If you’re traveling to Madrid, Spain, and you’re currently researching what to do, what to see, and what to eat, keep reading. Today, I will talk about food markets in Madrid and why you need to visit them.
Food markets in Madrid, or as they’re called in Spanish Mercados, are food halls with multiple food vendors ranging in cuisine.
Food markets in Madrid range from posh and expensive to affordable bites for everyone. You can find anything you want, and it is all spectacularly tasty.
For this blog post, I want to talk about a couple of them. The first Mercado in Madrid I want to talk about is called MAD Gourmets.
MAD Gourmets is right off Plaza Del Sol. It’s central to everything in Madrid, and walking to this is the best option if you’re staying in the center. Not only is it an excellent option to walk to, but you’ll be able to see many beautiful streets and some sites as you walk there.
MAD Gourmets Food Market
Mad Gourmets is next to the Four Seasons, so that should’ve been my first clue about how expensive it might be.
Even though they have an ice cream shop, a pizza parlor, a burger joint, a wing place, a few seafood places, and even bars, I was so overwhelmed by the many delicious options that I couldn’t even choose, and I just walked up to the first stall and began to order.
It wasn’t so much that I started ordering as I was also charmed by the chef describing what I could have. I love octopus, and he had this beautifully grilled octopus on display.
And so the chef asked me if I wanted grilled octopus today. When I said yes, he asked if I liked artichokes. I nodded, and he made me a gourmet dish from scratch out of grilled artichoke fried egg, some spices, and some olive oil. Although I wasn’t sure it would be a dish, I assumed he added chopped artichoke to my grilled octopus. Not to mention, he didn’t have prices on display, which made me nervous.
Nevertheless, travel is about experience, and my taste buds were ready for this.
Then he asked me if I liked tomatoes. He created a simple tomato dish. It was just sliced heirloom tomato with a pinch of salt, pepper, olive oil, and I think I had something extra.
When the food came out, I was surprised by how much food it was. But it was so delicious. I finished it all like a little piggy. It was the best meal I’ve had in a while.
They were surprised I finished everything.
I wish I had more time to explore MAD Gourmets, but I also wish I had more money because there were so many food stalls to try.
My meal today was about €70, more than I had paid for any meal in my entire trip, and I didn’t allocate a budget for fancy-schmancy food like this.
Yatai Market
Food in Madrid is spectacular, and the food markets in Madrid are even more so. I love them all. They’re not just beautifully decorated. They feel like a community center where people gather for an evening full of food.
Yatai Market is fantastic because it’s a food market in Madrid that only serves Asian food. So, if you’re into Korean, Japanese, Chinese, and other Asian cuisines, come here.
While there, I had a gigantic bowl of Ramen from the Japanese food stall. It was very tasty, and the decoration made me feel like I was in a small part of Asia that I discovered. It made for a perfect afternoon snack. I loved it.
Mercado de San Ildefonso
Mercado de San Ildefonso is probably the food hall I visited the most. I came here about six or seven times.
This Mercado in Madrid was the most diverse, making my food experience unforgettable.
It has three floors of restaurants from all over the world, bars, and even pastries.
So, the first time I went, I stopped at the AKMA Korean food stall. I got some Korean noodles and a Coke from the bar. The noodles were spectacular.
The next time, I went upstairs to explore the other food stalls.
They had Mexican, Venezuelan, American, Argentine, Japanese, and Korean. I was in food heaven. And I wanted to try it all.
I fell in love with the arepas from the Venezuelan stall and ate them several times during my stay. Everything was tasty, but I think that’s expected of the food in Madrid.
Food in Madrid is some of the best and freshest you can have, and it comes across in every bite.
Mercado Barcelo
Mercado Barcelo is another one of the food markets in Madrid that I discovered too late in my trip. This place doubled as a food hall and an actual market for groceries. They had plenty of food stalls, like Salvadorian food, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Hamburgers, and more.
But they also had butchers, fisheries, fruit stalls, dairy stalls, and everything you need for home cooking.
I came here to try a Chinese place called Dumpling House. Dumpling House is a small corner stall that prides itself in its pan-fried dumplings for cheap.
They were a tasty treat.
Food in Madrid
The interesting thing about Mercados in Madrid is that there are famous food markets in Madrid that I didn’t get to because I ran out of time. So if you’re in town and you see a food market, go in and explore, try the food, go for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Try another one the next day or the following week. Discover a new food hall and make your trip a tasty foodie paradise.
Food in Madrid is always a good idea, and these food markets make your experience so much better with their incredible atmosphere, beautiful setting, and many food options. Not to mention, many of them are very inexpensive.
Here are a few more food markets in Madrid you might be interested in:
- Mercado de San Miguel: https://mercadodesanmiguel.es/
- Mercado de la Paz: https://www.mercadodelapaz.com/
- Mercado San Anton: https://www.mercadosananton.com/
- Mercado de Chamberi: https://mercadodechamberi.es/
- Mercado de Tirso de Molina: https://mercadotirsodemolina.es/
There are numerous food markets in Madrid in every neighborhood that are worth exploring, often overlooked by tourists. So, when in Madrid, discover all the food markets your heart (and stomach) desires.