Check out J&J’s Friday night pub quiz where you can play in teams of 4 and win a cash prize.  J&J is a bookstore/coffee shop where you can find thousands of English-language books downstairs. Up at the bar, you can get craft beer, wine, coffee, bagels and other things to munch on.

You can also enjoy their other events such as the Intercambio Night on Wednesdays, Thursdays & Saturdays where you can improve your favorite language while having a good time meeting new people.

Also check out our series on Madrid’s Best Cafe-bookshops

Start your Friday or Saturday night off right with a €10 wine tasting at Bodega de los Reyes! At this friendly bar near Plaza de España, you’ll get to taste four different types of wine. Each glass comes with a different pintxo or tapa. It’s a great way to start off your night with friends, as it’s situated in the center and has a space to fit 28 people.

Make a booking in advance by calling: 91 547 92 13 or 686 22 47 29.

When?

Friday from 7pm

Saturday from 9.30pm

Sugar dusted pastries, chocolate dipped palmeras and fruit filled tarts: gluten free friends, the search is over. If you’re a foodie who just happens to be of the gluten free inclination, finding delicious confectionary in the city can be a little, shall we say, challenging.

We all know that there are the international coffee shops that serve the same chocolate brownie and the supermarket aisles that sell the same two or three packaged cookies, but where do you go when your traveller, foodie heart wants to spring out into the city and explore its homemade artisan treats?

This series is dedicated to Madrid’s best hidden corners for delicious homemade cakes and cookies, gluten free style. You can even take your non-gluten free friends, and I promise you that they will not be able to tell the difference; they may even find their new favourite spot!

Confitería Marqués

Tucked away on Fernando el Católico, Confitería Marqués is the little Madrid bakery where it feels like everything has been made especially for you. With its tea party bunting and dainty glass cake stands, it has an element of the Alice and Wonderland to it, with everything in miniature.

There are fruit tarts, mini croissants, individual loaf cakes, savoury empanadas, palmeritas, apple slices, jam tarts, and more.

The sheer selection that they offer is fantastic for any gluten free Madrid foodie, as well as any foreigner in Madrid that wants to try some local pasteles with a reminder of home. Everything is made in the pasteleria and tastes as homemade as it sounds.

As well as all of the above, another reason why Confitería Marqués is so unique is that it also makes savoury food such as empanadas, filled with cheese, vegetables, fish and meat. These crispy, buttery little pastry puffs make for a delectable little lunch.

Then there are the pastries, tarts, palmeritas, fruit slices and loaf cakes. Each are exactly as they should be, and some are even better.

The apple loaf cakes have a base of sweet apple pieces and raisins, are soft on the inside and scented with vanilla. The palmeritas are crispy and flaky and come traditionally plain, or coated in dark chocolate. Plus, the chocolate orange tart is rich and decadent, filled with dark chocolate cream, and hints of citrusy orange.

The owner of the shop is extremely friendly and can help you pick out something from the counter, or choose something from the incredible handmade confectionary that they have to the left of the counter and throughout the rest of the shop, including small boxes of cookies and beautifully presented chocolates. These would be perfect as a thoughtful little gift or -why not- a special treat for yourself.

You can even buy a homemade birthday cake, chilled desserts or a traditional Christmas Roscón de Reyes from the tall stand to the right of the counter; any would make a great surprise for a gluten free friend on a special occasion or a delicious traditional dessert to share after a meal at home with friends.

Another little tip is that they can make gluten free bread in house to order; just ask the lady at the counter when you would like it for.

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Extra notes

Don’t forget to ask about the delicious foods available for lactose and nut allergies. You can go with all of your friends!

You’ll also like:

Cosy Wine Bars in La Latina – with gluten-free options!

Rayen Vegano – a vegan “gem” of a restaurant in Huertas

El Barrio de las Letras  – one of Madrid’s most central neighborhoods, also known as Huertas – is celebrating its sixth edition of DecorAcción 2015. This festival aims to showcase the works of local artists and interior designers. Expect outdoor flea markets, pop-up markets, food trucks, master classes and a “Best Balcony Competition.” Here’s the program.

It’s a really nice excuse to go out for a walk, enjoy the beautiful neighborhood of El Barrio de Las Letras and support the city’s local art scene!

Not too long ago, Madrid’s breakfast scene was limited to traditional croissants, toast and churros. Now, however, it’s rivalling cities like New York and London. How did this happen so quickly? Don’t know. But boy are we loving it… One of the best places for brunch in Madrid is Federal Café, which may look like a stylish restaurant in Soho, but it’s actually located in Malasaña, near Conde Duque.

Last Sunday, I went for brunch with three lovely ladies – Cat, Aifric and Helen.

We all started with fresh smoothies. Mine had pomegranate and organic apple juice – health in a glass.

To eat, I ordered toast with avocado, poppyseed and lemon.

Aifric got the same, although with poached eggs (smart choice).

Helen had a veggie burger with freshly squeezed orange juice.

Then there’s Cat, who wins first prize by a landslide with her full-on plate of poached eggs, bacon, potatoes, sausage and toast. Damn. 

The first time I went to Federal was actually over a year ago with my friend, Nina (who’s sitting in the window looking at the little kid). We stumbled upon Federal while strolling around and were instantly lured in by the comfy window seats that allowed us to dangle our legs onto the sidewalk.

We started with a coffee.

That ended quickly. The menu featured such a wide variety of dishes that were chock full of local, organic and fresh ingredients – we just couldn’t help but order something to eat. I got a sandwich with feta cheese, spinach and olive tapenade. Nina had a burger. Simple but so good!

So if you’re looking for a hip place with healthy food in the center of Madrid, I think you’ve found it!

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You may also like:

Best Brunch on a Budget in Madrid

Little Big Café – my little big pick-me-up

Toma Café – Fuel Up, Feel Hip

Mamá Campo – a Restaurant/Market of Organic Delights in Plaza Olavide

Don’t you just love how many markets Madrid has? We do! Mercado Central de Diseño is hosting a special edition of its design market on June 5, 6 and 7 at Palacio de Gaviria (yes, a former palace indeed) not far from Sol. Here you’ll find the finest in Spanish design, concerts and of course, great food. Entrance costs 2€ plus a drink.

Like any good native New Yorker, and like every madrileño for that matter, there’s nothing like a great cup of coffee, and preferably it’s not costing you an arm and a leg like that relaxing cup of café con leche in Plaza Mayor. I yet again found out about Monkee Koffee through Cup of Couple‘s Instagram account, and was ecstatic to have it be within a 20-minute walk of my apartment.

On a Saturday afternoon I headed to Monkee to meet a friend, looking forward to having my mind blown by coffee. The first thing that strikes you when you pull up is the sliding door (which is an absolute rarity, except for maybe Panaria).

When you walk up to the counter, you’ll find a menu not only with different kinds of coffee, but also smoothies, AND food. Not only can you get standard baked goods (like cookies, cakes, and some tostadas), BUT there are a number of sandwiches or salads to really be able to get your munch on.

It’s a great spot for cold-brewed iced coffee, which in Madrid can be a little bit of a challenge to find. The one caveat for me was that there was no skim milk, but I’d be willing to indulge in soy milk in my cold-brew. For those of you who were big Blue Bottle Coffee fans in San Francisco and New York, this is the closest you’ll get to it in Chamberí.

 There are a variety of seating arrangements, including a smaller table with big, comfy chairs, where my friend and I got lost in conversation. If you want to get work done, you can sit at the long, communal table in the middle à Le Pain Quotidien, or on another long table just along the brick wall where you can see the Monkee logo and a bright letter o. For groups of friends, there are also some other tables where you can pull up chairs and seat groups of three, four, or five comfortably. I can definitely see myself coming here to write, study, or get lost in a good book.

Monkee Koffee also has a choice location this time of year. It’s located just around the corner from Parque de Santander and the Instalaciones Deportivas del Canal Isabel II, which is my swimming pool of choice on hot summer afternoons.

I’m glad to have found a place to get my cold-brewed iced coffee and food to-go before I relax by the pool, or stay in and get some fuel and some work done.

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Here’s a list of more of our favorite cafés in Madrid:

Little Big Café: my big little pick-me-up

4 Coziest Cafés in Chamberí

Cafelito: for coffee lovers in Lavapiés

Toma Café: Fuel up, Feel hip

Pepe Botella: a coffee place where you can think

La Paca: the perfect café in Malasaña

What are you doing on Sunday? Because La Vermutería Pop Up and Abastos 2.0 are hosting a vermouth party at The Table By from 1pm – 4pm. And you’re all invited! Expect lots of people, great music spun by Dj Cucu and an endless supply of Vermú Petroni. Free entrance.

What’s La Vermutería?

La Vermutería Pop Up is a travelling vermouth bar founded by two foodies — Paula Móvil & Roberto Castán — and created in collaboration with the online food magazine, Plateselector.com. The idea is to take over different venues to throw aperitivos, mini-cocktail parties where the star drink is the one and only: Vermouth.

Each party features a different brand of vermouth, usually not (yet) well known amongst Madrileños.

My blog posts would imply that I pretty much do nothing but eat in Madrid but I assure you that’s not the case. Also ranking high on my to-do’s are drinking, tanning, exercising (this is a new found passion that’s surprised me more than most) and just general all round gallivanting… But it has to be said that going out for dins is one of my very favourite pastimes and I never need much encourage to ditch home cooking in favour of being waited on. To this end, I am constantly on the prowl for somewhere that will satiate my appetite and not break the bank.

This leads me onto my current fave, El Patio De Fisgon. Not an obvious choice for lovers of Malasaña/Chueca as it tucked away on a swanky side street just off of Calle Ortega y Gasset (but it’s most definitely worth the 5 or so euros in a cab) to find yourself in what felt like something out of The Secret Garden. *All twinkly lights, scented candles and the like – you can picture the scene.

The quest for somewhere simple yet swanky came about upon realising that I was hostessing three rather glam PR gals for the weekend, whose tastes are definitely more Balthazar than Burger King. Suffice to say El Patio impressed on all counts. Gorgeous food (and hefty portions), attentive staff (but not claustrophobic-ally so), wine in abundance (and cheap at that) ensured that my crown as a Madrid aficionado remained intact. We ate, drank and were merry for the grand total of 70 euros; coming from London where a soggy sarnie can set you back a fiver this was beyond bargainous. Post dinner drinks followed at the similarly gorgeous Punk Back which is sadly not quite as purse friendly – but equally swish. We’re not talking the need to remortgage a casa for a copa but it’s definitely at the higher end of the scale price for Madrid. Saying that, if you like to sip your gins surrounded by the beautiful people then it’s worth letting your wallet take a hit.

El Patio wise, I recommend requesting a table out on the terrazza to fully enjoy the ‘see and be seen vibe’ and let’s face it, we all look that little bit better when illuminated by the soft focus glow of a fairy light. So what’s been one of my best kept secrets looks set to be no more. I suggest you book a table and for the record, the rollitos artesanos de pato are worth every gluttonous cal.

*Slight disclaimer alert* Having recently gone back for a second visit, I have to red flag that the 8.30pm dinner sitting results in your being kicked off your table (rather unceremoniously) by 10pm so defo book a later dins if you can…

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Want to clean out your closet? Pass on the clothes you love but never wear and replace them with something new? If your answer is yes, then check out this pop-up clothing swap by Lady Clementine. It will take place on May 23rd from 12pm-2pm near Retiro. All participants should bring 4-10 items to swap and however many more they would like to sell through Lady Clementine’s site.

Check out the event details here

Or make an appointment to consign your clothes in person here