Specialized Groceries in Madrid
If you are not a big fan of supermarkets or prefer fresh foods to processed and packaged foods, you’re going to love Madrid and Spain in general. Madrid is packed with small, independently owned specialty shops. All of the stalls in the municipal markets are owned by individuals, and each stall has its own specialty: poultry, meats, fruits, vegetables, fish and seafood, cold cuts and cured meats, pickled and tinned goods (olives, pickles, etc), bakeries, etc. For a complete list of the Madrid municipal markets organized by district, please read the Open-air Markets section.
Aside from the municipal markets, there are also specialized shops that work out of small storefronts all over Madrid. It is traditional in Spain to purchase fresh foods at specialized, neighborhood shops rather than at a supermarket, which explains how so many small, specialized shops subsist.
Although the organic/ecological foods and products industry has yet to really catch on in Spain, there is a small selection of shops that specialize in such products. Their details are listed in the Open-air Markets section.
International Grocerers
Most supermarkets in Spain do not carry foreign food products. The Corte Inglés supermarkets tend to carry foreign foods, but the selection is fairly limited. Shops specialized in foreign foods are not common and are generally small. The following is a list of a few shops that specialize in ethnic foods:
Taste of America
C/ Serrano 149
Metro: Republica Argentina
T: 91 411 46 42
La Tiendita (Mexican)
C/ Libertad 11
Metro: Chueca
Open from 11:00 AM – 10:00PM
Capperi Gourmet (Italian)
Fernando VI 2
Metro: Alonso Martinez
T: 91 308 17 74
Living in London
C/ Santa Engracia 4
Metro: Alonso Martinez
T: 91 310 39 32
Extremo Oriente (Asian)
Plaza España
Metro: Plaza España
T: 91 542 1464
