Calling all foodies and fashionistas! Why Madrid should be at the top of your travel wish list

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If you have a passion for fine food and even finer fashion, you’ll fall for the Region of Madrid.

Here, laid-back days are spent discovering luxury boutiques and sumptuous (yet good-value) gastro bars and gourmet markets.

The region’s kitchens are heating up with new gastronomic experiences appearing every week, whether it’s food tours, speciality shops or hot new restaurants. The same goes for chic new openings within Madrid’s shopping scene.

With so many unique experiences to try, you can have a hundred different holidays in one.

Wondering where to stay? A host of stunning luxury hotels have opened their doors across the region in the last few years, with more openings from glamorous big-name hotels on the horizon. 

If you have a passion for fine food and even finer fashion, you’ll fall for the Region of Madrid (@Richard Ramos_Comunidad de Madrid)

Hours into your visit you’ll realise why this vibrant Spanish region, with its year-round sunshine and stylish locals, is praised as having one of the best lifestyles in the world. If you soak it all in over a week or two, you’ll soon feel like a madrileño yourself.

Not to mention, it’s ultra-convenient to reach from the UK, with dozens of direct flights departing each day. Here are all the surprises in store for foodies and fashion lovers…

SPECTACULAR SHOPPING

From the ateliers that once dressed the aristocracy to the punk style of the 1980s Movida Madrileña countercultural movement, Madrid has a dazzling fashion history. 

Recent years have seen the region become more fashionable than ever, with Spain’s best dressed swirling the streets during the bi-annual Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Madrid.

Today, shopping for luxury fashion is a treasured pastime for visitors. There’s something for everyone, with glossy designer stores lying shoulder to shoulder with artisanal design shops and antique markets. The cherry on top? Prices are often a lot more affordable in Madrid than elsewhere in Europe. 

Fashion lovers know their first stop is the Golden Mile in Madrid’s chic Salamanca district, an area designed for Madrid’s aristocracy and bourgeoisie in the mid-19th century. Spain’s most adored fashion labels have shops along this stretch of streets and you’ll also find revered brands from around the globe, whether it’s Parisian couture or sophisticated Milanese labels.

Fashion lovers know their first stop is the Golden Mile in Madrid’s chic Salamanca district (above) (@ELEQUPO_COMUNIDAD DE MADRID)

In the market for precious jewels? The world’s most treasured jewellery lines have glittering stores here too. Even if you don’t make a purchase, it’s a prime spot for window shopping.

The luxury continues in Madrid’s glossy department stores. Fusing fashion and history, Galería Canalejas is housed in the regal 19th-century ‘Palacio de la Equitativa’ building in the heart of Madrid. Brimming with high-end fashion, accessories and perfumes, the complex’s swish services include ‘hands-free’ shopping and beauty styling.

Arrive hungry – you don’t want to miss out on the food hall, with more than 10 restaurants to choose from, including ‘Monchis’, a fusion restaurant opened by the Michelin-starred chef Julián Mármol.

Fusing fashion and history, Galería Canalejas is housed in the regal 19th-century ‘Palacio de la Equitativa’ building in the heart of Madrid (@GALERIA CANALEJAS_COMUNIDAD DE MADRID)

The food hall at luxury department store Galería Canalejas boasts more than 10 restaurants (@GALERIA CANALEJAS_COMUNIDAD DE MADRID)

Another favourite amongst locals is El Corte Inglés, which has multiple department stores across the region. They sell everything you need and more, and the Castellana branch is home to Ravioxo, the Michelin-starred restaurant run by Dabiz Muñoz, where magnificent pasta dishes are the star of the show.

Love to bargain hunt? There are plenty of gem-filled flea markets to explore. When Sunday rolls around, scout for antique treasures and vintage dresses at the local-favourite El Rastro flea market in the La Latina neighbourhood, which dates back to the 1700s. More retro steals await in the vintage stores scattered across the trendy Malasana district.

Combine your shopping spree with a stroll around some of the city’s most bustling neighbourhoods, like vibrant Chueca, historic Salesas or El Barrio de las Letras, where some of Spain’s greatest writers were once inspired. In each, you’ll discover beautiful stores and cutting-edge boutiques run by Spain’s most creative crowd.

Las Rozas Village (above) is filled with more than 100 of the finest outlet stores, with discounts of up to 60 per cent (@LAS ROZAS VILLAGE_COMUNIDAD DE MADRID)

Easy to reach from the city centre, you can’t miss Las Rozas Village at the foot of the Sierra Norte mountains. It’s filled with more than 100 of the finest outlet stores, with irresistible discounts of up to 60 per cent. And why not make use of the village’s VIP personal shopping service to curate a brand-new look?

Devote an afternoon to the vast Gran Plaza 2 shopping mall in the northwest of the region. Or discover Moraleja Green shopping centre in the city of Alcobendas’ most exclusive neighbourhood – La Moraleja. This fashion mecca is split across two buildings, connected by an appropriately titled ‘catwalk’. Brimming with premium fashion, beauty and homeware brands, you’ll find plenty of souvenirs to take home with you. As a perk, it’s a stone’s throw from the Golf La Moraleja, Europe’s largest metropolitan golf course.

It’s a retail therapy nirvana. 

GORGEOUS GASTRONOMY 

Madrid has its own distinct palette, drawn from every corner of Spain and international influences, making it a haven for foodies. This vibrant food scene largely stems back to the 16th century, when the Kingdom of Spain was moved to Madrid, creating two schools of gastronomy – popular and aristocratic cuisine.

Today, you’ll see how this has evolved into cosy tavernas, cafes and historic tapas bars, merged with contemporary wine bars and Michelin-starred restaurants. 

It’s mind-blowing food that won’t blow the budget, as prices can be very reasonable throughout the region.

Culinary walking tours, like those offered by Devour Tours, will reveal some of the city’s most authentic eateries and dishes.

Try cocido madrileño, a heartwarming chickpea, vegetable and meat stew. Comfort food at its most comforting, it’s often paired with a warming noodle soup.

Sample the dish in historic restaurants like the 19th-century Lhardy, which appeared in works by Spanish writers Benito Pérez Galdós and Azorín. Or head to family-run La Bola, where the stew is cooked over charcoal, giving it a next-level richness.

Madrid has its own distinct palette drawn from the history of Spain and international influences, making it a haven for foodies (@JUAN CASTRO_COMUNIDAD DE MADRID)

Other mouthwatering local dishes to try include huevos rotos – oil-swizzled potatoes topped with eggs – or bocadillo de calamares, a tasty fried squid sandwich. Satisfy your sweet tooth with bartolillos – pastries plump with fresh crème pâtissière.

And the region is covered in incredible tapas bars, where you can pair your dishes with a ‘caña’ beer or ‘vermú’ Spanish vermouth.

Eager to discover somewhere that has stood the test of time? Drop by Taberna de Antonio Sánchez, the oldest tavern in Madrid, where an oxtail dish is the star attraction. Or go to La Casa del Abuelo – Andy Warhol is among their former patrons. Later, pop into Casa Julio in Malasaña, which serves world-famous croquettes that are popular with rockstars and locals alike.

Outside Madrid’s city centre, in the art-filled Carabanchel district, you’ll find the beloved Gonmar tapas bar, where grilled pork ears are the most popular dish.

Or pull up a seat at the El Enfriador tapas bar, known for its superb beer and tapas, in the fashionable Chamartín district. Meanwhile, El Coto in the Vallecas district is renowned for serving Andalusian-style fried fish.

And Madrid’s historic markets have undergone dramatic makeovers, reemerging as stylish gourmet food courts. While picking up groceries, pause for a leisurely lunch and feast your way around the stalls.

There’s the elegant, century-old San Miguel Market, housed in a beautiful cast-iron complex. Dine on traditional rice dishes and natural ice creams by Michelin-starred chefs, or stop by stalls selling moreish Spanish cheeses.

The region of Madrid is home to an abundance of talented vintners, agronomists and winemakers. Taste the fruits of their labour on a vineyard tour (@ELEQUIPO_COMUNIDAD DE MADRID)

Graze on pinchos, washed down with Spanish beer, as you stroll around Mercado de San Antón, a 1940s Chueca market that’s become a culinary hub, or snack on pastries at the 1930s Vallehermoso market.

As proof of the region’s culinary prowess, Madrid is home to more than 20 Michelin-starred restaurants. Take your pick – there’s the avant-garde Paco Roncero Restaurante; the three-star DiverXO, where each dish is a ‘canvas’; or El Invernadero, where dishes revolve around artfully prepared vegetables.

Finally, there are heavenly local wines to discover. It’s thought the Romans cultivated vines in this fertile region, and today, it’s home to an abundance of talented vintners, agronomists and winemakers. Taste the fruits of their labour on a vineyard tour – there are tens of wineries and vineyards peppered across the region. 

One is the 19th-century Bodegas Pablo Morate, which features its own wine museum. Or head to Bodega Viñas El Regajal to drink in stunning views of the town of Aranjuez as you sip on its biodynamic wines.

Discover these wineries aboard the ‘Wine Bus’, which whisks wine lovers from vineyard to vineyard, teaching them about the preparation process behind each vintage as they go.

It’s a perfect way to toast a perfect trip.  

Click HERE to plan your unforgettable break now. 

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