Plaza Mayor

The Café Chairs in Plaza Mayor Charge €6 for a Beer. Two Minutes Away the Same Beer Costs €2.50.

This is the most useful thing to know about Plaza Mayor, Madrid. The square itself is worth visiting, briefly, for its scale and its history. The bars and restaurants facing the square are not the point.

Plaza Mayor was constructed between 1617 and 1619 under Philip III. The square covers 129 by 94 metres, enclosed on all sides by uniform red-brick buildings nine storeys high with 237 balconies facing inward. The equestrian statue of Philip III in the middle was cast in 1616 in Italy and has been standing here since 1848. The fresco-covered facade of the Casa de la Panaderia (former royal bakery) on the north side is the most-photographed element; the current frescoes date to 1992, replacing earlier decorative schemes.

What Actually Happened Here

Public executions happened here until the 19th century. Before that: bullfights, royal canonisations, Inquisition trials, and market days. The square is fully operational as a public space: the Christmas market from mid-December through early January fills it in a way that feels earned rather than staged, with nativity figures, seasonal food, and decoration vendors. The Sunday morning coin and stamp market in the southern arcades is more interesting than it sounds for early risers.

Eating Near (Not In) the Square

Walk south through the Cuchilleros arch to Cava de San Miguel and the streets immediately behind it for restaurants that serve Madrid food without the location premium. Casa Botin at Cuchilleros 17, in the Guinness Book of Records as the world’s oldest restaurant (founded 1725), serves cochinillo (suckling pig) from a wood-burning oven for around EUR 50 to 70 per head. Book ahead. Taberna La Bola on Bola 5 does cocido madrileño – the Madrid chickpea and meat stew served in separate courses – that is widely considered the definitive version. Lunch only, around EUR 25 per head.

Chocolateria San Gines on Pasadizo de San Gines operates 24 hours and has done since 1894. Churros with thick hot chocolate.

What Else to See

The Mercado de San Miguel just off the northwest corner of the square is a covered iron-frame market from 1916, now an upscale food hall. Good for a single glass of vermouth and some jamón at a standing counter. The El Rastro flea market runs Sunday mornings on Ribera de Curtidores, 15 minutes south on foot.

The Prado is 20 minutes east through Retiro Park: Velazquez, Goya, and Bosch in one of the world’s great collections. Free entry after 6pm.