The Ultimate Foodie Guide to Grocery Stores in Madrid
When shopping for groceries in Madrid, you’re spoiled for choice! A comprehensive foodie guide.
Devour, one of Madrid’s top tourist agencies, needed a piece for those who like to go grocery shopping even while they travel. This took some looking into, and it actually changed my own shopping habits!
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As the capital of one of the healthiest countries in the world, you’re spoiled for choice when it comes to grocery stores in Madrid.
There are grocery stores, indoor and outdoor markets, fishmongers, charcuteries, butchers, bakeries, and delis everywhere. You can find everything you want just by stepping outside your front door and going for a stroll through the barrio on a sunny day.
But how do you go about deciding where to get the good stuff? For starters, it’s time to discard what you thought you knew about grocery shopping, and learn to think like a local. That means saying goodbye to getting everything in one place. Forget supermarkets, and think individual shops and stalls that specialize in just one thing, and sell the highest-quality versions of it.
Here’s how to navigate the different options for grocery stores in Madrid, and ensure you get the best of the best.
Types Of Food Shops In Spain
Before we get into where to buy groceries in Spain, it helps to have a brief overview of what the different types of shops are called. Here are some words used for common types of food establishments in Spain. You may see these at food markets, as standalone shops on a street, or even as sections in a large grocery store.
Frutería: Greengrocer
Carnicería: Butcher (in Madrid, this often doesn’t include poultry, but carnicerías in other parts of Spain usually do)
Charcutería: Deli
Pollería: Poultry shop
Pescadería: Fishmonger
Panadería: Bakery that makes bread and rolls
Pastelería: Bakery that makes pastries and sweets
Indoor Food Markets
Every neighborhood has its own indoor market, and shopping there is an integral part of Spanish culture. Locals will be on a first-name basis with vendors, who probably already know what many of their customers want out of habit. That’s pretty impressive for such a large capital city—each neighborhood is like a village.
Most markets in Madrid will have a bar or even a restaurant, and it’s perfectly normal to have a quick drink, a cup of coffee, or even a full meal before or after picking up your goods.
What to shop for at an indoor food market in Madrid
Produce. Here’s the key equation for getting fruit and vegetables: seasonal plus local equals better-tasting produce and more sustainable agriculture. Find out what’s in season, make sure it’s grown locally, and go for that.
Cured meats and cheeses. Look for delis and charcuteries, then brace yourself for some major indecision. Acorn-fed Iberian ham, cecina (dried and salted meat) from León, Asturian blue cheese, Spain’s famed Manchego—you name it, any deli stand worth its salt will have it.
Seafood! Wait, what? Madrid doesn’t have a sea. True. But as the capital of a country surrounded by the Mediterranean and the Atlantic, the freshest and best quality seafood is shipped to Madrid first thing every morning.
Beef, pork, and poultry at the butcher (often in separate stalls). On the other hand, sometimes you’ll find the butcher sharing the same stall with those selling cheeses and cured meats.
How to shop at an indoor food market in Madrid
Go in the mornings to beat the crowds. Most stalls close in the afternoons, between 2–5 p.m., and some won’t open again till the next day.
Don’t expect an orderly single-file line. Sometimes it’s as simple as taking a ticket from the dispenser to know when your turn is. Otherwise, you need to find out who’s last in line, by asking, “¿Quién es el último?” (Who’s last?). Wait for that person to take their turn and then when the vendor to calls out “Siguiente!” (Next!), you’re up!
Usually, the vendor does the picking for you, so don’t touch the products!
Get used to thinking in kilos and grams, as opposed to pounds. A kilo is around 2.2 pounds.
Don’t buy seafood on Mondays. In Spain, fishermen don’t go fishing on Sundays. You want your aquatic goods fresh!
Keep things local and seasonal by buying organic produce directly from the growers themselves at a weekend farmer’s market.
For a more in-depth explanation of market etiquette in Spain, take a look at our guide to Spanish food markets.
Not sure which stall to visit? Generally, the more crowded it is, the better—trust us.
Delis, Gourmet, Vegetarian & Vegan Grocery Stores In Madrid
Remember that much of what you can get from indoor markets is also available at individual shops lining your neighborhood streets. What to get and the protocol for getting it is pretty much the same as at the indoor markets, but it can be hard to know where to go.
If you want the best of the best, rest assured, Madrid is home to many well-established gourmet food shops that are clean, cozy, and welcoming. There’s also a growing number of vegan and vegetarian shops in Madrid to satisfy the growing demand for plant-based products.
Gourmet canned goods for sale at Casa González, one of our favorite Madrid delis.
Ultramarinos
These gems are basically old-school Spanish convenience or grocery stores. Sadly there aren’t as many left as there used to be, but a select few are still holding on. Shopping at one is a very Spanish way to stock up on all kinds of foodie treasures including honey, liquor, salted cod, sacks of legumes, pickled peppers, and many special canned goods.
At some places, you might want to bring an empty bottle of wine or olive oil so you can fill up straight from the barrel!
Despite their small size, ultramarinos stock just about every Spanish food product under the sun.
How to shop at an ultramarino like a local:
Just as in the indoor markets, ask “Quién es el último?” (“who’s the last in line?”). Lines aren’t a thing here. Knowing who’s last will let you know who you go after.
Once again, you’ll be ordering by weight, and in kilograms.
Since most ultramarinos have been replaced by supermarkets and newer convenience stores some of those remaining have been modernized with their own bar and a restaurant, where you can taste their goods before deciding what to buy! Visit Cuenllas to see one like this.
Insider’s tip: Madrid is home to the oldest ultramarino in Spain, which opened in 1870. A step inside is a blast into the past. Go there!
Bakeries
It is indeed a Spanish custom to go to the nearest bakery—which very well may be right below your apartment—and snag a big loaf of recently baked bread to take home for breakfast.
The thing is, in Spain you’ve got panaderías—bakeries that mainly sell bread—and pastelerías, or patisseries, which offer lots of pastries and cookies and all manner of sweet goodies.
For the true bread lovers out for the best loaves, here’s a list of tips collected from the experts.
How to spot a good bakery in Madrid (and in the rest of Spain):
Variety is actually not always a good thing, especially if it’s a place with few bakers. Avoid establishments with many different types of bread, but with just a few samples of each, and with few bakers. That’s an indicator that the bread isn’t actually homemade but just baked on the premises.
You see bakers busy at their workstations covered in flour and dough. Though it may not be baking time when you’ve dropped by, a bakery with no traces of flour anywhere should raise suspicion.
The aroma of the place makes your taste buds sizzle before you’ve even had a bite.
The bread you get isn’t light as a feather—the real deal should have some weight to it.
Real bakers know their bread and are proud of the fresh loaves and rolls they have to offer. They will lovingly share their wisdom with you regarding what to choose. If you speak a little Spanish, you’ll know you’re in the right place if the bakers there have a lot to say about what they make.
What About Supermarkets?
While we recommend supporting the kinds of small businesses listed above, sometimes a large supermarket is the easiest way to go. Their hours tend to span the entire day, which means they don’t close for the siesta, and they stay open on Sundays.
You’ll find Spanish and European grocery chains all throughout the capital, so take your pick: Mercadona, Carrefour, Día, Lidl, El Corte Inglés, Eroski, Alcampo, and Ahorramas.
Most large supermarket chains in Spain offer home delivery options. Contact the stores closest to you and see what’s available.
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