The Mercado de San Miguel - Madrid

The best place to see what Spanish tapas are like, is the Mercado de San Miguel: it's one of Madrid's oldest and most beautiful markets, within early 20th century glass walls and an inviting space strewn with tables.  The market is not a traditional grocery market but a gourmet tapas market, with over 30 different vendors selling a wide variety of freshly prepared tapas, hams, olives, baked goods and lots more. Beer, wine and champagne are also available. You can order tapas and sometimes more substantial plates at the counter bars and everything here is as tempting as the market is alive. 

It is packed. So busy, it's hard to move and impossible to take photographs. This was our fifth visit, early morning, so that I could manage to take some photos, and I did as it was very quiet.

It's open and buzzing until late.

Each stall specialises in one type of food, and this one is crab

just crab

Skewers

Salted fish

so much of this food here looks like it might be fancy cakes, but almost all of it is savoury

juices and

fresh strawberries with cream

sausages and other ham products

all kinds of fruits

tempting sandwiches

paella bubbling away

more sandwiches

ice cream

As you can see it was very easy walking around

You bake me happy was the only bar where we bought something. After walking for hours we fancied sitting down to have lunch, on comfortable chairs rather than standing 

or being perched on stools.

They sold the most delicious tiny cheesecakes and they were very moorish

I liked the fruit and veg display of this bar

There were pies

and pizza

This was the most amazing of all of the bars

I did not imagine that you could make such amazing concoctions with mozarella

they really look like puddings/cakes

Pickles

with a difference

and loads of olives

in various forms

and formations

and cheese, of course

eggs and omelettes and various other tapas

and now we got to the seafood section

shrimp and oysters on their own

or in wraps

in risottos

lobster rolls

in all possible ways

presentations

and combinations

whole fish to show where their merchandise comes from

fried calamari

oysters

fried small fish

the bar for wine and other alcoholic drinks

tuna - do they cook this as you are waiting? or are you meant to eat the eg raw?

 everything you could possibly imagine.