Madrid: Shopping tour in Malasaña & Barrio de las Letras

4.65

(17 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

We were already deep in Malasaña when I realized my shoes were probably the least interesting thing on the street. Our guide, Marta, was chatting with the owner of a tiny shop — she knew everyone, or at least it felt that way. The air smelled like coffee and leather, and there was this low hum from scooters outside. She handed me a jacket, “Try this — made here, not far from Gran Vía.” It felt heavier than I expected, but soft. I’d never thought much about fabric before. Marta grinned when I asked if it would survive my washing machine back home.

We drifted past racks of clothes that didn’t look like anything I’d seen in big stores — some pieces had these wild patterns, others were just quietly perfect. At one point we stopped at a place selling only shoes (I counted at least fifty pairs in the window), and Marta told us how Spanish shoes are kind of legendary here. She gave me a quick tip about picking out real leather versus fake — I still mess it up sometimes, but now I pretend to know what I’m doing.

Barrio de las Letras felt different — quieter maybe? Or just older. There were quotes from writers etched into the pavement and little balconies overflowing with plants. We ducked into a boutique where the designer herself was rearranging scarves; she showed us how to tie one “a la madrileña” (Li laughed when I tried to say it in Spanish — probably butchered it). We ended up in Casa Alberto, which looked like it hadn’t changed since Cervantes’ time. The vermouth was cold and slightly bitter; the tapa tasted like something someone’s grandmother would make on Sundays.