Sundays (if you let them) can frankly be a little bit rubbish. And in the winter – even worse. Chances are you’re nursing a mild to moderate hangover. There’s life admin to smash. And then the potential doom that often comes when you spy the return to work on the horizon.

This often means that Sundays don’t have that carefree Friday feeling. They’re the waiting room for the working week. However, as I discovered last Sunday, it definitely doesn’t have to be that way and Sunday Funday most certainly doesn’t have to remain as some intangible insta friendly phrase – especially not in this city.

Le Cocó, the cosy little Chueca spot that I reviewed back in the summer, is now playing host to ‘Gin and Cookie’ afternoons. You show up, you drink gin, you eat cookies. There’s not much not to love. Between 5-8pm on both Saturdays and Sundays, there’s a DJ on the decks helping you to keep your party pants on until your alarm pretty much goes off on a Monday morn.

In my previous Le Cocó post I mentioned just how how lovely the decor is and now that winter is really starting to bite, it’s the perfect place to bunker down for an afternoon and enjoy some copas in good company.

It goes without saying that each bite of the cookies was well worth the calories. The red velvet ones in particular deserve a mention as I could’ve happily munched the lot – but clearly needed to leave some room for the perfectly mixed G&Ts.

So if like me, you’re keen to eek out the dregs of the weekend until the bitter end, make a date at Le Cocó. Remember, the weekend isn’t over until the fat lady sings. Or in this case, you’ve eaten all the cookies.

Info

• Instagram, Facebook & Website
• Address: C/ Calle de Barbieri, 15
• Metro: Chueca
• Phone: 915 21 99 55

Sugar addict? Keep reading. Don’t have a sweet tooth? This place is not for you. Opened just three weeks, Creamies is a tiny ice cream sandwich bar in the heart of Malasaña that lures guests in with its neon ’80s-esque decor and customers leaving with their sugary mounds of perfection.

The process is simple and tailored to your tastes.

First, you pick the “bread” of the sandwich: a donut (regular or Oreo), a blueberry muffin top, or a cookie—classic chocolate chip, white chocolate, triple chocolate… Undecided? You can mix & match the top and bottom.

Next, choose the ice cream filling: “triki” monster (kind of like birthday cake flavor), donut cream, “La Movida Madrileña,” double chocolate brownie, Kinder, yogurt & berry…

Lastly, you can choose a “topping”—whichever you choose, they’ll roll the sandwich in it. There are sprinkles, Lacasitos, marshmallows, Froot Loops, cookie crumbs, chocolate sauce, and more.

Would ya just look at that happiness?!

It’s cheap, it’s delicious, and the service is friendly. Corred!

Info

• Facebook
• Insta: @creamiesmadrid
• Address: C/ Corredera Alta de San Pablo, 30
• Metro: Tribunal

You may also like:

• Madrid’s best ice cream shops

La Oriental is a teeny tiny traditional pastelería that offers a whole array of gluten free goodies. Founded in 1950 and currently run by the fourth generation of bakers, here you’ll find locally inspired pasteles, elaborated using traditional Madrileño methods and the best local ingredients. This is the place to go to step into the world of traditional artisan pastries and try some local specialities. Luckily for gluten free foodies, it is central to the city and just a short stroll from the Argüelles metro stop!

When you step into the bakery you are immediately surrounded at all heights by stacks of galletas, trays of mini pasteles, counters brimming with all sorts of chocolates, beautifully decorated tartas, light pink meregues and boxes of assorted chocolate-dipped shortbreads.

It is not hard to find the gluten free goodies as the shop is covered in ‘sin gluten’ symbols to help you find your way around.

You’ll find delicacies in every counter, including the tall fridge in front of the window, which is jam-packed with tartas, cheesecakes and birthday cakes (see the raspberry cheesecake above, yum!). There is also a counter with an entire selection of rocas, which are chocolates filled with caramelised nuts, in dark chocolate, milk chocolate, white chocolate… well, in every kind of chocolate that you could imagine.

Also sitting on nonchalantly on top of the counters, as if they have no idea of the effect they’ll have on you, are boxes of assorted biscuits, which are, indeed, gluten free too.

There are Viennese-style biscuits covered in jam and chopped nuts, star-shaped shortbreads, vanilla cookies topped in dark chocolate and sprinkles, and many more options. In addition to the boxes on the counters, there are also boxes behind the shop front, which the shop assistants will no sooner whisk out for you than you can say ‘sin gluten’.

As well as the shop’s excellent ‘gluten free’ signing, the best part of visiting the shop is being greeted by the shop’s incredibly smiley fourth generation owner, or one of her friendly assistants. As soon as you mention that you are ‘celiaca’ or ‘celiaco’, a whole range of extra delights will be whisked out from the back and you’ll wonder why you never came here before.

The pastel of choice on this visit was one of the ‘bandejas’ of mini pasteles, which I can say are without a doubt the most delicious little morsels I have tried in my natural gluten-free, and non-gluten free, life.

Each tray is slightly different, with six rows of beautifully presented mini pasteles, each little pastel like a mini work of art. You can tell that at La Oriental they take their baking seriously. In this particular ‘bandeja’, there were six types of mini pasteles: a custard-cream topped sponge; a light pastry sandwiched with chocolate cream; dark chocolate cups with vanilla custard filling and chocolate sprinkles; a profiterole-style pastry filled with dark chocolate cream; an orange cream square and, last but not least, dark chocolate cups filled with whipped cream and topped with a raspberry.

The mini selections of pastries like this bandeja are wrapped up in a sweet little La Oriental box with reflective gold lining and tied up with string, making them the perfect treat to buy for a friend, gluten free or not gluten-free, or maybe, let’s be honest, just for yourself.

In addition to this, the tartas in the tall fridge counter in front of the window can also be ordered for special occasions like birthdays, or just selected from the shop on the day (they all look delicious!).

Extra notes

There are also sugar-free and lactose free options. Just ask the owner.
Extra tip: some of the boxes of biscuits already have prices on, but the rest are priced according to weight, so make sure you check with the owner before you select your box.

Info

Word of the post

I hope that you liked this post on La Oriental. Today’s special word, in homage to the delicious nature of the post’s content, is:

natillas– a creamy custard, yum.

You’ll also like:

• Gluten free pastelerías in Madrid: Part 1, Confeterías Marqués

• El Riojano, Madrid’s best pastry shop in the centre with a hidden tea room!

• María’s – sensational sweets on Calle Zurbano