Finding the Best Food in Madrid with Secret Food Tours
Updated: May 26, 2022
When we started planning our trip to Spain, I kept coming across the food. I read about how amazing the food was, how cheap the food is, and how Spain has a rich history in culinary arts. This meant that I really wanted to make sure that we focused on the food while in Spain.
The problem is, how do you know where the best food is in a city?
Without an insider, you’ll miss some of the best food there is. We would have missed several foods if we hadn’t had the chance to find the best food in Madrid with Secret Food Tours. We were on our last day in Madrid when we took this tour and hadn’t tried 6/7 foods we stopped for. I seriously recommend this tour to get to know Spanish food!
I had to make sure that I explored the awesome food scene while in Spain. Madrid is the perfect place to do it because of the rich history and culture there. It’s the capital and people in Madrid take their food and drink very seriously. I was so excited to go on this tour with Secret Food Tours!
I was so impressed with Secret Food Tours and the places that they brought us! We honestly made stops at secret spots I completely would have missed (and not known about) because of them. Everywhere we went was incredible and we learned so much about Spanish history.
We were also able to make friends with others on the tour and are planning to meet up in New York! Our guide was very kind and definitely a local. She grew up around Madrid and was so knowledgable about it. We loved this tour! There were seven stops along the tour and every single one included a drink (alcoholic or not) and something to eat. You definitely will be full at the end.
Special thank you to Secret Food Tours for providing me with this tour in exchange for a review. As always, all thoughts are my own.
We met up in the plaza right at 11 am and within the first 15 minutes, we were off to our first stop. The spot was actually started back in the 1800s by the royal family’s official baker and they’ve been baking for the royal family in Spain ever since! We had traditional cakes you can only find at this spot year-round and everyone got a different drink. Spanish desserts and cakes are delicious!
I chose tea because we were warned that the cake was really sweet and I needed something to counteract that. We had walked past this spot so many times and I never knew! Secret Food Tours really lives up to its name.
Once this stop was completed, we headed out through Plaza Mayor and learned about the history of this important Plaza. Basically, don’t leave your love locks in that square – it’s not a very romantic spot AT ALL! We were laughing about this secret as we watched a couple put a lock there. There were other little historic stops too like that the oldest restaurant in the world and Madrid’s first hotel. Both full of important history that you need to check out!
Our next stops were for some traditional food and drink in Madrid. We made stops for the famous jamon, cidre, and Calamari sandwiches. I had the jamon all over Madrid before this food tour, but I had no idea about the cider and Calamari sandwiches.
We stopped for jamon in a really cool local shop. We tried two different kinds and had to guess the difference between them – it was such a fun way to eat and drink. The extreme care and finesse that goes into the jamon is completely different from I expected. The people of Spain are so careful and detailed in the creating of their food. This really gave me a new appreciation for food.
We were brought to a spot where we learned how the cider is traditionally poured and how it is made. They paired it with a delicious Manchengo cheese which I learned isn’t a type of cheese, but refers to a region! The cidre was something I had no idea where to get or how to know if it was good or not. Thank goodness for this tour.
I was most shocked by the calamari sandwich. This is one of those dishes I would have known nothing about if it weren’t for the tour. Calamari has been important to Madrid for hundreds of years. The spot we were brought to is a local one where people come daily to get their calamari sandwich with squid that is flown in daily from the coast. It was so delicious and simple.
After these stops we walked past a really trendy market in Madrid, San Miguel Market. We walked right past it and into a spot I never would have known to look for. Inside was a local spot for Vermouth. It was so different from what I thought Vermouth was like. It tasted like an alcoholic version of coca-cola. We also had delicious oysters here that were spiced perfectly.
After this stop, we walked over to the palace and had one last traditional dish – Spanish Torta. It was delicious and such a fun last stop on the tour. We were able to relax outside and enjoy a full stomach at the end of our tour with a last glass of wine before heading to San Sebastian. Heading to Barcelona next? Here is a fun food tour there for you!
Finding the best food in Madrid with Secret Food Tours was a blast. Madrid seriously has so much food, you’d never be able to find all these spots, that’s definitely how Secret Food Tours got its name. They’ve got tours in more cities all across the world too! If you’re looking for an awesome food tour in Madrid or anywhere else, I am sure you won’t be disappointed with Secret Food Tours.
Ready to book your own Secret Food Tour? Check out this link to get started!