Entertaining at home in Madrid (with little effort) Part 1 – the Dessert

They claim to be the best chocolate cake in the world and...they are!

Anyone who spends a little time here knows it; Madrileños like street life, they like to be outside, not at home. We like to go to the bar and have a cañita (beer), go to a crowded restaurant, take an aperitivo (snack) at the park... But we're also very social and lately (because of the financial crisis) we are starting to  entertaining at home. Our problem is that the easiness that we like outside does not work when we entertain at home. Inside our houses we like to be formal, everything has to be perfect. And then, yikes! Entertaining becomes a heavy task…!  I am willing to share here some of my best addresses. We will start by the end, the desserts:

Sweets and candy - Caramelos Paco

Caramelos Paco (calle Toledo 55) is something very dear to me. My dad goes there every week to replenish his provisions of candy that then offers to all of us when we go for lunch to his house. He enjoys as a little child maybe because he is diabetic and can only imagine but not taste the joy of savouring sweets.