Mercado de San Miguel
Built in 1916, this beautiful gourmet market near La Latina is famous for its soaring wood-and-iron roof and early 20th-century glass walls. Private investors purchased the market in 2003, and after a six-year renovation, reopened it with granite floors in 2009. Within walking distance from Plaza Mayor, the market features more than 30 vendors and tapas bars that sell a wide variety of freshly prepared tapas, hams, olives, baked goods and other foods. Look for gambas al ajillo (garlic prawns) and banderillas (small skewers of olives, cucumbers, peppers and pickled onions).Beer, wine and champagne are also available. To offset Madrid’s sweltering heat, the air is infused with water droplets; every few minutes shoppers are bathed in a blast of micro-rain.
