Café de Madrid — Restaurant in Oakville

The food tasted fine, though it was overpriced for what it was. If you've ever actually lived in Spain you'll know that the selections aren't actually representative of what you'd find at your average Spanish café. Where in Spain would a ham croqueta or a café bombón be left off the menu options? Which Spaniard would serve churros without coating them in sugar? It wouldn't happen. That being said, I do appreciate that the servers are able to speak Spanish. The decorations are also cute, but it would have been nicer if more attention had been paid to the menu (which in addition to the odd selections included incorrect grammar) than aesthetics. I was very excited when I saw advertisements for this café because I'm a Spaniard and authentic Spanish food isn't easy to find around here. But this isn't that. Unfortunately, I'm still better off making it from scratch myself to get a real taste of home. Edit in response: Firstly, if you must know, I re-edited the review because the longer I thought about my experience the more upset I was about it, and thought it was important for other potential customers to know what they were getting into. Not that I needed to do that since the numerous 1-star reviews are already doing a wonderful job highlighting the issues you face and trying to get you feedback, which you don't even seem open to. Maybe spend more time getting things properly prepared and actually take feedback left in good faith so customers can have an authentic experience. Secondly, if you're going to make your entire brand centered about a cuisine then you have to know what you're doing. I don't know why you would even open if you weren't truly ready. And yes, I would argue that does involve importing ingredients. But even with local ingredients, if the preparation was right there would have been no issue. No Spanish café would serve you sugar-less churros as the default. It's not traditional. They are never served on the side. They are sprinkled on immediately after frying so the sugar actually sticks to them. Doing so after doesn't have the same effect and grately affects the taste. Try it yourself if you don't believe me. But it's actually ridiculous that you're serving them without sugar as the default under the guise of inclusion. To anyone that knows Spanish gastronomy it comes off as you not knowing what you're doing. If anything, a non-sugar version should be the option for those concerned. Finally, you might not believe this, but I'm trying to give you genuine feedback because, as I stated, I was really excited about this new locale and had hoped you would be authentic. But unfortunately based on your response to me and how I've seen that you reply to others it doesn't seem like you're really getting it. A real shame for what could have been a real...

Disappointing Experience at Café de Madrid

Last night, my husband and I chose Café de Madrid for my birthday dinner. We were excited—having a local Spanish restaurant is a wonderful addition to the area, and we especially love paella. The restaurant was lively and busy, which felt like a good sign for a place that’s only been open a week.

The evening started off just okay. It quickly became clear that the servers don’t have assigned sections—throughout the night, multiple servers came by, often asking the same questions. Menus, water, and service were all delivered by different people, which created a disjointed and chaotic atmosphere. For a birthday dinner, it didn’t feel relaxing or intimate.

That said, the appetizers were a highlight—the grilled shrimp and croquetas were absolutely delicious, and I’d happily return just for those.

Unfortunately, the paella was a serious letdown—not just in quality but in safety. While the flavour was decent and it included a nice mix of seafood (mussels, shrimp, calamari, clams), several of the mussel shells were cracked or broken. At first, we didn’t think much of it, but as we ate, we found more broken shells throughout the rice. My husband ended up cutting his lip badly on a sharp mussel fragment.

We notified the manager right away. He offered my husband ice for the bleeding, but there was no real apology, and the dish was never taken away or removed from the bill. A while later, the chef came out and apologized, explaining that he was still training kitchen staff. While we appreciated the explanation, it didn’t change the fact that we didn’t feel safe eating the rest of the paella. No one returned to check in after that. In fact, we were completely ignored. We eventually had to flag someone down just to pay and leave.

The rest of the experience reflected a lack of preparation and attention to detail: – Our plates were never cleared. – We were given tiny side plates to eat our main course, with nowhere to discard shells. – The calamari was rubbery and unappetizing. – The lighting was overly bright, which didn’t help the ambiance. – There appeared to be visible tension between the manager and chef, both of whom made comments about each other in front of us.

Most disappointing of all, no one ever properly acknowledged the fact that my husband was visibly bleeding throughout the meal. We left the restaurant feeling disregarded, and ended up going elsewhere for drinks and dessert—just to salvage the evening.

Café de Madrid has potential: it’s a beautiful space with a great concept. But as of now, the execution is seriously lacking. I truly hope they work out the kinks, because no one should leave a restaurant injured, unheard, and still expected to pay for the dish that caused...

After following Café de Madrid on Instagram and being drawn in by its promise of authentic Spanish coffee, I was genuinely excited to visit the café with my wife yesterday. Unfortunately, the experience was disappointing on nearly every level, aside from the interior décor, which is admittedly well done and visually appealing.

As we approached, the place looked lively both indoors and on the patio, which added to our anticipation. However, things quickly took a downturn. When we entered and reached the cashier, we were asked to take a seat and told someone would come by to take our order. It took quite a while before anyone brought us a menu. We had to change tables twice because both were unstable, and even after trying to adjust the base ourselves, they remained uncomfortable and shaky.

When our coffee finally arrived, it was barely warm—borderline cold—and tasted nothing like the rich, bold Spanish coffee we had hoped for. It lacked both character and authenticity. We had to ask for sugar, then again for a spoon, and then again for napkins—basic items that should be readily available or provided without needing to request each one separately.

The food, which we assumed had been forgotten, took an unusually long time to arrive and offered no redeeming qualities that could make up for the slow and uncoordinated service.

To be frank, the service was poor, the coffee disappointing, and the overall experience frustrating. While the café’s concept and aesthetic hold great potential, it’s clear that the team was not ready for full operation. It feels like the café opened its doors too soon, without proper staff training or operational systems in place.

I sincerely wish the team success moving forward, but unless they make significant improvements—especially in service quality, timeliness, and product delivery—I don’t see myself returning, and I suspect many first-time visitors may...