Madrid food markets worth the queue
What to order, where to go and the little things worth knowing.
- 01
Mercado de San Miguel
A gorgeous 1916 iron-and-glass market reinvented as a gourmet tapas hall, a step from Plaza Mayor.
OrderOysters at Daniel Sorlut, a vermut at La Hora del Vermut and croquetas at Arzábal.
- 02
Mercado de San Fernando
Lavapiés' working market, where greengrocers share aisles with cheap bars, natural wine and world-food stalls.
OrderA glass of natural wine and artisan cheese at Bendito, then browse the other stalls.
- 03
Mercado de San Antón
Chueca's modernised market: groceries downstairs, food stalls above, and a rooftop terrace on top.
OrderGildas at La Real Gilda's Gallery, then a drink at the rooftop's 11 Nudos Terraza Nordés.
- 04
Mercado de Vallehermoso
A 1933 neighbourhood market that quietly became one of the best places to eat in Madrid.
OrderTripea's tasting menu, with its signature ceviche caliente de mejillones al wok.
- 05
Casa Dani
Bar-restaurant inside Mercado de la Paz with a tortilla that keeps topping Madrid's best-of lists.
OrderA pincho of tortilla first, then the weekday menú del día from the chalkboard: starter, main, dessert, drink.
- 06
Mercado de Guillermo de Osma
A neighbourhood market dating to 1970, with La Pasteria 55 turning a shopping trip into a seated Italian lunch.
OrderEspaguetis a la carbonara, porchetta and tiramisú at La Pasteria 55.
- 07
Nem Nem - Mercado de Prosperidad
Vietnamese rolls and warming phở make this Prosperidad market stall a useful change from another croqueta.
OrderRollitos de primavera de cerdo, rollitos frescos de tofu and phở de ternera.
- 08
La Mundial
The Chamartín market's beer shop has a rotating tap and enough interesting cans to fill your fridge.
OrderCerveza Caleya Goma 2 and Caleya Koori, subject to the rotating stock.
- 09
Tripea
Eight punchy Peruvian-Asian courses at a stall in Mercado de Vallehermoso, with wok-fired mussels as the anchor.
OrderThe menú degustación: ceviche caliente de mejillones al wok, siumai de panceta y papada and bao de lomo saltado.
- 10
Mercado de Barceló
Groceries downstairs and Korean fried chicken upstairs: a working market with reasons to stay for lunch.
OrderBibimbap de ternera, pollo frito KFFC Yangnyeom and mandu Steamy Seoul at Mama Uma, on planta 2.
- 11
Mercado de los Mostenses
A working market behind Gran Vía, with Peruvian lunches and Asian counters among the fishmongers.
OrderCeviche clásico, papa a la huancaína and chicha at La Popular.
- 12
PizzaKore
Sourdough pizzas at Numancia market, with pumpkin and torreznos on the Pumpky and pear on the BlanKilla.
OrderPizza Pumpky, pizza BlanKilla or pizza hortelana with queso vegano.
- 13
La Raspa Golosa
Paula Beer's Numancia pastry stall makes torrijas a very good reason to cross the market.
OrderTorrija tradicional, tarta de queso con pistacho and palmeritas del Rayito.
- 14
Shanty Town Madrid
Gildas from Euskadi and craft beer make stall 28 a useful detour through Numancia market.
OrderGildas de Euskadi and a botella de La Vallekana.
- 15
Mercado de San Ildefonso
A three-floor food hall where tequeños and croquetas can settle a group argument about dinner.
OrderTequeños de queso at La Arepera and croquetas de cocido at the Croquetas stall.
- 16
Mercado Maravillas
A working food market where the weekly shop can turn into a Venezuelan empanada lunch.
OrderEmpanada de pabellón and cachapa con queso at El Empanadazo.
- 17
Mercado de Jesús del Gran Poder
A working Usera market with a tortilla stop at El Recreo II between the shopping.
OrderTortilla and café at El Recreo II, the bar inside the market.
- 18
Mercado de Numancia
Vallecas does its shopping here, then gets distracted by Valletako's birria de rabo de toro.
OrderTaco de birria de rabo de toro and taco de cochinita pibil at Valletako.
- 19
A las Bravas
Numancia's burger stall puts its house salsa brava to work on both the burger and the potatoes.
OrderHamburguesa Brava, patatas bravas and an Estrella Galicia.
- 20
BBCR
Crisp dosas and soft idli make this south Indian corner of San Enrique worth crossing town for.
OrderMysore masala dosa, idli and lassi de mango.
- 21
Mercado de Chamartín
Choose a cut at Raza Nostra, then let Arribistas grill it while the market pauses for lunch.
OrderChuleta a la brasa and alcachofa braseada con panceta ibérica at Arribistas.
- 22
Mercado de Prosperidad
Prospe's everyday market earns a lunch stop for Paellamar's rice, sold by the portion.
OrderArroz del señoret, arroz negro and vermut ecológico valenciano at Paellamar.
- 23
Mercado de Ventas
A working fish market where Ferre y Elo can turn what you've just bought into lunch.
OrderSardinas escabechadas and boquerones en vinagre at El Bar de Ferre y Elo.
- 24
Mercado de Antón Martín
Groceries, lunch counters and flamenco upstairs; LaLópez's turquoise bar is a very good place to start.
OrderEl tomate confitado, croqueta de talo de txistorra and gilda doble de arenque at LaLópez.