Paris1972-Versailles2003

I was in my dear Madrid again !! We rented just 130 meters from the wonderful Mercado San Miguel so a stop was a must. It was great to be back in the area and me love to go there but wait !!! this is a market ,and we did our tapas drinks there and then took home some more ! Do see my other post on it in my blog, This is a must in Madrid !! Let me tell you more on the Mercado San Miguel of Madrid, part I !!! Hope you enjoy this post as I.

Enthroned in the center of the Plaza San Miguel , in a lively district, this market is a top place to eat and go out for people from Madrid and passing visitors. Its some 1200 square meters are home to producers and sellers of fruit and vegetables, meat, fish and local specialties; bars and other restaurants. A bit on the construction from my amateur architecture eye….The building is rectangular with its major sides oriented on the east-west axis. The building has two floors, each with an area of almost 2000 square meters. When it was a market, the stalls inside were organized along nine streets of the upper area. Today the stalls have been converted into bars and in storage areas with high tables. To ensure the hygiene of the premises was built with floorboard. The iron and glass design makes the light inside natural.

After renovations to restore it to its original appearance, the market reopened on May 13, 2009 with traditional, quality and seasonal products. This high place of gastronomy offers colorful stalls but also corners with tables and chairs to allow the greediest to taste on site. Tapas, Iberian ham, paella and other rice dishes, seafood, cheeses and fresh fruit as well as local wines and beers find their place on the 33 stalls, each one more appetizing than the next. Shows are organized regularly to always give more life to the San Miguel market, this place which brings together the cultural, gastronomic and historical aspects of the city. Today, the market has established itself as one of Madrid’s must-see landmarks: it attracts more than 10 million visitors every year.

I must tell you all, had my share at Mariscos Morris, Pinkleton & Wine, El Yantar de Ayer, and Quesoba, and took out octopus Galician style, bottle of Rosé wine from Provence France!, empanadas of different sorts, and manchego cheese! Heavens !!! The market is open every day from 10h to midnight and until 02h  from Thursday to Saturday. The Opera metro station is the closest to the Mercado de San Miguel market. It is served by metro Ópera lines 2 and 5 (mine!!!) and  Sol lines 1, 2 and 3.  Local city suburbian trains or Cercanías on lines  C3 and C4. Bus lines 3 and night N16. By car closest is at Plaza Mayor. OF course, the best is to walk here from wherever you are I am sure you will be walking distance we will be at 1km from it soon again and will walk over !!!

A bit of history I like tell us that in the Middle Ages already the place was known as an open air market. Many small shops dedicated to crafts are also located in the periphery of the square. A few centuries later, it is the Church of San Miguel de los Octoes (where was baptized Lope de Vega!) that stands at this location. But following a fire which ravaged it in 1790 and the inability to renovate it despite the attempts, Joseph Bonaparte, (brother of Napoleon ) the invading king of the time, ordered its demolition in 1809. It is then decided to keep this space open in a spirit of development and aeration of the public space. Later It was decided to restore its primary function to the market.  Therefore, from 1809 , the locals take advantage of the new market  which then specializes in the products of the sea. The covered market is finally built between 1913 and 1916. The commercial activity of the market declines little by little since its facilities cannot be competitive in the face of modern supermarkets and shopping malls. After renovations to restore its original appearance, the market reopens its doors in  2009 with traditional products, quality and seasonal products. A company is created to market and support this new idea, the El Gastrónomo de San Miguel, which becomes the majority shareholder of the market with the aim to revive its traditional activity.

The official Mercado San Miguel: https://mercadodesanmiguel.es/

The Madrid tourist office on the Mercado: https://www.esmadrid.com/en/shopping/mercado-de-san-miguel

When it opens we came here and we stop each time in or out we love it. Nevertheless, it is a must to visit if you are in Madrid as it is one of its most emblematic show of local cuisine and ambiance. Again, hope you enjoy the post on the Mercado San Miguel of Madrid, part I !!! as I

And remember, happy travels, good health ,and many cheers to all !!!