We popped into Anton Martin Market and kicked things off with a handful of olives before diving…read moreinto Spain's take on fish and chips! Ha! Anchovies hanging out on a bed of potato chips. Salty and perfect! Unlike the polished chaos of San Miguel Market, Anton Martin feels lived-in. People actually come here prior to cooking dinner and not for the selfie. It's not curated for your Instagram story, it's just real. You'll find spice stalls, plenty of olives, unlimited cheese, little bars for a quick drink and there's always that one guy slicing ham somewhere in some corner. Walk around and taste it all. The vendors are fast so be ready.

Great time and great food stands…read more We wanted to try out another food stop on our adventure last November and we stopped here. There were plenty of bocadillos and tapas on at least three floors here. We had an opportunity to browse at most of the offerings through windows. We finally decided on this one place that served delicious ceviche and beer. This place does slow down after two o'clock but they were warming up to open after about 4pm. It is well within walking distance of the Puerta del Sol and Atocha Train Station. One of the many food markets that Central Madrid has to offer and great offerings for all types of tastes.

I was here on a Sunday early afternoon and it was hopping busy! There was a festival going on…read more-Tapapies, celebrating music and Tapas from many different cultures. There were special festival tapas offered in the food stalls and everything I tried was amazing!! Update: I excitedly went back on Monday for a repeat experience for lunch. The market is technically open from 9-3 but it was only the butchers and fish stalls open.

Fantastic mercado experience!…read more A stone's throw from where I was staying, this mercado fulfilled my expectations and then some. I was lucky enough to come on a Sunday during the Tapapies cultural festival. There were performers outside, and plenty of activity and great food inside. Each stall had a special "dish" for the festival in addition to their usual offerings. The prices were VERY attractive, almost "happy-hour-ish" where you could get a tapas/beer for 2-3 euro pp. Not bad at all. I think I spent 2 hours here and maybe spent 15 euro total? Came back the next day for a repeat lunch - around 11am - and nothing was open except for a butcher stall and two fishmongers. I think some places started opening up around 2pm, but then they were closing an hour later, so very easy to miss some of these places during the early part of the week - if they're even open at all. You'd have better luck for dinner if you came around 7-8pm. The downside to this is with fewer markets open, those that are open do tend to get crowded, and patrons tend to hang out and take it slow. TL;DR. Great food, great prices, larger and not as crowded as other Mercados, and not as touristy.

Really enjoyed Mercado de San Miguel, even if it's the more touristy food market in Madrid. Came…read morelater in the evening. Must gets include - jamón ibérico from Puesto Carrasco Ibéricos - olives and vermut from The Hour of the Vermouth - wine from Pinkleton & Wine - codfish from La Casa del Bacalao There's also a Spanish omelet vendor but it was okay. Great energy in the market. Can be difficult to find a seat at a table but there's plenty of standing counters along the perimeter.

Gee, how do I put this diplomatically? OK, I can't. I hated it from the moment Jamie W and I tried…read moreto walk through the front door. We had just strolled from Plaza Mayor on a Monday afternoon at 4:30PM. It was completely packed like an indoor version of The Great Migration in really slow motion. We could hardly see any of the food much less be able to order anything or even less, find any place to eat it. Through the masses, I could tell it was a high-end gourmet hall, and apparently over thirty vendors do business here. I saw maybe two. Come at 10AM if you have any interest in trying the food here. The cacophonous late afternoon anarchy made us lose our appetites. If you think my assessment is unfair, I suggest you march off the cliff with the rest of the Instagram lemmings. RELATED - Exploring Madrid? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://yelp.to/Q4Qey2-qmW