Where do the cooks have breakfast in the interior of Spain

August has passed the halfway point and many begin to leave the coast behind to make the most of the last days of rest in their hometowns or in some inland city, which is gradually regaining its usual pace. It is also a good time to discover how these destinations wake up through their breakfasts: a tradition that mixes local products, rooted customs, freshly baked breads and pastries with the unmistakable aroma of a good coffee. A good tortilla skewer is also usually not missing. Juicy or more cooked, with or without onion, it remains the undisputed queen of many bars.

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Prominent chefs from cities and provinces in the interior of Spain recommend their favorite places to start the day with a quiet breakfast.

Javier Sanz (Cañitas Maite, Casas-Ibáñez, Albacete)

Navarro Bakery, in Alborea, where they make olive oil cakes with different fillings. Among them, the foal with fried eggs and garlic shoots, or the ham with fried egg. It has a terrace where you can also taste their homemade cold cuts. “It is a place that represents La Manchuela. Very authentic,” explains the chef. Address: Carretera N-322 Km 412.6, Alborea, Albacete. Phone: 636 98 95 85.

Ignacio Echapresto (Venta Moncalvillo, Daroca de Rioja, La Rioja)

Papín. He recommends in the center of Logroño, an artisan pastry shop where you can have a good specialty coffee or a good chocolate accompanied by a freshly made cake or artisan pastries. Address: Tr.ª San Juan, 2, Logroño, La Rioja. Phone: 941 48 42 35.

Roberto Terradillos (Terra, Palencia)

He likes to go to Mondo Lirondo. A small restaurant with a café and a variety of fresh products, fruit salads, toasts and pastries, as well as delicious coffee. “Obviously, there is a close and pleasant treatment,” assures the chef. Address: Mariano Prieto, 3, Palencia. Phone: 640 20 45 16.

Edorta Lamo (Arrea!, Campezo, Álava)

In Vitoria he likes to go to Om Café & Club, for their salmon and avocado toasts, fruit salad and the coffee they serve. Address: Oion, 14, Vitoria, Álava. Phone: 945 42 72 13.

Another place he likes to go in his town is Bar La Cepa. It belonged to his grandfather and now his cousin, Iber Sáenz, runs it, who makes “spectacular potato omelets, with my aunt Mari Carmen’s recipe.” Address: La Villa, 2, Campezo, Álava. Phone: 945 41 50 79.

José María Martínez (Galaxia, Badajoz)

He really likes a place called Abuela Justa, where they serve several specialties: “very tasty toasts, good migas, as well as local churros.” Address: Av. de Europa, 8, Badajoz. Phone:615 39 23 21.

Toño Pérez (Atrio, Cáceres)

At Churrería Ronco Tovar, “you can have a crazy breakfast: from good churros to molletes with products from Extremadura,” says the chef. Address: Calleja Charca, 4, Casar de Cáceres, Cáceres. Phone: 653 75 53 49.

Xosé Magalhaes (Ceibe, Ourense)

He recommends going to Casa Toñita. Besides its proximity to his restaurant, he likes it because from eight in the morning they serve breakfasts with good coffee, omelet, empanadas and pastries. It is a classic now run by Toñita’s son, Julio Vázquez. Address: San Miguel, 10, Ourense. Phone:988 23 26 68.

Yolanda León (Cocinandos, León)

She likes to go to Flecha bakery, a reference in the third generation, with Daniel Flecha at the helm, who bets on wood-fired baking and traditional processes. Address: Santos Ovejero, 27, León. Phone: 987 80 82 11.

Raúl Igual (Yain, Teruel)

He recommends having churros at the Muñoz café-pastry shop, in the Torico square. Open since 1855, they are a reference in artisan pastries and chocolate, which they make in the old-fashioned way and with the same machinery from the past. Address: Pl. Carlos Castel, 23, Teruel. Phone: 978 60 11 30.

Elena Lucas (La Lobita, Navaleno, Soria)

At Enjoy Coffee. Besides their good coffee, she highlights their sponge cakes, especially the pumpkin one, which is handmade in a Espejón oven. Address: Pl. Salvador, 1, Soria.

José Antonio Medina (El Coto de Quevedo, Torre de Juan Abad, Ciudad Real)

At Hermanos Medina, in Puebla del Príncipe, “a place where you can have village bread toasts with local olive oil, or with partridge pâté, made by my mother, Paqui Rubio. And there is no omelet like hers,” says the chef. Address: Av. Emigrantes, 2, Puebla del Príncipe, Ciudad Real. Phone: 926 35 92 00.

David Yárnoz (El Molino de Urdániz, Urdániz, Navarra)

Afornunato Cafés. He chooses it for its specialty coffee, with its own roaster and commitment to producers. They also have savory and sweet toasts. Address: Manuel López González, Pamplona. Phone: 605 68 74 87.

Enrique Pérez (El Doncel, Sigüenza, Guadalajara)

“I like to go to Gustos de Antes, with a great coffee, very good churros and pastries, and wonderful bread. It always smells good, like freshly baked bread. It is run by sisters Irene and Rebeca Gómez and it is a place to treat yourself well,” he explains. Address: Alfonso VI, 1, Sigüenza (Guadalajara). Phone: 949 39 17 17.

Paco Morales (Noor, Córdoba)

In the neighborhood where he has lived since he was little: in Cañero. “I like to have breakfast at Confitería Santa Emilia, run by Fernando Montes and Mari Ángeles Zarza. They make toasts with oil and ham, a natural orange juice and a coffee in a glass, not in a cup, very tasty. They have all kinds of sweets. Address: Soldado Diego García Paredes, 32, Córdoba. Phone: 672 66 89 49.

Dabiz Muñoz (DiverXO, Madrid)

La Maruca. With four locations open in Madrid —in Velázquez, Paseo de la Castellana, Azca and López de Hoyos—, it is one of the flagship venues of the Cantabrian group Cañadío, owned by Paco Quirós, owner of Cañadío, with restaurants in Santander and Madrid, and Carlos Crespo, owner in Cantabria of Pan de Cuco or Vermutería Solórzano, among others. A good place to have a potato omelet. Address: Velázquez, 54, Madrid. Phone: 917 81 49 69.

Josetxu Souto y Ramón Aso (Callizo, Aínsa, Huesca)

It is mandatory, they say, to go to Cafetería Lapaca. For several reasons: for the know-how of Raúl Bernal, who in 2011 won the award for best master chocolatier in Spain; for the artisan pastries they make, like the croissant filled with mascarpone; and for the coffee they serve. “They take great care of breakfasts,” they conclude. Address: Alcalde Emilio Miravé, 14, Huesca. Phone: 974 35 29 59.

Cristian Palacio (Gente Rara, Zaragoza)

Veintiuno Coffee. “They have a coffee and benedict eggs that are spectacular, as well as the entire sweet offer,” says the chef. They have several locations in the city. Addresses: José Luis Albareda, 21, Zaragoza. Phone: 976 50 10 76. P.º de Fernando el Católico, 21, Zaragoza. Phone: 976 05 19 03. Antonio Candalija, 3, Zaragoza. Phone: 636 68 30 76.

Francis Paniego (El Portal de Echaurren, Ezcaray, La Rioja)

At Bar Satorre. It is one of the oldest buildings in the historic center of Ezcaray and has been run by the same family for over a century. Here you can have a natural orange juice, with some bread toasts with oil and a tortilla skewer. Address: Pl. Conde de Torremúzquiz, 1, Ezcaray, La Rioja. Phone: 941 05 51 45.

Pedro Sánchez (Bagá, Jaén)

At Panaceite. “They take care of the bread and especially the oil. They use Oro de Bailén, a jewel. They also have good Iberian ham. It is a great place to have breakfast in the city center,” says Sánchez. Address: Bernabé Soriano, 1, Jaén. Phone: 953 24 06 30.

Fran Martínez (Maralba, Almansa, Albacete)

He recommends going to the Colón 6 café, where you can have a good ham toast, cold cuts and a good coffee. Address: Colón, 6, Almansa, Albacete. Phone: 967 01 69 59.

Another place he shares for a hearty breakfast is Bar Almansa, where they serve kidneys, fried potatoes with eggs or fried blood. Address: Autovía de Alicante, 32, 02640 Almansa, Albacete.

Juan Luis Fernández (Cañabota, Sevilla)

At La Flor de mi Viña, where you can have ham with a bread and oil toast. It is a different breakfast, well worth it. Address: José de Velilla, 7, Sevilla. Phone: 954 56 42 52.

Jesús Segura (Casas Colgadas y La Casa de la Sirena, Cuenca)

At Melatte Coffee & Brunch. “I like it for its quality and warmth, and for having pancakes with Nutella, broken eggs with arugula and matcha tea.” Address: Emilio Sánchez Vera, 1, Cuenca. Phone: 606 97 06 01.

Carlos Casillas (Barro, Ávila)

“I am a potato omelet breakfast person,” says the chef, who recommends El Rincón de Jabugo, “with a good omelet and good ham.” A classic that does not disappoint, he concludes. Address: San Segundo, 28, Ávila. Phone: 920 25 25 90.

Another place he frequently visits is Bar La Parada, in La Serrada. “It was my father who recommended this place for its omelet. And it is one of the best I have tried. It is well worth it.” Address: San Isidro, 4, La Serrada, Ávila.

Víctor Martín (Trigo, Valladolid)

At El Minuto café, a place with a lot of history, next to the Calderón Theater. It has very well cared architecture, as well as its breakfasts. “You can have a good tortilla skewer and good coffee. It is the place where I usually have breakfast daily. It is one of those places where you feel at home,” says Martín. Address: Macías Picavea, 15, Valladolid.

Luis Lera (Lera, Castroverde de Campos, Zamora)

In Zamora city, “I like to have breakfast at Malú churrería, next to the market, for the atmosphere that is always there, because the chocolate is tasty and the churros are freshly made,” says Lera. Address: Pl. Mercado, 25, Zamora. Phone: 980 53 34 67.

Another place he recommends to buy an exceptional country bread is El Molino bakery, in Santa María de la Vega. We serve their bread in the restaurant. And it is wonderful to have at home with butter or oil. Address: ZA-P-1511, 48, Santa María de la Vega, Zamora. Phone: 980 65 15 32.

Iván Cerdeño (Cigarral del Ángel, Toledo)

He likes to go to Brunch Confitería Santo Tomé, a sweet and marzipan shop of the best, where you can also have a coffee. They work very well with all sweet products. Address: Av. de Irlanda, 3, Toledo. Phone: 925 69 00 04.