Are you looking for the hottest shopping tips in Amsterdam, Barcelona, Basel, Berlin, Bern, Budapest, Dublin, Frankfurt, Geneva, Hamburg, Cologne, Copenhagen, Lisbon, London, Lucerne, Madrid, Munich, Odessa, Paris, Prague, Rome, Stockholm, Vienna, and Zurich? With MyCityHighlight – Sightseeing like a local – you'll find the top shopping tips in the most beautiful European cities from the point of view of our city managers – locals of the respective cities. You also have the opportunity to contact our city managers directly if you have any questions. Enjoy your trip with MyCityHighlight, your guide to the cities of Amsterdam, Barcelona, Basel, Berlin, Bern, Budapest, Dublin, Frankfurt, Geneva, Hamburg, Cologne, Copenhagen, Lisbon, London, Lucerne, Madrid, Munich, Odessa, Paris, Prague, Rome, Stockholm, Vienna, and Zurich.
Librería Mujeres
Others / Warehouses
La Librería Mujeres is a women's bookstore near Madrid's Plaza Mayor. A meeting point and confluence of women and feminists of different ages, places, feelings, doings and thoughts. Located in the centre of Madrid, near Plaza Sol, it has on its shelves books on all subjects and tastes: anthropology, self-esteem, art, mythology, history, education, biography, lesbianism or world cultures.
Here at the Women's Bookstore you will find all imaginable genres written exclusively by women, although not only necessarily for them but they can also find what they are looking for. Many men also look here for a book written by women, feminist themes, etc. This establishment has been open since 1978 thanks to the efforts of 200 co-operators.
The Women's Bookstore also has its own publishing house called "Horas y horas" (Hours and Hours). So far it publishes women's literature from other cultures and works on feminist theory. In addition, it completes its feminist universe with an incredible repertoire of gifts such as images of the great thinkers and writers of all times, articles such as small boxes, cigarette cases, hand mirrors, magazines or coasters, dolls and puppets made by artisans of wood and metal. They also sell handmade veneers with different drawings.
It is a place worth visiting. In addition the women who work here are very nice and they recommend you the books according to your tastes or necessities.
Cervantes y Compañía
Others / Warehouses
Cervantes y Compañía is a unique and special bookshop located in Calle Pez in the beautiful district of Malasaña. It has its own essence. Its idea is to resemble the bookstores of the past, to preserve that flavour. It resembles the Shakespeare & Company of Paris: publishing house, refuge and cultural centre. It resembles the City Lights bookstore in San Francisco or many others with their own label that are icons in their cities, but with their own personality.
There are many bookstores that Cervantes and Compañía have as reference. Bookshops among whose shelves writers, artists, musicians, filmmakers, actors, but also madmen, prophets, politicians and other Quixotes necessary for a society to be free and dream of a better world were born. In addition in the bookstore Cervantes and Company also give talks, meetings of very interesting writers that you can sign up if you are interested. It is a bookstore worth visiting.
In addition to the history of this Cervantes and Company bookshop, I would highlight the place where it is located. In the heart of Malasaña, in the very centre of Madrid. A street with a lot of charm and personality. And I would also like to highlight the kindness of those who work at Cervantes and Compañía. You can always ask them to look for a book on their computer, to advise you on a book on a specific topic or a special author. The email address for any information or book reservation is info@cervantesycia.com. And their website where you will find much more information is www.cervantesycia.com. And finally, the nearest metro to this beautiful bookstore is Noviciado or Tribunal. Both of you have a walk along the beautiful Calle del Pez. The Noviciado metro station is closer, although Tribunal is also close to the bookstore.
San Miguel Market
Markets / Specialties
The Mercado de San Miguel is one of the most famous markets in Madrid. It is the preferred market for tourists who come to Madrid for its products and its size. In addition to being very close to the Plaza Sol, in the heart of the capital, makes it a point of many visits a year.
The San Miguel Market is located a few meters from the Plaza Mayor, in a remodeled building from 1916. It is a gourmet market with around 30 stalls where you can taste exquisite Spanish products such as croquettes, salmorejo or tortilla. It is also very famous for its fish or sushi.
or very good wines.
This market is one of the best examples of iron architecture in the city. In May 2009 it became the first gastronomic market in Madrid. And it is during 2018 when the market experiences a period of growth due to its gastronomic content, thanks to nationally and internationally renowned chefs.
The San Miguel Market has more than 10 million visitors a year. They call it the gastronomic temple of the city. Many tourists come here to taste for the first time from the best Iberian ham to the freshest seafood from Galicia. Every day the best fish arrives from the Galician coast, the rest of the north or the Valencian Community. Also very famous are the Mediterranean rice dishes or the most special cheeses from Castile, Asturias or the Basque Country.
It is a place where you will find top quality products and wines that come from all corners of Spain distributed in 30 fixed stands plus 3 in movable support format. They also have a large quantity of both beers and good wines. For wine lovers, you can find plenty of white or red wines.
Other triumphs are the handmade and natural ice creams of Joan Roca (3 Michelin stars), the traditional rice dishes of Rodrigo de la Calle (1 Michelin star), the Basque gastronomy of Amaiketako, the sushis and sashimis of Ricardo Sanz (4 Michelin stars) or the tacos and Mexican daisies of Roberto Ruiz (1 Michelin star). The tapas of Grupo Arzabal or the Madrid dishes of Casa Lhardy, among many others, are also very delicious.
Spicy Yuli
Markets / Specialties
Spicy Yuli is a cozy spice and all kinds of teas and infusions store, located in the heart of Malasaña, on Valverde Street. This place is located in one of the most charming neighborhoods in the center, which is a must for lovers of spices and infusions.
Spicy Yuli has a great variety in teas, infusions, spices and also at a very good price. They also have honey, chocolates and many other high quality products. Its owner, the charming Yuli, (hence the name of the shop), advises you on infusions according to your needs.
It's a place you have to try, with its own seal of quality. It also has a cozy and beautiful decoration. For lovers of infusions and spices, it is the place of your dreams. As soon as you enter the shop you can smell the different smells of the teas. Teas with such original names as "Alice in Wonderland", "Forbidden City", "Sweet dreams", "No worries", etc.. All of them of an indisputable quality. The owner, Yuli, has won several prizes as best tea in some of the competitions that has gone.
The mixtures of all of them are made by themselves. Both she and the other two people who work here, who are just as charming, make the teas. Yuli has travelled halfway around the world looking for the best teas and the best products and then in Madrid she makes her "magic potions". She travels around Asia to continue learning and growing as she has not stopped doing since she opened her store almost a decade ago. It's a place you have to know and try!
San Antón Market
Markets / Specialties
The San Antón Market is located in Chueca, one of Madrid's busiest neighbourhoods. This famous San Antón Market has several floors where traditional food stalls are combined with modern restaurants of all styles. Its terrace and the restaurant on it is impressive.
In the Mercado de San Antón you have plenty of food from different cultures and places. The Mercado de San Antón is undoubtedly one of the favorite places for tourists and locals to go for a good wine or a cold beer with delicious tapas. The market consists of three floors. The first is dedicated to the sale of perishable produce and here you can find everything from sausages to quality hamburgers or a variety of fruits and vegetables.
The second floor consists of a wine tavern and ten show cooking / take away stalls, where you can taste and take home everything from Greek specialities to Japanese food, seafood, sweets, milkshakes and juices. This floor also has the Sala Trapezio, which hosts various cultural initiatives.
And finally, on the third floor is the restaurant "La Cocina de San Antón" where you can eat the products purchased at the stalls on the first floor, but cooked for a supplement of four euros. In other words, you can buy them and they are cooked here by professional chefs. The restaurant has a daily menu at midday and an extensive menu based on fresh and natural seasonal products, with dishes that combine traditional Spanish cuisine with some international touches.
The Mercado de San Antón also represents a new model for a sustainable market, as the floor is made of cast basalt, a material that was originally reused. It also has a collection system that reduces the volume of organic waste by 80%, and has free wi-fi connection in all its plants.
Librería Pérez Galdós
Others / Warehouses
The Pérez Galdós bookshop is a unique and special bookshop located in Hortaleza street in the beautiful district of Chueca. It has its own essence, old, beautiful and unique. It's like the bookstores of the past that preserve that flavor. Like Shakespeare & Company in Paris: publishing house, shelter and cultural centre, City Lights bookshop in San Francisco or many others with their own stamp that are icons in their cities, but with their own personality.
The Pérez Galdós bookshop was founded in 1942 and is named after Benito Pérez Galdós, a famous novelist of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and the ancestor of the owners of this establishment.
This bookshop, located very close to Gran Vía, specialises in buying and selling books and its interior hides a paradise for bibliophiles because of its high wooden shelves full of second-hand titles. Among its collection of more than 20,000 sold out works, one can find from a Don Quixote of 1868 to an English translation of Montaigne's essays.
There are many bookshops that the Pérez Galdós bookshop has as a reference. Bookshops among whose shelves writers, artists, musicians, filmmakers, actors, but also prophets, politicians and other Quixotes necessary for a free society to exist were born. It is a bookstore worth visiting.
In addition to the history of this Librería Pérez Galdós, I would like to highlight the place where it is located. In the heart of Chueca's neighborhood, in the same center of Madrid. A street (Hortaleza) with a lot of charm and personality. I would also like to highlight the kindness of those who work at the Pérez Galdós Bookstore. Both the owner and the boy are really nice and kind. You can always ask them to look for a book on their computer, to advise you a book on a specific topic or a special author. The email for any information or booking of a book is libreria@perezgaldos.com. And their website where you will find much more information is www.perezgaldos.com. And finally, the nearest metro to this beautiful bookstore is Chueca.
San Ildefonso Market
Markets / Specialties
The Mercado de San Ildefonso is the most modern and hipster market in the city of Madrid. It has a lot of food stalls from all countries: Mexican food, a French crepe stall, Japanese food, Mediterranean food. The best thing is its large interior terrace, where you can disconnect from the hustle and bustle of the city and have a fresh beer in the Malasaña district. Also in summer on the terrace you have jets of water to better tolerate the heat.
The Mercado de San Ildefonso is a new concept of leisure, enjoyment and socialisation around gastronomy, in the style of the street food market that can be found in London, New York, Singapore or Bangkok.
This curious market is an ideal meeting point after work, an alternative for Malasaña and Chueca, as it is located in Calle de Fuencarral number 57, just on the borders of both neighbourhoods.
The San Ildefonso market is a few metres away from the place that occupied the first covered market in Madrid until its demolition in 1970. Its offer is mainly based on the manufactured product, some in its pure state, but you always have the option of taking it in the establishment or taking it to the street.
Behind this market you will find the Plaza de San Ildefonso, one of the busiest squares in Malasaña. Inside the square is the statue of an enigmatic student, who is already a neighbor of the neighborhood. This bronze student hides some secrets. Its author, Rafael González, baptized it in 1999 as Susana for her daughter. He called this work of art: "La joven caminando", "La grunge" or "Susana".
Another curiosity of this beautiful square is that inside it is the Church of San Ildefonso. In front of this famous sculpture is this church, inaugurated in 1827. Here in this church married the famous Spanish poet and novelist Rosalía de Castro.
La Central de Callao
Others / Warehouses
The Central de Callao is undoubtedly the best bookstore in Madrid. Located in an old palace, the bookshop has two floors, a bistro where you can have breakfast or brunch and a room for exhibitions and cultural activities. In the Central de Callao you can find all kinds of books: travel books, novels, comics, history books, children's books, etc.. Although you are not very fond of books, entering La Central is quite an experience. I highly recommend it. The atmosphere is a luxury. It is also surrounded by cafes, shops and restaurants, so to disconnect a little from the noise of Gran Vía and Callao is a good plan. The silence between the books is to be thanked.
La Central de Callao is the Madrid headquarters of the Barcelona bookstore chain, which has been open since September 2012. This famous bookshop in the centre of Madrid is located in an old 19th century palace of 1,200 m2. The Central de Callao houses more than 70,000 volumes of collection specializing in philosophy, history, social sciences and literature. It is quite an experience, both for tourists and for the rest of the book-loving public.
The Central building in Callao has three floors. There is an old courtyard with carriages and a large cypress tree. A café-restaurant also with shelves of books around. Here you can rest and have a cup of tea, coffee, a fresh beer or something to eat. It is not an expensive place so I recommend it. This is on the ground floor and is run by the founders of two Barcelona firms, Xocoa and Demasié. And finally a cocktail bar: El garito, on the first floor. It's an old cave that served as a tobacco warehouse. In the Central de Callao you can also find a varied programme of cultural activities.
Fnac Callao
Others / Warehouses
The FNAC of Callao is an entire multi-storey building for all audiences. For children, adults, the elderly, young people, etc. It has different floors with books, technology, music, games and many other things. Also if you are a member you get a 5% discount on everything you buy. It's a good plan for a rainy day, to have a good time with the family, or just to entertain you from your routine.
The FNAC building is in Madrid's famous Plaza de Callao. It is full of lights, colours, theatres and cinemas all around. It is a meeting point and an ideal place for tourists. The FNAC also has a varied and extensive cultural offer with several plants. This huge space is completely dedicated to leisure and culture.
The FNAC of Callao was born in 1954, when friends André Essen and Max Theret created a shopping centre with discounts for their members. The first FNAC store was opened in 1957 and it was in the 1960s when an exhibition of artistic photographs was presented which led to more stores being opened throughout Spain. This exhibition of artistic photographs awakened a spirit of organizing cultural activities that have led this giant of electronics, image, sound and literature to also become an art gallery. Also in its forum these activities and exhibitions are held free of charge. There are also presentations of books, concerts, screenings, talks, etc..
In total the FNAC building consists of three floors plus the basement full of leisure. These are divided into all its branches of cinema, music, photography, computer and even press and magazines and a nice cafeteria. The books occupy the last two floors, classified thematically or by author and genre, and their references range from consultation, such as dictionaries, textbooks or specialised books, to the latest publishing novelties and a section for works in English and French.
The FNAC treats its clients with unbeatable treatment thanks to its large work team and 5% discounts on all its products. They have a qualified staff to deal with queries and requests, any day of the week, as it is also open on Sundays. It is a place that if you do not know is worth knowing. If you like music, cinema, books or you are a freak of cinema and comics, stop by the FNAC to enjoy everything it has.