Mercado de San Miguel: What To EAT & DRINK!
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 26 ส.ค. 2024
- Where to eat and drink in the Mercado de San Miguel. 9 food stops! I taste tapas, paella, vermouth, wine and dessert. And I answer key questions: Is the San Miguel Market actually a market? Is it a tourist trap? And what's the best time to visit? Venga, let’s go! 🥝
⏩ Watch Next: Eat Like a Local in Madrid: • EPIC Madrid Food Tour ...
MY FREE SPAIN RESOURCES
🍤 Tapas 101 Cheat Sheet: swiy.io/Tapas101
🏡 Spain House Buyer's Checklist: swiy.io/SpainH...
🔑 Spain House Renter's Cheat Sheet: swiy.io/SpainR...
💰 Moving Money to Spain Guide: social.spainre... (tips for sending your money to Spain from my friends at SpartanFX)
ENHANCE YOUR SPAIN TRIP
💡 Get my ultimate Madrid city guide: swiy.io/Madrid...
🥘 Book a food tour with Devour Tours: swiy.io/devour...
🏰 Book a walking tour with Walks: swiy.co/walks
JOIN OUR EXCLUSIVE LIVE STREAMS
❤️ TH-cam members get exclusive live stream access: swiy.io/JoinSp...
🍤Spanish food delivered to your door (USA): swiy.io/latienda
👄Learn Spanish my way: swiy.io/learns...
🎥The gear we use to make our videos: swiy.io/gear
👩🏻💻CONNECT
James on Instagram: / jamesblickspain
Yoly on instagram: / flamencoguide
Our private Facebook community: / spainrevealed
MORE INFO ABOUT THE VIDEO 😃
⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯
What do you eat and drink in the Mercado de San Miguel (aka the San Miguel Market)? It’s such a common question. And I understand the confusion! This place has so many options, and can get really busy!
In this video I take you inside the San Miguel Market for a food tour of sorts. We eat and drink at 9 different stops - including vermouth, olives, cheese, bacalao, fried fish, pintxos, paella and gelato. And I give you my honest opinion on each stop.
I also answer the following questions
- Is the Mercado de San Miguel a market?
- Is the Mercado de San Miguel a tourist trap?
- What time is the best time to visit the Mercado de San Miguel?
The places I stopped at to eat were:
1. La Hora del Vermut for vermouth and banderillas and olives
2. Mya Quesos for cheese
3. La Casa del Bacalao for bacalao and smoked sardines
4. Mr Pinkleton for wine
5. El Señor Martín for fried seafood
6. Arzábal for patatas bravas
7. Amaiketako for pintxos
8. Paella Power for paella
9. Rocambolesc for gelato
And I also give you my opinion on the market as a whole. Is it worth visiting? I think if it’s your first time then yes. But go when it’s quieter, and know that sometimes the prices are expensive. But that it’s a fun place to get your tapas sea legs. So it really should be the beginning of your tapas adventure, not the end of it.
And other traditional markets that I recommend you check out are:
1. Mercado de Antón Martín (don’t confuse this with Mercado de San Antón which is in Chueca - I don’t love it… it’s sort of a market, but not really a place where the grannies shop).
2. Mercado de la Paz
3. Mercado San Fernando
4. Mercado de las Maravillas
Enjoy!
WHO ARE WE? 🥝
⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯
Hola, Spain lovers! We're James and Yoly. James is a New Zealander, and Yoly is from Spain. And we both live in Madrid. This channel is all about giving you a local insight into life in Spain, and helping you experience this country like a local when you come to visit (or live!). If that sounds like your kind of thing, bienvenido!
*This description contains affiliate links which means we may earn a commission if you use them 🙏🏻
Hi Spain Lovers! 👋 Have you been to the Mercado de San Miguel in Madrid? What did you think? Touristy? Worth it? Fun? In this video I give you my opinion - but I'm really curious about yours! Let us know below 👇👇
There is a stall that does Burrata with green pesto on it - my favourite thing in that market along with the pastry section.
It's very, very touristy and pricey but a cool place to hang out and try a few things. I'd defnitely recommend it though. When are you going to do something on Valencia?
Waaaay too expensive, but the place has some very good looks. When I visited Madrid with my parents, we checked out the San Miguel market and we quickly found it was too expensive. I think we ended up eating at McDonald's :P
My favorite thing was the pimientos padrones. Loved them. The paella I had wasn't that good.
Yes, but wish I'd seen your video before..... loved it anyhow....
For certain, I need to return to Spain. What a glorious country where there is emphasis on the breaking of bread and sharing life over a great meal.
Totally Anne - a wonderful country!
I’ve been to Madrid 4 times, every time I visited this wonderful market
It is definitely not cheap, there is no service, it is difficult to even find a table to stand by. But I just like here
I live right across the Mercado de Vallehermoso, and I love las señoras haciendo la compra. Wait! I am one of them!!
I prefer the Mercado de San Antón in Chueca. It's not so crowded and they have delicious food as well
One HUGE tip... if you buy something, SAVE YOUR RECEIPT. If you need to use the bathroom downstairs, your receipt gets you in for free.
We hit up San Miguel a couple times while in Madrid over the summer - largely when several of your places at nearby Cava Baja were closed - even mid-day (Taberna La Concha was open, LOVED it).
San Miguel - Olives were awesome, my Gilda addiction started there. Liked the bacalao, but was better in Basque country. Also one of the smaller stalls had a Colombiana working and had some skewers with papas criollos (Colombian style mini potatoes) and some protein options. Great stuff. Also ended each visit with a fruit skewer.
Was really crowded each time we went, seating in short supply. But all in all a worthwhile stop... a huge variety means if traveling with someone you can each find something you want. Crowded so you can window shop without feeling guilty if you pass without purchase. As you said, can get your sea legs. Pretty much guaranteed open. A little cooler than outdoors Madrid during the summer, shaded, with wine and beer to accelerate your cool down.
I agree with James' take on the Mercado San Miguel. My Spanish friends took me there earlier this month (per my request). We went on Friday night (around 10:30 pm) and had a great time. Yes, it's touristy and expensive, but I recommend you try it. I would suggest you pay attention to your bill and what they are charging you (we were charged for a bottle of cava when we ordered just a glass; luckily, we caught the mistake and they corrected the bill without any fuss).
The tapas were excellent, and, by far, my favorite stall there was La Hora del Vermut. The young man who worked there was as enthusiastic about showing me their amazing selection as I was learning about them. The time there at La Hora was one of my favorite memories of my trip. My Spanish friends snapped photos of me speaking with him, as they could see I was really in my element.
Like James, I recommend you go, but also please try the more traditional markets where the locals go and do a deep blend into the fascinating culture of Spain.
evry time i'm in madrid i actually hang out there with my cousin pili. the vermuts they have there are another level. the cheese, el jamon, the olives, fruits...it's the perfect place to start a friday or saturday night going out. 👍💕
Once again, very informative and helpful. Thank you!
My gosh, I'm so glad I found your channel. Thanks for not being one of the Food TH-camrs that almost feel "forced" to LOVE everything they taste. Thanks for your honest opinions. Keep it up. Subbed.
Thanks for doing this one, James. It's been on my list of must sees. Two more weeks and I'll be drinking vermut! You are the maestro of vlogs, amigo!
Excellent Lauren!!!
James, it’s nearly midnight in London, and I’m starving after watching this video. Excellent! So now I have even more excuses to visit Madrid (although I am passionate for Barcelona). And thanks for the tours links, etc Have a good week
Thank you for sharing. We were there last summer and it was amazing. Madrid es un lugar mágico. 🥰🥰
My hotel was just a short distance from this market.... I like that vermut bar with olives the most..... always pop in for a few drinks before heading back to our room to retire for the day
I do really like La Hora del Vermut, John!
Great video! I had a great time at Mercado de San Miguel with friends a few years ago. Super hot evening, super crowded, lots of noise, lots of beer ... epic! My favorite dish was the Precebes (goose barnacles) ... not for everyone, but I loved them!
They are delicious!
Nice to see that place again. I've been there last year, before visiting the royal palace. Great little stopover. I really miss Madrid. Even if I almost missed my flight home, only to eat one more time at Taberna el Sur. 😅
Great video James, was at the vermut bar back in April, the sherry vermut was very nice, the bacalao tapas bar another great place and great prices. My girlfriend loved the mozzarella tapa stand.
Cheers Martin - glad you guys enjoyed it!
I did visit the Anton Martin market, but unfortunately the stalls were shut, can't remember what day it was when I went there, a shame was looking forward to going to the jamon stall
José Andrés opened some similar in NYC, named Little Spain.
Another terrific video in the can.
Love it.
Pickled peppers, the perfect place to placate
my Spanish tongue.
Cheers CJ - glad you liked it. And yep - love those picked peppers :)
wow this place has really got lots to offer!! authentic Spanish foods! thanks for sharing :)
Super helpful! We'll be there in May, can't wait :)
Thanks much for all your Madrid food tips. Very helpful guides to excellent food and vermouth 🤩😋👍🍷🫒🍳🍗🍖
Pickpocket Central. Besides that, we enjoyed it multiple times while staying in La Latina. Obviously, tapas bars on Cava Baja were stellar, but this place is chaotic fun. Like one big house party. Sometimes we'd drop in just for a caña doble of Estrella after a long day of walking Madrid. (But remember to put your back pack/bag/purse in front of you...)
Good point William!
wmanthonyphotography hopefully any visitor reads your comment. Beware of pickpockets.
Great highlights to have before we go-Starting this Friday in Madrid! Will go for a quick sample then off to all those other suggestions you have nearby. My notebook is filled. Thanks for all the great info.Now to try to be like a local:)
Cheers Dave - glad you've enjoyed it!
That place has sooo much going on. I was there in May and missed a couple of the stalls you mentioned. I want to go back. I think your description as a gourmet food hall is perfect. Exactly what it is. Fun place...
PS. Thx for mentioning the olives!!!! We were getting served these small ripe olives when we were there that were AMAZING!!!! I wonder if it was those? Best olives I’d ever had.
Leaving to Madrid in 3 days to study at IE University. Nervous but watching your videos help me! Thanks!
You'll be fine! Have an amazing time!
I was just there all last week and ate there everyday. I LOVED IT! Honestly I found that we tourist can’t stand there and have a long drawn out conversations about the food. I just come to realize that at this market and anywhere else in Madrid, if possible, walk up to the counter knowing what you want.
SAn Miguel market is my personal Fav. Thanks for the video James. Great as usual!
Thanks Jimmy!
Loved MSM when I visited Madrid .. Would love you to do a video of Cádiz , hoping to visit next year ?
Would love to do a video about Cadiz. Definitely on the list! Such an amazing city!
Excellent as always... Love the channel.... Booking my flights tonight.😁
Awesome John!
Where are you going to John?
Greetings from Korea!
So much information and I must subscribe your channel.
Thank you!!!
Mercado San Miguel is a great introduction to the food options. When visiting Spain with others, I like to take them there soon after opening for a sampling of many foods, then linger with wine for people watching. One visit is fine, then down to Cava Baja and other places for a tapas crawl.
I’ve been to this place stumbled across it and had no idea how amazing it was before walked in. Thanks for posting this amazing video.
James, no cambies. Don't change !!
OK!
Your videos feel like a mini vacation, like I'm there eating with you, James.
We visited Madrid a few weeks ago. Having watched all your videos prior really enriched our eating experience so thank you so much for the great informative videos. We enjoyed our visit to this market as a tourist we are mainly looking for things to eat and drink immediately so it was fun that that was what was exclusively on offer here. It felt tourist, was more expensive and we only felt the need to pop in once despite being in the area many times, but definitely worth a visit.
My thoughts exactly Ash. Worth a visit. But then you can branch out.
Great vid! Favorite place was the La Hora de Vermut place; absolutely loved the banderilla! Can't wait to go back and try some of your other suggestions. I think it's a fun place to start at. Thanks for trying the paella, i was wondering about it.
Cheers Chris! Yeah, I agree - a fun place to start. That sums it up perfectly.
This is truly an AMAZING place! Great video!
James. I just came from Madrid. Thanks so much for your recommendations.
Can you do one on Valencia?
Yes, I'm seconding the request for a Valencia video!
On the list!
Would love to. Need to plan the trip!
@@spainrevealed On my list too actually. I've revisited Malaga a couple of months ago. Valencia is theoretically my next vacation destination. Not sure if I can make it this year or the next one.
Marvelous video! We’ll be there next March. Hope to see you and Yoly in Madrid. I think Mercado San Miguel is a great option to eat before initiate a long tour through the emblematic places. Greetings from Puerto Rico.
fantastic!!! you have rekindled my interest in and love for Spain. We will definitely head for Madrid to eat and drink!!
Enjoy!
I prefer this place, it looks clean and more classy where you can try different foods all in one place :>
Thank you, James, for another great video. Missed Yoli Alioli though. xxx
It is a great Mercado to visit, i like this place. Plenty of goodies to offer in one spot.
So funny, when I went to visit San Miguel, I ordered 2 tapas, bacalao al ajoriero & smoked sardines.
Wonderful videos. Congratulations from a Spaniard. Thank you so much for showing my our lovely and “delicious” country to the world 🙏🏻👍🏻💖🤩✨🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🤗🤗 Cheers! 🥂 You are a perfect ambassador 😉😊😌😁👍🏻✨🤩
Casi me da un ataque al corazón al ver lo de los 14€ por la ración de anchoas. Por ese precio te puedes comprar hasta 3 kilos en cualquier mercado.
Y me apunto un par de locales....el de los pinxos y el de la paella 😍👧👧🏽😍
Genial, como siempre :)
Tu compras muy barato.unas lata de buenas anchoas de santoña no creas que son mucho más baratas.
Thank you for all those great videos about Madrid and Spain!
You seem so happy tasting the spanish food, I can see in your face that you`ll never come back to New Zealand
You’re probably right!
Will be in Valencia soon and we plan on taking a train to Madrid.. Thanks for this video 👌🏾
Me encanta el ambiente y además disfrutas de la comida se te mete x los ojos .es un poquito caro ...es normal no?🤭🤭🌞🌞me gustan mucho tus vídeos .gracias
This is very helpful, thank you! We followed a lot of your guides in Barcelona and Madrid! ☺️
We go there every time we come to Spain (remember when?). We go before noon to beat the crowds. There’s a stall that has baked scallops in a cream sauce; our favorite. We go elsewhere to buy our provisions (cheese, olive oil, bottles of wine, yogurt ...) for the stay. Missing Spain; longing for when we can return.
been watching all your videos! it will be my first time in Spain... will be in Valencia, Madrid...
We were there in June. Fun place and do like La Hora de Vermut. Being so close make sure to stop in to Cerveriz Bar for Tortilla de patatas. It is really good and authentic.
Exactly - great staging ground for a Cerveriz visit :)
It is a tourist trap and it's become more so in recent years. It's also frequented by well off Spanish tourists. If you know what you're doing you can have a tasty nibble and drink without being completely fleeced. It looks crazy busy but all Tapas bars in Madrid will be at peak time. You can buy some very good produce but it's up to you how much you can afford to spend. Remember there are many bars in Madrid that will give you a free tapa when you order a drink (especially those with some Andalusian influence). Great video James.
Great info for the "newbies". A must for learning to navigate the for culture on you visit.
La Casa del bacalao is our favorite. Never miss it.
Once again another great video James !
Thanks Harry!
Problem is that it’s in the centre so it’s always busy. Good to go to if you want to get a taste of Spain and you are short on time. Try and go in the week though as it’s heaving on weekends
Yeah, good point Jonny. It gets REALLY busy.
Mercado de San Miguel by definition, it’s not a tourist trap...It has very good stalls like the “Casa del Bacalao” (which I tried all of the tapas), good Vermouth, wine, olives pintxos and many well priced tapas & raciones with high quality. As a wise traveler, check on the prices and do your research on Google before buying your food...There are definitely some food stands that the prices are just over the top; avoid them and keep looking for what you want. Patience is one of the most important competence of an intelligent tourist, like visiting also “El Museo del Jamón” (Plaza Mayor), a Madrid franchise with very low prices & good quality; wine glasses for (1) EURO and Cañas (Beer), from (.50) cents of EURO!!! while you save money and immerse with the locals. Mercado de San Miguel it’s definitely a great option if you are knowledgeable as a foodie traveler...🍷🧀🍷🧀🍷🧀🍷🧀🍷🧀🍷🧀...
I love watching your videos! They're very informative and fun to watch. I'll be coming to Spain soon. ¡Hasta pronto!
Mmm that server at 12:05...yum.
Love it, Great video, La Casa del bacalao is my favorite, Bravas at 7 euros is expensive
Thank you! Yeah, not cheap. But not crazy expensive like the fried fish!
Damn I wish I would have discovered this vlog 2 years ago when I lived near Spain!
This was wonderful, that market has some great tapas and that Paella looks so good.
Hi James! This video is super helpful! Taking my first trip to Madrid at the beginning of October and have jotted down the names of all the stalls you mentioned! Your videos are awesome! Thanks!
This is so helpful. You are so specific and list so many options. I have been to the south of Spain, but not Madrid or San Sebastián. This video certainly has me wanting to return to Spain. I always love the how to eat like a local section of your videos.
Thanks Anne - glad you like it. You need to come back and keep exploring the country!
This was very helpful, gracias! I am going solo to Madrid for five days in February and figured this would be where I got my tapas fix (I'm not likely to go to a tapas bar alone in the evening). I appreciate the virtual tour so I have some idea of what to expect and what's available. Because I am going in February hopefully it won't be as crowded!
This is making me hungry!
I hope so Sarah!
Great, I enjoyed your video James. I always visit the Mercado de San Miguel when I’m passing through Madrid on my motorbike. I ride through Spain every year on my motorbike. Yes it’s expensive BUT a glass of wine and a couple of tapas won’t break the bank and you get a great experience. Last time I was there (June 2019), there was a wine demonstration and the presenters really knew their wines. Anyway, it’s 100% not to be missed when in Madrid ... when you are on your way to Barrio La Latina by foot for the rest of the evening 👌
Hey, I didn't know they opened a Rocambolesc in Madrid! The Roca brothers sure are getting famous, huh? I kind of feel proud because they're from Girona (my city) and they opened the very first Rocambolesc there! And, sure, it fits the name well, as it means "outlandish" or "bizarre" in Catalan.
The Roca brothers have been famous for years bro.
So many things there are delicious and it’s nice to have so many choices. If you avoid the super expensive stalls, you can try a whole bunch of typical foods (and drinks!) and leave quite satisfied. James, I also love your food tours-I went on two of them this summer. Great crew you have working for you! ❤️
Love you guys. Be there soon
Thanks Regina!
Great video, really appreciate your honesty.
Cheers Nigel!
El Mercado de San Miguel,That's mouthwatering... 😋😋😋 , Excellent video,Maybe someday visit Palma de Mallorca ,Happy Summer.
Would love to Richard!
Thank you for doing this video. As someone who also watches your channel I always felt weirdly guilty about loving Mercado de San Miguel.
haha - never feel guilty! These things are never black and white :)
Rocambolesc no está en Barcelona, está en Girona..
Excellent video as always. Fantastically good. Hugs
We did a mixed seafood from that place and we were so shocked about how expensive it was! We did also try Casa Toni on your recommendation though including the sweetbreads and it was amazing!
Me encanta el Mercado San Miguel!
Your videos are super engaging, and I am glad to see so many of them lately! Enjoyed our food tour with Luke several years ago and now when we return, the folks at Ricla look at me very amused when I ask for albondigas secretas.. :)
Went today. Nice atmosphere if one does not mind the ongoing construction on building. Tried several and definitely hit or mis….
Good job! You almost made we want to go back there. Seriously though, I think you said it well. It's great for first time visitors because it's user friendly. Unfortunately, some stalls are ripoffs.
Glad you liked it!
Ghislain Bergevin like any tourist trap.
Vaya .....viví 3 años en el centro de Madrid y nunca supe de este mercado.
Gracias
Ahora ...te digo una cosa .Ven a Málaga y te comes una ración de boquerones fritos frescos pescados el mismo dia por 5 euros y no 14 !
Great vlog James. 2 weeks and counting for our trip to Madrid 🇪🇸.
Great video on how to tackle a very touristed place - I will def use your advice when I go to Madrid in a few weeks. Among the other markets that you mention, Mercado de Maravillas (I don't think there's a 'las') was a nice find - there are food stalls (a lot of Latin American food) along with traditional market stalls. It's close to the Cuatro Caminos metro stop - be aware that during the week, they close between 2p - 5:30p.
I went there last month but only just saw the video. Impressions largely matched those of James (great minds ... LOL). I was also surprised by the high price of the fried fish outlet (Martin) - it was like 17 or 18 euros, it really should've been half that at most. I didn't get anything from there, but even the best fried fish shouldn't be almost 20 euros for a tapas portion. The bacalao place might thave been my favorite, their canapes were delicious and well priced (1.5 to 2 euros each). Overall I liked the market enough to go back - it was definitely way less crowded on Tues than on Sunday, when it was uncomfortably crowded.
Great video, I am going to Madrid in March, and planning to visit Mercado de San Miguel. Cheers from Canada 😊
Enjoy your trip!
Spain Revealed - James Blick Thank you for all the information, and tips. Love your channel.
James, just to say that a glass of beer inside that market is 6-8 euros, and just outside in museo del jamon/100 montaditos the mug cost 1,50 euros ...
Te acabas de ganar la nacionalidad Espanhola!!!
Another great video about a famous place ( which unfortunately I missed in my previous two times to Madrid) I am visiting my 3rd time next month on September and after your video It is a must, thanks for your always helpful, interesting and tasty Vlog 👍, hellos from Egypt.
wanted to go to the Mercado de San Miguel in Madrid, but it was very busy and we were warned by the tour guide not to enter because of pickpockets !
Anthony Yung I’ve never been pickpocketed there but I guard my purse closely. The food is great, and it nice to have such a variety to choose from.
I always finish your videos wondering how you can eat so much and be so skinny . I 😂
I'm thinking of the same. My theory is that he takes ONE bite and then gives the rest to the cameraperson or anyone who's with him. Few people can eat that many delicious-looking foodstuffs and NOT weigh 400 lbs.!
You haven't watched Mark Wiens? WOW, skinny guy can eat.
@@juanasenjo8515 maybe he only eats once a week when he does the video?
Spanish food (the good kind, like James and Yoli eat) is top-notch quality (the absolute opposite of trash) and they walk a lot. It makes a huge difference
Love the vids James ! Keep them coming
Paella and fried fish is generally sub-par in Madrid. For the real real fried fish (pescaíto frito) go down to La Carihuela and El Palo in Malaga. Regarding the patatas bravas, there's a myth than once (only once in the whole of human existence) someone ordered those and got exactly what he expected and enjoyed (crunchy or not, warm or hot, bland or spicy, too many or too few...)
haha haven't heard that myth
Awesome work James!
I`ve been to Madrid and Mercado de San Miguel in May. Wish I could have seen this video before :D.
At your recommendation, I went to Huevos de Lucio
James, as always one of the best Spanish gastronomic insight I’ve read. Just a tiny but, eating cabrales cheese without bread, seriously? 🤪
Only want to say thank u for a nice video !
I'd skip Arzabal, it is very expensive.