MERCATO ITALIANO

"Looking for an Italian street food adventure? Look no further! Mercato Italiano is your go-to spot 🇮🇹 Are you celiac or dairy intolerant? Check this out before reading to avoid bad and useless suffering 🤣 - gluten free recommended: YES ✅ - lactose free recommended: NO ❌ This casual joint, owned and run by Italians, sits in Madrid’s very own "Little Italy" in Nuevos Ministerios. Our first encounter with this gem was totally by chance. We were on the hunt for a place to watch the Italian national football team with fellow fans. While we couldn’t snag a seat for the game, we ended up at Mercato Italiano and kicked things off with a proper Italian aperitivo—Spritz and focaccia that hit all the right notes. We then settled in for a laid-back spring dinner on their terrace... 🌅 Back then, we hadn’t made the leap to vegetarianism (yep, it’s a new thing for us), so we dove into their meatballs😍 with tomato sauce. It’s a classic Italian dish, especially in the south, and it brought back Sunday memories of our grandpas’ cooking. Another must-try is the "Parmigiana di Melanzane." Pair it with a glass of their fine Italian red wine—they’ve got a great selection—and you’re in for a treat! "