EL CORTE INGLÉS GOURMET EXPERIENCE: A FOODIE HEAVEN IN MADRID
After you’ve seen all of the typical must-sees in Madrid, it’s time to hop over to the El Corte Inglés in Callao and check out the Gourmet Experience. Covering 1500 square meters on the top floor on the department store, foodies have been heading to this spot since 2012. What exactly can you find at the Gourmet Experience? Here’s all the information you need to prepare for your upcoming visit!
Shop
El Corte Inglés is Spain’s top department store which sells any number of a variety of goods. Each department store has its own supermarket, and some have a Club del Gourmet, which sells high-end culinary products. The Gourmet Experience in Madrid is a hybrid of food court and gourmet grocery store, packed with tasty things to eat and buy. You can expect to find top-of-the-line items, especially Spanish products like olive oil, Spanish cheese, and jamón ibérico. Not only are these foods delicious to eat, they make for great souvenirs of your trip to Madrid!
The Gourmet Experience is also a great place to shop because of its variety of international gourmet foods and products. Craving your favorite British tea biscuits? Chocolates from all over Europe? You’ll find it all here. It goes without saying that that everything at this market is on the pricier side, but you’re paying for quality. If all that shopping has left you with an appetite, you’re in the right spot. It’s time to eat!
See more: Enjoy the Sights, Smells, and Tastes of a Madrid Food Tour
Eat
If you’re a real foodie with a gourmet palate, you’ll have a hard time choosing what you’ll want to eat! Up for some spicy Mexican cuisine? Try Central Mexicana and taste the best flavors for an authentic sampling of Mexico’s best dishes. If you want to sink your teeth into a juicy burger, Hamburguesa Nostra is your spot. La Máquina is the place to go to try Spanish cuisine and tapas classics. Other restaurants include: Pizza al Cuadrado, Harina, Imanol, and Mister Lee. The great thing about the Gourmet Experience is that it’s an open area, so you can sample a dish from one restaurant and hop to another to try something else if you like. And once you’ve eaten to your heart’s content, it’s time to top it all of with the prefect coffee or cocktail!
Drink
Besides irresistible cuisine and gourmet shopping, another reason that both locals and tourists alike flock to the Gourmet Experience is for the breathtaking views of Madrid’s Gran Via. Many come to grab a delicious coffee or tasty cocktail and simply enjoy the views of the bustling city below. You can get a top-notch drink at Juanillo Club, which also serves up fresh oysters on the daily. You can grab a drink and enjoy views from behind the glass windows inside, or step out into the fresh air on the outdoor terrace. Be sure to have your camera ready! Either day or night, the views from the Gourmet Experience are some of the best over Madrid’s most iconic avenue. You’ll feel on top of the world as you watch the rush of the city from above!
If you want to have a real gourmet experience in Madrid, join Food Lover Tour on a gastronomic adventure! We’ll take you to our favorite local spots where you’ll live a day in the life in the Spanish capital!