💻 Working from Madrid: wifi, cafés and the unwritten rules

The etiquette

Spanish café culture does not really do the four-hour laptop occupation. It is fine in the places listed below and awkward almost everywhere else. The rule: order something every 90 minutes, do not take a four-top alone at lunchtime, and if the place is full and you have been there three hours, leave.

Peak lunch is 14:00–16:00. Do not be at a table then unless you are eating.

Reliably laptop-friendly

• La Bicicleta (Malasaña) — the classic. Plugs everywhere, busy by 11:00.
• HanSo Café (Malasaña) — excellent coffee, small, go early.
• Federal Café (Plaza de las Comendadoras) — big tables, dangerous brunch.
• Toma Café (Malasaña / Antón Martín) — good coffee, laptop tolerance varies by branch.
• La Infinito (Lavapiés) — bookshop café, quiet, patient staff.
• Biblioteca Regional Joaquín Leguina and municipal libraries — free, silent, excellent wifi, no coffee.

Coworking

Day passes are typically €15–25, monthly hot desks €120–200, fixed desks more. Many offer a free trial day — ask.

Practical

• Mobile data is cheap here; a prepaid SIM with 20–50 GB runs €10–20/month. See the SIM card guide.
• Most cafés have wifi; it is usually fine for calls but test before you promise a client.
• Summer: air conditioning is the real selection criterion, not the coffee.