The best markets in Madrid: from tapas to hidden treasures

Madrid's markets fall into three groups. The food markets, such as San Miguel, San Antón or San Ildefonso, are designed for grazing from stall to stall with a small beer or a vermouth. The municipal neighbourhood markets, such as La Cebada, Antón Martín, San Fernando, La Paz or Maravillas, are where locals do their shopping and, increasingly, they combine fresh produce with counters where you can eat. And the Rastro, the open-air flea market held on Sundays and bank holidays, is the kingdom of hidden treasures: antiques, records, old books and the most unlikely objects.

Mercado de San Miguel, next to the Plaza Mayor

It is the most famous and the most photographed. Its iron and glass structure, dating from the early 20th century, houses stalls selling ham, cheeses, oysters, croquettes, pickles, wines and vermouth. It is a convenient place to try a bit of everything, but also the most touristy and expensive: if you can, go first thing or on a weekday.

Mercado de San Antón, in Chueca

On calle Augusto Figueroa, in the heart of the Chueca neighbourhood, it is spread over three floors: the bottom one keeps the fresh produce stalls, the middle one brings together counters serving prepared food, and on the roof there is a terrace overlooking the neighbourhood's rooftops.

Mercado de San Ildefonso, on calle Fuencarral

More than a traditional market, it is a street-food space spread over several floors, with stalls serving different cuisines and indoor terraces. It draws a young crowd and stays lively until late, in keeping with the Malasaña neighbourhood around it.

If you want to see everyday Madrid, these municipal markets are a better plan than the food markets. Many have added counters where you can eat what the stalls sell.

La Cebada, with its large building next to the square of the same name, is the perfect starting point for a tavern crawl around La Latina. La Paz, in the Barrio de Salamanca, keeps the feel of an old-fashioned market and is known for the quality of its stalls. If you are more interested in the city's food than in the market itself, our food route through Madrid plans a full day of churros, vermouth, cocido and tapas.

The Rastro is set up on Sunday and bank holiday mornings around calle Ribera de Curtidores and the plaza de Cascorro, between La Latina and Embajadores. There are stalls selling clothes, crafts and trinkets on the main street, but the real finds tend to be in the side streets and in the antique shops, auction houses and second-hand bookshops that open all year round in the area.

• Go early: by mid-morning the crowds make it hard to move around and look at the stalls calmly.
• Keep an eye on your belongings: as in any very busy place, keep your wallet and phone safe.
• Haggle politely at the second-hand stalls; less so in the permanent shops.
• Round it off with a few beers: the post-Rastro aperitivo in the bars of La Latina is almost a Madrid ritual.

In December, the Plaza Mayor hosts its traditional Christmas market, with nativity figures, decorations and joke items. For other kinds of shopping, in shopping in Madrid we go through the streets and shopping centres with the most shops.

• Check each market's opening hours: the municipal markets mainly work in the mornings and many close on Sundays, while the food markets open for longer.
• If you are buying to take home, ask for the produce to be vacuum-packed. Liquids, such as olive oil or wine, are safer in your checked luggage, in line with the airport security rules in force.
• Taste without filling up: in the food markets the portions are small so you can go from stall to stall. If you want to know what to order, have a look at the typical Madrid dishes.

From the market to the airport, shopping bags and all

All the markets in this guide are inside the M-30, so if you finish the route laden with shopping and your flight is coming up, the taxi to Barajas has the fixed fare from inside the M-30: €33 to any terminal. And if it is the other way round and you have just landed, you can book a pickup at the terminal, drop your suitcases at your accommodation and start with the nearest market.