--- title: "Three days among makers, markets and open kitchens" city: "Madrid" country: "Spain" lens: "Food & Craft" duration_days: 3 experiences: 6 price_from: "from €1,120 for two" currency: "EUR" firm_prices: 5 prices_on_request: 1 published: "2026-09-01" canonical: "https://keystothe.city/madrid/3-days-food-craft" source: "Keys to the City" license: "Free to quote and cite with a link to the canonical URL" --- # Three days among makers, markets and open kitchens Madrid, Spain · Food & Craft · 3 days · 6 experiences · from €1,120 for two Your journey begins in the golden morning light of Madrid, as the wrought-iron gates of Mercado de la Paz open exclusively for you at eight in the morning. ## Day one — Steel Craftsmanship & the Unbroken Compás Your immersion into Madrid’s master workshops begins in the quiet morning light of Calle Mayor. Before the city’s bustle takes hold, 3rd-generation master cutlers Carlos and José Luis Simón unlock the private doors of Cuchillería Simón Selección. Standing in their intimate atelier surrounded by hand-forged Spanish steel, you will inspect century-old navaja patterns, learn the art of steel fitting, and feel the rhythmic drag of high-carbon blades across Japanese water stones under expert guidance. As late afternoon arrives on May 17, step onto the empty, echoing stage of Tablao Flamenco Las Tablas before doors open to the public. Here, lead performers welcome you into their sacred space for a hands-on masterclass in compás, palmas, and cajón rhythm—transforming performance into an intimate conversation between artist, wood, and heartbeat. ### Cuchillería Simón — Master Class in Spanish Blade Craftsmanship & Fitting - Morning, 1.5 hours · from €120 pp (verified Sep 2026) · Private arrangement Go behind closed doors with 3rd-generation master cutlers Carlos and José Luis Simón to inspect traditional Spanish navajas and learn hand-sharpening on Japanese water stones. Provider: https://www.cuchilleriasimon.es ### Tablao Flamenco Las Tablas — Pre-Show Stage Compás & Rhythm Masterclass - Evening, 1.5 hours · from €120 pp (verified Sep 2026) · Plaza de España, 9, Moncloa - Aravaca, 28008 Madrid, Spain · Private arrangement Step onto the empty tablao stage before doors open for a private 90-minute rhythm workshop on compás, palmas, and cajón with lead performers. Provider: https://lastablasmadrid.com ## Day two — Dawn Shutters & the Open Kitchen Hearth At precisely 08:00 AM, enter the 1882 Eiffel-designed Mercado de la Paz while the iron gates remain closed to the world. Accompanied by market directors, walk empty aisles as third-generation purveyors lift their wooden shutters. Meet premier butchers, mushroom foragers, and fishmongers receiving the dawn catch, before taking private seats inside Casa Dani to savor their legendary warm tortilla straight off the skillet—hours before public queues form. As evening descends, transition into the historic culinary realm of Escuela de Cocina Alambique. Here, the kitchen door stays wide open. Side by side with master chefs around an open culinary counter, prepare regional market ingredients over crackling heat, sharing dishes, secrets, and exceptional wines straight off the cutting board. ### Mercado de la Paz — Before-Hours Market Access & Vendor Tasting - Morning, 2.5 hours · from €150 pp (verified Sep 2026) · Cl. de Ayala, 28B, Salamanca, 28001 Madrid, Spain · Private arrangement Enter an 1882 Eiffel-designed market at 08:00 AM before public opening to meet 3rd-generation vendors and savor Casa Dani's hot tortilla straight off the skillet. Provider: https://mercadodelapaz.com ### Escuela de Cocina Alambique — Open Kitchen Culinary Workshop & Chef’s Table - Evening, 3.5 hours · from €95 pp (verified Sep 2026) · Pl. de la Encarnación, 2, Centro, 28013 Madrid, Spain · Private arrangement Gather at a historic open culinary counter where the kitchen door stays wide open, preparing regional market dishes shoulder-to-shoulder with master chefs. Provider: https://www.alambique.com ## Day three — High Sierra Terroir & Subterranean Affinage Venture into the granite hills of Sierra de Gredos for a morning among century-old bush vines at Bodegas Bernabeleva. Walking steep high-altitude terraces alongside the head viticulturist, touch Garnacha vines planted in 1923 under the May sun. Learn the natural biodynamic rhythms of high-elevation viticulture before descending into the historic stone press room to taste single-vineyard vintages straight from aging barrels. Return to Madrid for an extraordinary evening climax inside Formaje. Descend into a subterranean granite vault beneath the city streets for a private raw-milk cheese masterclass led by premier affineurs. Examine living rinds, taste micro-batch shepherd cheeses across varying states of maturity, and experience the transformative alchemy of time, salt, and milk paired with small-producer wines. ### Bodegas Bernabeleva — Mountain Bush-Vine Garnacha Masterclass (Sierra de Gredos) - Morning, 3.5 hours · price on request · Partida el Tablazo, 1, 28680 Madrid, Spain · Private arrangement · quoted on request Explore high-altitude granite terraces with the winemaker among bush-trained Garnacha vines planted in 1923, followed by a stone press room tasting. Provider: https://bernabeleva.com ### Formaje — Subterranean Raw-Milk Cheese Affinage Masterclass - Evening, 2 hours · from €75 pp (verified Sep 2026) · Plaza de Chamberí, 9, Loc 3, Chamberí, 28010 Madrid, Spain · Limited release Descend into a subterranean granite stone vault for an intimate raw-milk cheese masterclass led by an affineur exploring micro-batch shepherd cheeses. Provider: https://formaje.com ## The footprint from €1,120 for two — experiences only; flights and hotels are yours to choose. 6 experiences · 5 firm prices · 1 on request. --- Source: Keys to the City — https://keystothe.city/madrid/3-days-food-craft. Prices are "from" figures per person unless stated otherwise, verified on the dates shown. Quote freely with attribution and a link.