Margarita with her delicious display

If you´re a lover of all things sweet then you will be delighted to know that I have discovered a hidden gem in the Old Town. Taking a walk down the Avd de Ruzafa the other day I turned down one of the side streets and ended up on Calle de Palma... this runs parallel with the Ruzafa and has Paneils restaurant on it. There I came across "Lala´s" which from the outside looks like a scene from Hansel & Gretel... a pretty chocolate box cottage front painted turquoise with flowering plants in window boxes and hanging baskets - this is cupcake heaven!

Stepping inside was like entering a fairytale -  everything was so pretty, with the furniture all painted various pastel colours. My eyes immediately homed in on the delicious selection of cupcakes displayed on the counter.... it´s a girl thing! I ordered my cupcake and coffee, which at 2.50 euro for both thought very reasonable - they also do take away!

Relaxing with my cupcake and coffee

I spoke with the owner, Margarita and asked her about Lala´s - at first I assumed that Lala was her name, but it turns out that Lala was her grandmother... and by co-incidence, she was English! She has been open exactly one month, so if you don´t venture down to this end of Benidorm on a regular basis you wouldn´t have noticed it before.

The furniture has all been restored by Margarita - she bought the various pieces at rastros and antique markets and painted and re-upholstered  everything herself. There is a very relaxed bohemian feel to the place.  Even the beautiful paintings adorning the walls are her own works. She told me that she is more than happy to exhibit anyones paintings free of charge in the shop and there are books and magazines available to read. The tables all have a pot plant, basket of serviettes and sugar on them.

Pretty interior - like a country kitchen

Margarita spent many happy holidays in England - predominantly in London and it was whilst there that she fell in love with Covent Garden and got her inspiration to open her own shop. The cupcake phenomenon is all the rage in the capital but there was nothing like it back here she said.

But onto the serious stuff... the cupcakes! They are all home-made on the premises using recipes handed down from her grandmother. She experiments and tries different variations - I tried a chocolate one and the frosting had hidden chunks of chocolate in it but there are also biscuits and cookies.  They all looked so pretty that it was difficult to chose then seemed a shame to actually eat it! As well as coffee there is a selection of teas to chose from - must check if she has PG Tips next time for the Brits. You can also access the Wi-Fi which is available on the premises and so easily while away an hour or so.

Lala´s Cupcakes is open 7 days a week. During the week, Monday to Friday it opens at 9.30am until 1.30pm then again at 4.30pm and closes at 8.30pm. On Saturday and Sunday it is only open in the afternoon, from 5.30pm until 8.30pm.

I wish Margarita every success with her venture and will definitely be popping down again soon to indulge once more - my aim is to try every flavour so I can give a balanced opinion... well thats my excuse and I´m sticking to it!