CAFE REVIEW 1: NOMADE café

You know when you have that awkward amount of time in your hands in between jobs? An hour and a half break to be exact. On a random Friday afternoon I was caught wandering the streets of Lavapiés looking for a place to hangout and when I came across this charming cafè sitting in a corner of one of Madrid’s iconic neighbourhoods, I ordered my favoured café con leche (as one would at 4:00pm in Spain), and started diving into writing in my journal, a habit I’ve adopted for over a year now, I was served by the sweetest and most accommodating waiter I’ve ever met, his smile was infectious and I remember not helping but feel all those good feelings through the rest of the day, a small gesture but was a genesis towards my fondness of this place, their coffee was crisp and tasty infusing me with smooth caffeine-driven creativity and expression which was exactly what  I needed and definitely helped with my entry that day. 

It slowly turned into a Friday ritual for me, a place that allowed me space to write and gather my thoughts to conclude my week. It has never failed to provide a safe and welcoming vibe to be in, eventually I was urged by an unknown divine influence (hunger) to order a slice of cheesecake, which was simply short of magical, the flavourful gooey inside and soft crusts paired with their coffee instantly transported me to heaven on earth. Through different colored Fridays and seasons, I’ve sat on their various charming tables, which made every experience unique, one rainy day, I was seated in a streetview window, watching as the water pour and run through the slopes of the streets, sounds like tiny beating drums on brick roofs, and the cold breeze slightly piercing through the windows and doors  made it such a cozy and intimate moment with myself, conditions like that are often overlooked and made me decide that this café was worth visiting habitually.

When spring arrived, flowers bloomed, and sunny showers poured, I was blessed to go on a date with a beautiful soul, exploring the city, I had no doubt that when we passed by the area, this café first came to mind, as we were looking for nourishments, we decided to order something to eat, I was yet again impressed when we ordered their Nuestro Formaggi sandwich, I was hit with the lush experience of three different cheeses, tomatoes, and basil highlighted by their flavourful Kimchi sauce. The place was busy that day, both tourists and locals bustling in and out, I was deeply rooted reading a book, Metamorphosis by Kafka and my date next to me, writing his short story, a scene completely out from a dream I loved but forgotten, and as expected from Madrid’s whimsical spring weather, a huge downpour  greeted us from the window pulling us into a relaxing trance of enjoying each other’s nonverbal company, making small moments like these significant later in our relationship. 

To wrap up my first cafè review, I would simply like to remind myself (and to my audience) to always remember what’s important and the core questions I’ve chosen to follow continuing this series of deeply personal reviews; Did I feel present? Was I able to take in every piece of the time in that place? Was I able to experience it moment by moment? A place may be defined by how many stars and positive reviews it has on Google or its social media following and presence, but I hope people learn to value their individual perception and perspective more often, using their unique rose lenses to persist in this world, I believe it will always remain integral to the memory you will establish. I have nothing but gratitude to every force that aligned and brought me to this cafè including other places I value. In the future, I hope I am able to share these experiences I hold dear to my heart and provide a peek of how my universe connects to each present moment I continue to live in,I am excited to keep recording and sharing my memoirs through these enchanting places around the city I have so much love for.