Peñalba bonbons
**1)Peñalba chocolates**
It is not lost: it is in front of the statue of Woody Allen, and its shop windows more than those of a confectionery they could seem those of Tiffani's . They are famous, that's why people from Oviedo and strangers, as before a honeycomb of rich honey, stop to see what the display is at that moment. Those who are really famous in Peñalba are their chocolates, a true institution in Oviedo . And it is that this chocolate shop has been open since 1930 and the Pidal family has been the owner for three generations, the second generation of chocolate makers.
When you go through the interior of this confectionery, with elegant marble and a mountain name, the big question is why to decide: its delicious pasta, its marron glacé, its chocolate cake, its nougat (at Christmas) or their chocolates (marzipan with guirlache, truffles, praline)…. are more than 90 kilograms of chocolate are sold each day , to which we must add the orders that are made online, which not only have national postage. Some of the historic ones who have not been able to resist have been Woody Allen, Alfredo Krauss or Rosa María Rosi , known as "la collares" or "la Franca", who, no matter how much of a woman she was to the Generalissimo, was also "flesh and blood", as she defended herself when she went out with full cheeks. (Street of the National Militias, 4) .
**2) Ovetus **
Much more recent (from the mid-90s), this artisan confectionery, is the official distributor of sweets for the Prince of Asturias Awards , which each year produces special boxes, personalized with the photos of all the winners. The first of all its stores was in Plaza de San Miguel, but the family has grown to four stores in Asturias, and now even one on Madrid's Golden Mile (Ortega y Gasset, 72). Among all the assortment to delight you with eyes and teeth, there are the little princesses (small marzipan with jam and sugar), latores rocks or escandaleras, their specialty, a bonbon with chocolate, almonds and pieces of caramelized biscuit . The name comes to mind.
**3) Camilo de Blas **
Since 1827 sweetens the life of the sheep. They were the creators of the famous carbayones of Oviedo (as the inhabitants of the city are called) : a sweet with a puff pastry base filled with an almond mass, and a bath of yolk and sugar that, then the rest of the patisseries and confectioneries began to more or less blatantly copy . But they are not the only delicacies: they also make the duquesitas (the original version of the little princesses), the bizcoletelas (yolk cake covered in chocolate or sugar with egg white) and countless seasonal sweets.
Although there are several branches in the city, the most impressive is the one on Calle Jovellanos, 7. Some scenes from the movie Vicky Cristina and Barcelona were recorded there. and an episode of the Gwyneth Paltrow and chef Mario Batali series reviewing Spanish cuisine. To enter inside it is to do it in an authentic museum, motley and full of little details: portraits, clocks, old cash registers, lamps and mirrors . Even if you are not going to buy anything (something practically impossible) it is already worth it. They sell all kinds of delicatessen and gourmet products and a gluten-free selection.
**4) Rialto Cafeteria **
This cafeteria, open since 1926, is in addition to one of those cafes that look like something out of La Regenta, a nice place to go for a snack after walking around the cathedral area. With a heterogeneous audience, ranging from a group of elderly friends to families, you can have a coffee or hot chocolate, and eat pancakes with mountains of cream. Its Muscovites are famous (pasta of Marcona almonds and cream, dipped in chocolate), which they even have copy right and mystery around its secret ingredients, its carbayones and its little princesses, as well as its imperial sponge cake and its tarts. They have a store in Madrid (Núñez de Balboa, 86).
**5) Diego Verdu (Cimadevilla) **
Very close to the Town Hall, this tiny shop would go completely unnoticed if it weren't for the fact that its fame precedes it and for the queues that form at Christmas. Founded in 1878, it makes traditional nougat from Jijona, Alicante and chocolate and cake from Alicante, in addition to all the Christmas sweets, such as marzipan, stuffed almonds, sugared almonds and imperial cakes. They send orders to all of Spain and abroad and they say the Vatican is one of their best clients. In summer, they also do ice cream.