For the past two years, Madrid has been revamping itself with the aim of becoming one of Europe’s top luxury tourism destinations. New shopping centres in historic buildings, futuristic shops, and a return to handcrafted items and support for local design join the dozen or so new five-star hotels that have just opened and a whopping 24 Michelin-starred restaurants in the region. With our curated shopping guide, you can shop ‘til you drop as you explore all the nooks and crannies of Spain’s magnificent capital, all in one go.
1. Golden Mile
The Salamanca district is home to Madrid’s Golden Mile, where boutiques of top-tier international brands such as Chaumet, Chanel, Gucci and Prada can be found on streets such as Serrano, Velázquez, Jorge Juan and Ortega y Gasset. Also located on the mile is the flagship store of Spain’s own Loewe, an icon of luxury handbags– the store itself spans a thousand square metres and has its own florist.
2. Galería Canalejas
Seven monumental buildings all joined together between Plaza Canalejas, Carrera de San Jerónimo and Alcalá and Seville streets are home to this shopping centre, the only one of its kind in Spain. Its list of fashion, perfume and fine jewellery boutiques includes names such as Hermès, Cartier, Louis Vuitton, Saint Laurent and Valentino.
Galería Canalejas offers beauty styling, concierge and personal shopper services along with guided tours of the complex, which used to be Madrid’s financial hub back in 1902. The shopping centre also features a food hall with eateries opened by some of Madrid’s top restaurateurs.
3. Wow Concept
Opened last March in the former Hotel Roma, the first building ever built on the vibrant Gran Vía, Wow Concept is described as “phygital”, a mixture of a physical storefront and a digital language. Each floor includes immersive experiences and microarchitectures, and its selection of brands includes international names such as Marni and Chiara Ferragni Fashion alongside domestic Spanish brands such as Moisés Nieto, The (Real) García and Mans.
4. Real Fábrica Española
After six years selling products online, Rocío Muñoz found a former print shop on Calle Cervantes in the city centre that was perfect for her curatorial brand Real Fábrica Española . Since 2018, the shop has offered products from traditional Spanish brands, ranging from gourmet ingredients like olive oil and cold cuts, to artisanal products like Gordiola glass from Mallorca.
5. Andrés Gallardo
Andrés Gallardo and Marina Casal met each other when they both worked at a fashion house. Both are fans of antique porcelain and together, they launched this company, which applies the delicate material to leather, jewellery and other accessories. Winners of the IED award for Best Contemporary Jewellery Project in 2018, they have since worked with international brands such as Adidas. While they sell their creations of flowers, animals, hands and hearts in places such as the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, their flagship shop is in Barrio de las Letras.
6. Capas Seseña
Founded in 1901, Capas Seseña has successfully connected the Spanish Golden Age – the period from 1492 to 1659 when art and culture flourished alongside great artists such as Velázquez and Cervantes – with the latest trends in fashion. Their capes have been worn by people from Picasso to Ava Gardner, Hemingway, Michael Jackson and, most recently, Jeff Bezos, who visited the historic shop on Calle Cruz in the old town.
7. La Oficial
Five years ago, Toni Torrecillas and Jose Barrio decided to bring the system of selling ceramics by weight – which they had first encountered in Portugal – to Spain. Today, they have a shop in the picturesque La Latina district and another in Las Salesas. La Oficial sells works by Portuguese artisans and from long-standing Spanish pottery destinations such as Granada, Córdoba, Seville, Níjar and La Bisbal at affordable prices.
8. Ecoalf
When no one was talking about sustainability, Javier Goyeneche was already experimenting with materials and processes. In 2009, he poured all of his knowledge into Ecoalf , a circular economy project in Spanish fashion. Its collections utilise only recycled materials such as cotton and polyester, as well as items like coffee grounds and algae sourced from some 4,000 fishers in Spain, Greece, France and Italy who collect ocean waste for the Upcycling the Oceans project. In addition to its wonderful creations, Ecoalf’s new boutique – which opened in January in Torre Caleido in the north – is worth a visit to see its zero-emissions design.
9. Galería Comercial
Recently opened restaurant Sala de Despiece , located at the intersection of Calle Gran Vía and Calle de Alcalá, sought to combine gastronomy with art and design. Its new associated concept Galería Comercial features interesting offerings that you can take home, such as soap that looks like a piece of steak – an illusion made from recycled oil perfumed with red wine – as well as cold brew coffees, clothing made from organic cotton, kitchen utensils and collaborations with artists such as with Antonyo Marest , all displayed in walk-in refrigerators.
10. Cuesta de Moyano
For nearly a century now, the 200 metres of this road that leads to Buen Retiro Park, Madrid’s large green lung, have been home to a market of little old book stalls referred to as the “Cuesta de Moyano”. All together, they make up a kind of bibliographic archive where oddities for all tastes can be found – from antique comic books to out-of-print editions, books about philosophy and art and many more.