Quite possibly my new favorite pastry shop in Madrid! There were so many options! They had Spanish…read moreclassics as well as expensive, beautiful, tiny French pastries! The worker I spoke with was kind and hung in there with me as I spoke in my broken Spanish. What I ordered: honestly I have no idea. The first dessert was basically like apple pie without the top layer of crust and not as much of the jelly-like filling. The second was a suggestion of my worker friend. It was kind of like créeme brûlée with a thin pastry crust on top with powdered sugar and roasted almonds. That was definitely my favorite! It was 7€ total which I think is reasonable for the top notch level of quality and service.ñ!

I spent two weeks staying in a flat around the corner from this place. On most days, I would start…read moremy morning by walking to the Horno de San Onofre to buy a couple croissants to butter for my breakfast. These croissants were on par with the best I've had anywhere, including Paris. Flaky and soft. Gently sweet. Everything you want from a croissant. Everything I want from a bakery!!

There are lots of Turrón shops in Madrid, including a big chain with Albert Adria branding, but for…read morethose in-the-know none have been serving Spain's capitol longer than Casa Mira, who has been crafting sweet Nougat since 1842. ​Located on Carrera San Jerónimo, creator Luis Mira's original recipes once granted Spanish Royal Warrant still in use to this day, it is inside a wood and glass space that Confections fill every meter, a spinning display up front yielding flawless Palmiers as well as an elongated, laminated Tecla. Keeping a picture of Luis on the wall, and splendid in terms of service, Turrón is sold by weight at fair prices, the Original enjoyed via small sample while a thick slice of the version featuring Marzipan softened the texture slightly but upped sweetness by quite a bit.

We popped into Casa Mira for an afternoon treat while out "tourist-ing" and had a hard time…read morechoosing which pastries we'd be leaving with. The display in the widow, a carousel full of delicious looking treats drew our eye and upon entering we were greeted buy a huge assortment of delicious pasty and candy, loads to choose from. The staff wasn't overly friendly, in fact, not really friendly at all, but we were in no mood to chat anyway as 'hangry' was setting in. A couple of pastries added to a bag, and out the door and back on down the street we went, enjoying one pastry on our walk with another safely ensconced for later.

When I moved into my new place, I was pleased to find this cute and American-esque bakery right…read moreacross the street. They boast all sorts of mainstream treats like empanadas and palmeras to not-so-typical Spanish pastries like muffins and cheesecake brownies. Usually, I wander in with nothing particular in mind but know that I can always find something that suits my mood. From the savory corn empanada to the soft chocolate white chocolate cookie, nothing disappoints. They also offer special types of bread like foccacia with olives, potato, and lots of integral bread in different shapes and sizes. You can also order whole cakes like carrot cake, raspberry cheesecake and red velvet, or just grab a piece as is. It's very affordable and open at the right times of day! Definitely one of my neighborhood gems.

As I'm a German, one of the things I really miss when I stay in Madrid is good bread. I prefer real…read morehandmade bread and buns over industrial baking goods. So in the last two weeks I was almost everyday in I Love Bread. Over this time I tried the bread, the muffins and also the empanadillas (little filled pastry with meat or vegetables) The overall quality in the place is really good, the owner suggested different products that where fresh from the day or what I might like based on my previous purchases. I haven't been disappointed even once.

La Gelateria di Angelo es simplemente espectacular. El helado es cremoso, auténtico y con sabores…read moreintensos que se sienten totalmente artesanales. Se nota la calidad de los ingredientes desde el primer bocado. El lugar es encantador y el servicio muy amable, siempre dispuesto a recomendar sabores y dejarte probar antes de decidir. Sin duda, uno de los mejores sitios para disfrutar un verdadero gelato. ¡Volveré seguro!

This is the best place for gelato in Madrid. It is a bit off the beaten path for tourists, but is…read moreright next to MadridRío, so it's a nice place to stop on a hot day while walking through the park. It can be busy on the weekends. It doesn't close during the siesta AND is open all day Sunday - which is definitely a bonus. They have a wider variety of flavors of gelato in summer months than in winter, but they are open year-round. There are three different sizes for one flavor, two flavors, or three. I usually got the two flavors and I thought it was plenty. That one only cost 2,90 euro. They don't skimp, they really scoop a lot on the cone. If you aren't into cones, you can get a cup. They also have different types of coffee with and without gelato as well as with or without liqueur. There are milkshakes and gelato covered waffles available as well. Excellent value for the price!