Mercado de San Miguel, Madrid: tapas, opening hours and tips

Updated on October 1, 2026

The Mercado de San Miguel is an iron-and-glass market hall on Plaza de San Miguel, a stone's throw from the Plaza Mayor, turned into a food market where you can taste produce from all over Spain. It is open every day, from 10am to midnight Sunday to Thursday and from 10am to 1am on Fridays, Saturdays and the eves of public holidays; entry is free, and you only pay for what you eat and drink at each stall. Opened in May 1916 as a fresh food market, to designs by the architect Alfonso Dubé y Díez, it is one of the few examples of iron architecture surviving in Madrid. In 2009 it became the city's first gourmet market, and today it welcomes more than 7 million visitors a year. Allow 30 minutes for a quick look around and a bite, up to an hour for a full tapas meal.

Highlights

The iron market hall

The cast-iron columns, metal framework and large glass panes let you see inside from the square. Walk around the outside to take in the original early 20th-century structure and the cresting along the roof.

The tapas stalls

More than twenty stalls serve bites and small plates: Iberian ham, croquetas, salt cod, meatballs, paella, mozzarella and flaky pastries, plus vermouth and wine counters. You order at a counter, pay on the spot and eat standing up or at shared high tables.

Seafood

Several counters serve oysters, crab and shellfish, delivered daily from Galicia according to the market; it is one of the market's highlights.

The surrounding area

The [Plaza Mayor](/fr/attractions/plaza-mayor-madrid) is a 2-minute walk away through the Arco de Ciudad Rodrigo, and the [Royal Palace](/fr/attractions/palais-royal-de-madrid) about ten minutes west along Calle Mayor. The market fits neatly into a walk around [Habsburg Madrid](/fr/articles/madrid-des-autrichiens).

Infos pratiques

Tips

Prices are displayed at each stall and vary from one counter to the next; they are higher than in a traditional tapas bar in the area. Before ordering, check the price per item and walk round the stalls to put together your tasting. Seats are scarce: come in twos or threes and share a high table. Keep your bag closed in the crowd, as pickpockets take advantage of the crush.

How to get there

Plaza de San Miguel, s/n, 28005 Madrid. Metro Sol (lines 1, 2 and 3) or Ópera (lines 2 and 5 and Ramal), then a 5-minute walk. Cercanías commuter train: Sol station (lines C3 and C4). Bus 3 and night bus N16.