Madrid Food Shopping

In general, the bigger the market and the farther from the city center, the cheaper the groceries. Specialty items may require a visit to a pricey store, but supermercados are generally the best bet for cheap goods. Also look for shops labeled “alimentaciones” or “frutos secos,” small convenience stores that have a limited selection but generally low prices.

Groceries: Carrefour (www.carrefour.es) and Día% (www.dia.es) are the cheapest city-wide supermarket chains, though they tend to be far from the city center. There is, however, a Día%, C. Toledo, 32 (☎914 65 55 22), in La Latina at the corner of C. Toledo and C. de la Colegiata. M: La Latina. Open M-Sa 9:30am-9:30pm, Su 10am-6pm. MC/V.
Markets: Mercado de San Miguel, an upscale glass-enclosed market on Pl. de San Miguel, off the northwest corner of Pl. Mayor, sells fine seafood, produce, wine, and other goods, albeit at relatively high prices. Open M-W 10am-10pm, Th-Sa 10am-2am.
Pastry Shops: These are everywhere. La Mallorquina, C. Mayor, 2 (☎915 211 201) is the most famous in all Madrid, and their desserts live up to their reputation (€1-2 each, or €14-22 per kg). Open daily Sept.-July 9am-9:15pm. The sublime Horno La Santiagüesa, C. Mayor, 73 (☎915 596 214) sells everything from roscones de reyes (sweet bread for the Feast of the Epiphany) to empanadas (€18-23 per kg) and pastries doused in chocolate. Try the tarta de Santiago (almond bread). Open daily 8am-9pm.
Red-Eye Establishments: Guía del Ocio lists late-night eateries under “La última hora.” Street vendors, some disguised as normal citizens, may catch you unawares offering beer and sandwiches at ungodly hours. You may see these sandwich-sellers fleeing into the darkness at the first hint of police presence. Cervecerías and kebap restaurants that stay open until 2am aren’t hard to find, but nothing’s open much past 3am.