Pastelería Mallorca | Serrano — Restaurant in Madrid

Travellers Beware: I selected to pay in euros after tapping with Apple Pay, but after I handed the card terminal back, the staff switched it to Canadian dollars using Dynamic Currency Conversion (DCC) without my consent.

The receipt shows a 5.5% “markup,” but in reality I paid about 23% more — my €13.25 bill became $23.33 CAD instead of about $19 CAD.

Do not hand the machine back until the payment is fully approved in euros. Otherwise, they can press the higher-priced DCC option and overcharge you. I did not accept the DCC conversion, despite what it says on my receipt.

This DCC scheme is widespread in Spain and Portugal but banned in countries like France because it misleads tourists. Banks and payment processors actively promote it, giving merchants a commission from the inflated exchange rate, so both profit while travellers lose. Not all merchants participate in this, which is why you may be caught off guard at certain establishments, like this one.

Food was delicious but I did not consent to DCC as I did not see the second screen nor did I accept the conversion. That was done without my knowledge...

Arrived after a very early flight and just wanted to have a nice little breakfast. Although we tried our best to speak Spanish (we were also by no means loud, obnoxious, or advertising that English was our native tongue), we were treated like pond scum. Service was unfriendly, speaking unnecessarily quickly, showing no respect for our timid but sincere attempts to communicate, slamming down plates, purposely forgetting items we had coherently asked for and refusing to return a single smile. This was our first trip to Madrid and our first real interaction with locals. It definitely left a bad taste in our mouths. The food was average at best and some items...

I had my birthday breakfast at this location on February 13, 2025, and it was an unforgettable experience. The atmosphere was incredibly classy, elegant, and impeccably clean. The pastries were simply out of this world—absolute perfection. The staff behind the counter carried themselves with such grace and efficiency, adding to the overall charm of the place. Words can’t fully capture how wonderful this experience was. The quality of the pastries was top-notch, making every bite a delight. This was my first trip to Spain, and I must say, it exceeded all expectations. We didn’t have a set agenda—just wandered and followed our instincts, which led us to this...