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.

So this was one of the places everyone recommended we had to stop at while we were in Madrid for a…read morecouple days on our way to Portugal, and one of the most disappointing. Don't get me wrong - they do indeed have a whole bunch of food vendors that all looked extremely good. Some of them were tourist-priced (ok, a majority of them were tourist-priced), but none of them looked *bad*, just not *necessarily* worth the price, when you could go any number of places nearby and get food as good, for cheaper. But there were definitely some hidden gems, including one absolutely wonderful tapas place that we ordered a bunch of little tostas from, of all different sorts, that we were absolutely impressed by and happy with all of. And of course, the vendor I had originally been most excited about, La Hora del Vermut, which does indeed offer both very inexpensive, great "house" vermouth, and very affordable fancy vermouths. I would've loved to hang out at a bar like that... if I could do so and also *move*. See, the thing is... this market is absolutely not big enough for all its accolades. As Yogi Berra may or may not have ever said, "No one goes there nowadays, it's too crowded." At least I probably wouldn't ever go back there... we could barely hear to order tapas at the tapas place, and good luck finding a place to eat if you're not taking it to go. Good luck actually making it to one of the vendors further away from the entrance, either. It was an absolute madhouse, so we ordered a bunch of tostas at once, I braved the insanity to get a couple glasses of vermouth and met my wife outside the actual market to eat them on the steps. And that was the *off* season - if it's like that in January, I could only imagine it in May! Great vendors, but as a market, they really need better crowd management / foot traffic control.

Super cool super market in Madrid. I was able to get everything I needed and they have a great…read morebakery section.

Great selection of items. It feels like a CVS, the convenience is nice when you thought you packed…read moreeverything and now you can find the Spanish version of whatever you need.

Great place for your essential needs in Madrid. This location was open until 1am and had all your…read morebasic groceries. There are two levels so don't miss the elevator, escalator or stairs down to the lower level that has toiletries, sodas, cereals and so much more. Checking out was quick and easy and the staff was very friendly. They charge for bags so don't forget to bring your own.

The place is what you make it! Need some water or other drinks to keep you hydrated on the go, this…read moreplace has many options at fair value. Need a healthy snack? Mmmmm, you might want to look elsewhere for fresh or unpackaged options. Sometimes these places are super clean and well planned out, other times not so much. When you are in the move and need a quick beverage it is worth a pop in. Special shout out to how quickly they get you in and out!

This is a great low cost German owned grocery story. If you are from the US, it's like an Aldi…read more I got a 1.5 l bottle of water for 0.20 euros and some really good organic bottled juices for 0.99 euros. They have a limited selection of brands, but most of the stuff they have is good quality and inexpensive Check out their website or app to find the one closest to you. This one is close to the Tirso de Molina metro station.

My go to store for wine, beverages, snacks, and toiletries to get me through my stay in Madrid. By…read moremy second visit I knew how to ask for several grocery bags because if you don't mention it up front they will not allow you to take more bags. Lines are normal but you'll get in and out with ease.

There was a decent selection of just about everything I needed including some premade meals. I was…read moresatisfied with what I purchased. Very nice staff and good location.

This supermarket has ANYTHING and EVERYTHING Spain. Even hard to find items like squid ink…read more Friendly and helpful staff. Their ibérico ham, cut to order is great!

I'm more used to American style grocery stores and convenience stores but this place is immediately…read moreopposite the hotel. Super easy and I didn't even need to purchase a shopping bag since it was just across the street. Not exactly tidy and definitely overstocked but they have the full range of stuff. Dairy, deli, cleaning supplies, potato chips, personal care items, soda, bottled water, ice cream, condiments and pretty much anything you might need for snacks or to fill your kitchen. The person ringing up groceries didn't speak English but that wasn't a problem. I had a €20 note in hand for my purchase that wasn't going to be more than €7. Simple enough. [Review 12516 overall, 2306 of 2019.]

A pair of classics in their respective cities (2 of 2)…read more - - - - - I'm not surprised there are a lot of reviews. Then, I've had this bookmarked for an eternity based on the reviews of a Yelp friend (acquaintance) from the Yelp Talk chapter who did quite a bit of traveling. I had seen Chocolateria San Gines before but did not go in. I don't know why. This time, I did go in. They have two salons across the street from each other. I prefer the one on the east side of the street, which has the taller ceilings and more glass and mirrors. There may be a line around the side, but it will move quickly. I knew they had chocolate based on their name, but I didn't understand how they factored it into the equation. I sort of assumed that one could get chocolate churros. After all, there are now chocolate cannoli shells and, in some cases, cannoli can also have chocolate filling. The lady at the counter very quickly gave me an education. One gets the standard churros, but they come with a chocolate sauce that you dip them into. This all made for an interesting snack. This is not a place intended for a meal. The churros have a nice bland sort of crunchiness and the chocolate sauce is one heck of a counterpoint. The combination is tasty and unique. I also had a hot drink. Upon asking, they immediately provided me with a small glass of cold water - seen at many adjacent tables - probably to counter the effects of the richness of this snack. Be it at the counter or at the table, the staff was very well mannered and helpful, which was commendable for how busy they were. The interior is very clean and has a lot of history on its walls. The pricing was to my liking, so coming to Chocolateria San Gines is a "no brainer." Everything is there and the intersection of its history and visitors from the world over take this one to 5 stars. A friend of mine who once lived in Madrid laughed upon learning it was on my list. I mentioned I had already been to Mallorquina, which is a few blocks away on Plaza del Sol. The story was that Mallorquina is where Madrid's version of chatty magpies might go to do the dessert and coffee thing with their friends in the afternoon. It closes in the evening. Instead, Chocolateria San Gines is open all the time and might be the last stop of the evening or night before Madrilenos turn in from a night on the town. It is also very easy to reach, only a few blocks from either the Sol or Opera Metro stations, from which you can also take in fascinating nearby Plaza Mayor.

The churros here are a must try in Madrid, Spain…read more The chocolate sauce is divine and great for dipping the churros. There's a dining area to sit inside and outside. The service is relatively quick. The churros are crispy and not oily. If you're in Madrid go here!