Regina Troy Barrios

Article (news)

San Gines comes to Manila

If you’ve ever wandered through Madrid at an ungodly hour, chances are you’ve stumbled onto San Ginés. The narrow pasadizo near Puerta del Sol glows with late-night chatter and the comforting smell of fried dough. Inside, plates of golden churros arrive at the table, begging to be dunked into mugs of hot, almost spoon-thick chocolate. For Madrileños, it’s ritual. For travelers, it’s initiation. For over 130 years, San Ginés has been the place where nights end, mornings begin, and the line between indulgence and tradition blurs.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17593249374101.jpg" style="width:900px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>Churros meet chocolate, Madrid’s sweetest power couple | Photo: San Ginés US socials</div>Come February 2026, Manila gets its own chapter in this story. The iconic <a href="https://www.instagram.com/chocosangines/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Chocolatería San Ginés</a> is opening its first Asian flagship right here, bringing with it that same alchemy of crispy dough and molten chocolate that has seduced everyone from Jimmy Carter to Dua Lipa.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17593250277727. Guests - Dua Lipa.png" style="width:900px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>Dua’s Madrid mood: churros, chocolate, disfrutando mucho | Photo: Día Lipa</div>Founded in 1894, San Ginés began as a tucked-away café serving theatergoers and insomniacs before becoming a cultural landmark in its own right. Today, queues of tourists and locals alike snake through its tiled corridors, all chasing the same simple pleasure Madrileños have sworn by for generations. Its list of patrons is a cultural grab bag: Julio Iglesias, Diego Maradona, Naomi Campbell. Royalty, football legends, supermodels, pop stars. And soon, Manila’s own night owls.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17593250146892.jpg" style="width:900px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>From Julio Iglesias and Naomi Campbell to Jimmy Carter—San Ginés is everyone’s guilty pleasure </div>But the local outpost promises more than just churros con chocolate. “Bringing San Ginés to the Philippines is about more than food—it’s about sharing a piece of Madrid’s cultural soul with Manila,” says Pedro Trapote, the man who’s expanded the brand beyond Spain to Lisbon, Miami, Austin, Buenos Aires, and now, the Philippines. Expect a Spanish-style cafeteria with a full roster: paella, tortilla, tapas, and the shop’s famed chocolate cake. A menu meant to conjure Madrid’s warmth, flavor, and conviviality in every bite.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17593250534113.jpg" style="width:900px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>Chocolatería San Ginés branches in Lisbon, Miami, and Pasadizo de San Ginés in Madrid </div>The Manila opening marks San Ginés’ first foray into Asia — a coup for the city’s ever-growing dining landscape. In a metropolis already obsessed with desserts, the arrival of Madrid’s most famous churros feels inevitable. After all, who can resist something that has survived more than a century of changing tastes and still comes out golden?Madrid’s night owls have long known the secret: the best endings are hot, sweet, and drowned in chocolate. Manila’s turn comes next.

Madrid’s legendary chocolatería San Ginés, famed for its churros and thick hot chocolate, is making its Asian debut in Manila in February 2026, bringing 130 years of Spanish tradition to the city.

Madrid’s legendary chocolatería San Ginés, famed for its churros and thick hot chocolate, is making its Asian debut in Manila in February 2026, bringing 130 years of Spanish tradition to the city.

Madrid’s Most Famous Churros Are Coming to Manila

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Madrid’s Most Famous Churros Are Coming to Manila

Troy Barrios

Published October 02, 2025 07:40 AM PHT

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