Open 24 hours for your every need while stranded in the Madrid-Barajas airport. The menu is the same as back home - so there's no problem with deciding what to order. Just say your order with a Spanish accent and add "por favor" and you'll do just fine.
Since I was at the airport just before 7am, and most places were not yet open, I started my morning with a caramel macchiato.
The biggest of my two complaints was with the cleanliness. There is no shortage of seating in this Starbucks, however, I will challenge you to find a clean seat. I had to pull out my handy-dandy anti-bacterial wipes to clean down a table and the booth seat. Given the early hour, and the lack of work for a few of the employees, I feel this should not have been an issue.
The other complaint is the volume of the music. That early in the morning, I really don't want to listen to music blasting. I would love some quiet Spanish guitar music instead. Regardless, I was able to find a spot, read, sip my macchiato, and chill for an hour or so. Around 8am, there was an obvious spike in patrons, and at that point it was my cue to return to my laps of the airport. Actually when you have to listen to a middle-aged+ woman baby talk into her phone on a video call, that's probably the cue to leave... but I digress.
I survived my stay at the airport, and thanks in part to Starbucks. A little comfort of home anywhere I go. read more