Ultimate Spanish Cuisine: Madrid Local Market & Food Tour

Taste must-try Madrid bites at the beloved small businesses that do them best. 

• Savor 15+ food tastings at 6 family-run eateries, including cafes, market stalls, gourmet delis, and pastry shops. Enough food for a full meal.
• Explore the charming Huertas neighborhood and historic center of Madrid with an expert local guide.
• Explore a vibrant local market and meet our friends behind the stalls, who proudly sell some of the neighborhood’s highest quality products.
• Try Spain's favorite aperitif and get insider tips to enjoy "la hora de vermut" like a local.
• Discover Madrid’s favorite street food at a hidden gem of a bar just steps from Plaza Mayor.

Walk in the footsteps of a Madrid local and discover the small food-focused businesses that are the backbone of the city center—the places that make Madrid what it is. Just like the city itself, the food you’ll try represents the best of all corners of Spain (think hand-sliced Iberian ham that melts in your mouth) and bites you'll only find here in the capital. (We bet you never thought you’d try a fried calamari sandwich!) 

Eat your way through beloved, decades-old small businesses on the ultimate Madrid food tour.
 
There’s a lot to see, do, and eat in Madrid, so exploring with an in-the-know local is the best way to discover hidden gems you may not come across on your own. Join an expert guide and a small group of fellow foodies to walk in the footsteps of a madrileño through small, family-run businesses ranging from cafés to gourmet delis and market stalls!

Your Madrid food tour starts with one of Spain’s most famous yet most misunderstood sweet treats: churros and chocolate. You’ll enjoy them at a neighborhood café that’s one of the few establishments left of its kind. As you eat, your guide will decode how to find authentic Spanish-style churros and give you the lowdown on the real origins of chocolate. (Note: Churros stop only available on morning tours. If you select the 5 pm tour, you'll instead visit a popular tapas bar to try two beloved local tapas and a beer.)    Our next stop is owned by a young baker with a goal of bringing high quality bread back to Madrid. You’ll learn why it’s surprisingly hard to find good bread here in the city and why this spot is the exception to the rule as you dig into one of their freshly baked savory snacks, a loaf stuffed with chorizo.    From there, it’s off to the market! As local residents do their daily grocery shopping, you’ll stop by a few of our favorite stalls to say hola to our friends who run them and try some of their delicious fresh products. It’s time to discover the building blocks of Spanish cuisine in the form of fresh seasonal produce, flavorsome olives, incredible Spanish olive oil and the crown jewel of cured meats: Iberian ham. Your guide will also introduce you to Spain's favorite aperitif, red vermouth. As you sip, you'll discover the beloved tradition around "la hora de vermut".    Next on your Madrid food tour, you’ll head to an unassuming neighborhood deli with a fascinating past. Sitting in the same back room where the owner’s grandfather hosted clandestine rebel meetings to plot against Spain's dictatorship in the 1930s, you’ll enjoy a pairing of several cheeses and wines from across the country.      After that, it’s off to one of the very few bars near Plaza Mayor where locals actually eat. You’ll grab Madrid’s most famous street food sandwich to go and enjoy it standing outside the bar with views of the famous square.       Last but not least, you’ll end on your Madrid food tour on a sweet note at a bakery that was opened by the Spanish royal family’s very own pastry chef in 1855. Enjoy a coffee or tea while you dig into a beloved Spanish dessert in their beautifully decorated tea room. Recently featured in Spanish-American chef Jose Andrés' travel show, we've known about this hidden gem for years!
You’ll walk away with a deeper understanding of Spanish cuisine, history, culture, and life—and how they all tie together in the most delicious of ways.  
Sites Visited
Plaza Santa Ana, Cervantes house (exterior), Huertas neighborhood, Antón Martín Market, Madrid de los Austrias, Plaza Mayor 

Before you travel, please read the "Know Before You Go" section for essential information, requirements, and possible disruptions regarding your tour.

Before you travel, please read the "Know Before You Go" section for essential information, requirements, and possible disruptions regarding your tour.