A friend who lives in the city took me here today after we had a really big lunch. THe plan was to…read moreget a coffee but when I saw those cakes, especially that red velvet one, I just had to try it. Glad I did but wished afterwards that I hadn't. It was a really big piece and tasted like strawberry ice cream. In other words, it was delicious! The place seems to be a bakery at one end and at the other was fruit that seemed to be used to make smoothies. Lots of tables and booths but the place was crowded. There was a really nice feel to the place and with a damn fine cup of coffee and free wifi as well; it's a place worth returning to.

La Gallofa is a chain of bakeries/ pastry shops in Cantabria. From the locations I've been to, all…read morehave a very upscale look to them - this certainly isn't your little hole-in-the-wall panaderia or bakery. When I'm in "beach bum" mode, I typically like to buy a fresh loaf of bread from a bakery, buy some sliced charcuterie or embutidos and a little bit of cheese from a butcher shop, and make my own sandwich to take on the beach for lunch. I came to La Gallofa in search of a small baguette for my sandwich. I was impressed (and also very tempted) by the large selection of freshly baked bread, which included ciabatta, pan gallego, and whole wheat loaves, but managed not to give into temptation. There are also beautifully decorated pastries, as well as some classic hojaldres [1] and palmeritas (some dipped in chocolate!) pastries as well. Judging by the number of people purchasing hojaldres, I'd guess that these are what the bakery does best. If you don't have a sweet tooth (shame on you!), there are also empanadillas and quiche slices available. The bread was perfect for my sandwich with jamon serrano. I loved the light, airy consistency with uneven bubbles and crusty exterior. From location to location, La Gallofa excels in offering baked goods of consistent quality. [1] A popular, flaky pastry.

It was only just a matter of time before I wrote yet another Yelp review praising the virtues of…read morecarbohydrates and baked goods of Spain. I went to Frespan to buy a loaf of bread, in order to make bocadillo sandwiches for one of our days at the beach. True to form, I not only left the shop with a loaf of bread, but with magdalenas (very similar to American muffins, but less sweet) to have with our coffee. The bread was perfect and fresh for the bocadillos - the exterior of the bread was hard, but extremely fluffy and light in the center. And the magdalenas were some of the best I've had! They were very lemony and zesty, but moist and buttery. The women who work at the bakeries are never all that friendly, but this particular woman at Frespan was overly pleasant...and even smiled (I feel like that never happens at a panaderia).