🛒 At The Sun Places, we know that luxury is also found in the city's most authentic and select food markets.
That's why we invite you to discover Mercado de la Paz, a marvel of local trade that serves the residents of the Salamanca district and beyond.
Mercado de la Paz is one of the markets with the highest concentration of premium products per square metre in Madrid.
Its more than 60 stalls offer an authentic and luxurious shopping experience, where families living two blocks away cross paths with Japanese tourists, office workers and head chefs from nearby restaurants.
Bordeaux wines, Italian bucatini, Rioja-style cod, orange juice, meat from the Esla valley, gourmet croquettes and king crab share space in a unique atmosphere.
Mercado de la Paz is much more than a place to do your shopping; it is an experience that combines tradition, quality and the most authentic luxury.
The Sun Places invites you to discover this gastronomic treasure by staying in our Luxury Apartments in Madrid.
It is the favourite market of the residents of the Salamanca district, and also the place where the best restaurants in Madrid stock their kitchens.
Its iron and glass architecture, its century-old history and its privileged location make it an essential destination for lovers of gastronomy and luxury. Below, we tell you everything you can't miss in this emblematic space.
📜 History of Mercado de la Paz
The history of Mercado de la Paz is linked to the birth of the Salamanca district. In the mid-18th century, the wealthy banker José de Salamanca y Mayol, Marquis of Salamanca, planned the most luxurious and affluent neighbourhood in Madrid.
Alongside the new aristocratic homes, businesses flourished to meet the huge demand for services and products. Markets, of course, were essential.
Thus, a large isolated plot of land between the residential buildings served to build one of the last modernist markets in Madrid: La Paz. Mercado de la Paz was officially inaugurated on 4 October 1879, although the final project was not completed until 1882.
In 1943 it underwent a major remodelling that completely changed its interior layout and its facades. In the 1980s, it underwent a second major renovation that rescued it from possible abandonment.
Today, it is one of the oldest municipal markets in Madrid and the only one of the four 19th-century iron and glass modernist markets that is still operating at full capacity.
🏛️ Architecture of Mercado de la Paz: The legacy of Gustave Eiffel in the Golden Mile
One of the most unknown secrets of the capital's architectural history is that Mercado de la Paz was built following an original project by Gustave Eiffel.
The signature of his disciples is one of the main attractions to rediscover this architectural treasure.
The building was erected with an iron and glass structure, following Eiffel's own model, which gives the space a unique luminosity and elegance.
Although the 1943 renovation modified its interior layout and original facades, the iron and glass essence has endured. The exposed brick and granite facade gives it a classic and timeless style, while its interior has been renovated to adapt to the current needs of traders and customers.
Mercado de la Paz is one of the most photographed spaces in the Salamanca district and a unique example of 19th-century industrial architecture.
📍 Location of Mercado de la Paz: The heart of the Golden Mile
Mercado de la Paz is strategically located in the heart of the Golden Mile, between Ayala Street (number 28), Claudio Coello and Lagasca.
The main entrance is on Ayala Street, a few steps from the most emblematic points of interest in the Salamanca District. From Serrano Street and its luxury boutiques, you can walk there in less than five minutes.
From our Luxury Apartments in Madrid in the Salamanca district, you can walk to the market in less than 10 minutes.
The location is ideal for combining a visit to the market with a stroll through the luxury shops on Ortega y Gasset Street, Serrano Street or Callejón de Jorge Juan.
🛒 Iconic stalls and gourmet products
Mercado de la Paz is probably the neighbourhood market with the highest concentration of premium product per square metre. Its stalls are a paradise for lovers of good food. Here are some of the most emblematic ones:
- Casa Dani: Famous for its delicious Spanish omelette (tortilla de patatas), juicy and slightly deconstructed to our taste, but with an unparalleled flavour. It is, perhaps, the most famous stall in the market and a magnet for Spanish omelette lovers.
- La Boulette: Founded in 1988, it specialises in gourmet products, offering a wide selection of Iberian hams, Spanish and international cheeses (more than 200 varieties), duck products and other artisanal cured meats from Spain, France and Italy.
- Pastelería David Torreblanca: The saga of the Torreblanca pastry chefs has landed at Mercado de la Paz. David, heir to a family with more than 60 years of experience in the art of pastry, offers authentic delights such as caramelised puff pastry miracles, the classic Gianduja Real (famous for having been created for the wedding of the Prince and Princess of Asturias), the best panettone in the world outside Italy, and his speciality in chocolates: chocolate quicos, caramelised almonds bathed in chocolate, and chocolate caviar.
- Gourmet preserves: Several food stalls offer preserves from artisan brands that rarely appear in supermarkets: Ortiz, Conservas Dani, Olasagasti, La Curiosa. It's the ideal place to buy Cantabrian anchovies, Galician Rías cockles, northern bonito or pickled mussels.
- Butcher shops and fishmongers: Mercado de la Paz is famous for the quality of its meats (meat from the Esla valley) and fish (king crab, fresh seafood). Many of Madrid's best restaurants source their supplies here.
- Sanabria: This place focuses on Argentine cuisine, offering delicious empanadas and meats that will transport you to South America.
🍽️ Restaurants and bars inside the Mercado de la Paz
Mercado de la Paz is not only a place to shop, but also a perfect place to enjoy a good meal.
Several of its establishments have gained recognition for offering unique gastronomic experiences, where you can try traditional Madrid dishes and tapas made with top-quality ingredients. Here are some of the most notable:
- Almadraba Experience: Specialising in almadraba red tuna, this establishment offers a variety of dishes that highlight the quality and freshness of this fish.
- Cebreros: An ideal place to enjoy good rice dishes, prepared with top-quality ingredients.
- Oh Dèlice Bistró: Perfect for oyster lovers, where you can enjoy them with champagne for a gourmet experience.
- Distrito Ceviche: If you're looking for fresh and vibrant flavours, this is the place to taste a ceviche you won't forget.
- Matteo Cucina Italiana: They offer a wide variety of high-quality Italian products, including fresh pasta, sauces, cured meats and wines.
These establishments, together with other classics like Bar de la Paz, offer a culinary experience that blends tradition and modernity, making Mercado de la Paz a perfect place to enjoy Madrid's gastronomy in all its splendour.
🎭 What differentiates Mercado de la Paz from Mercado de San Miguel?
Unlike the famous Mercado de San Miguel, which is more touristy and crowded, Mercado de la Paz is the favourite of locals and lovers of authentic luxury.
Visitors are attracted by its more relaxed atmosphere, where traditional stalls and zero-kilometre products are the protagonists.
While San Miguel favours fast tapas and a festive atmosphere, at La Paz you can buy food to take home, savour elaborate dishes in its small restaurants or simply stroll around and be surprised by the quality of the products.
It is, without a doubt, the market where locals and the most sophisticated tourists go to shop and eat.
🎭 What Mercado de la Paz represents for Madrid and The Sun Places
Mercado de la Paz represents the excellence, tradition and most authentic luxury of Madrid. It is the meeting point for lovers of good food, the place where the best products of the land and sea are bought, and a showcase for Spanish food craftsmanship.
For the city, Mercado de la Paz is one of its most emblematic municipal markets, a space that perfectly combines history, architecture and top-level gastronomy.
For The Sun Places, discovering Mercado de la Paz is a natural extension of our philosophy of offering authentic luxury experiences. That's why our Luxury Apartments in Madrid are located in the heart of the Salamanca District, a few steps from the market.
Furthermore, Mercado de la Paz is connected to other major attractions of the capital that we have explored in other articles: the Golden Mile of Madrid, shopping on Serrano Street, the haute cuisine of DiverXO Restaurant, and the history of Habsburg Madrid.
All this makes Madrid a unique destination in the world, and Mercado de la Paz is one of its must-see stops.
✨ The perfect plan with The Sun Places to discover Mercado de la Paz
Friday: Arrival and first immersion
- In the afternoon, stroll along Serrano Street and the luxury shops of the Golden Mile
Saturday: Market day and haute cuisine
- In the morning, you explore Mercado de la Paz
- Breakfast at Pastelería David Torreblanca. You buy gourmet products at La Boulette, artisanal preserves and Iberian ham
- Lunch at Casa Dani (its famous omelette) or Almadraba Experience (red tuna)
Sunday: Relaxation and farewell
- Enjoy a vermouth and tapas at Mercado de la Paz at one of its bars
Ready to discover Mercado de la Paz with The Sun Places?
📞 Contact us and let us organise your perfect gastronomic getaway.
But if you prefer other destinations, The Sun Places also has ready for you: Luxury Apartments in Barcelona, Luxury Accommodation on the Costa Brava, Luxury Apartments in Seville, Luxury Apartments in Cádiz, Luxury Apartments in Puerto Banús, Luxury Accommodation in Sanlúcar de Barrameda and Luxury Apartments in Córdoba.