to bring home, these violet candies are still a wonderful option, even if the service isn't quite as sweet...