Cortes Ingles Madrid Takeaway food?
 

So looking around the Cortes Ingles site, I found this listing for their Princesa store:

"Supermarket. Gourmet Club. ... Patisserie. ... Ready Meals."

http://www.elcorteingles.es/centros/...orioprince.asp

But you don't see the Gourmet Club or Ready Meals listed for their other stores. For example, for their Goya 76 store:

http://www.elcorteingles.es/centros/...oriogoya76.asp

I've only shopped been inside the Plaza Espana store in Barcelona and don't recall anything like Gourmet Club or Ready Meals.

I'm imagining something like the takeaway salads or sandwiches like those in Marks and Spencer in London.

Those were affordable but pretty good meals for when you don't want to have a long, large meal.

Is there anything like that at any of the Cortes Ingles stores or any other grocery or supermarkets in Madrid?

scrb,
There is a bottom floor supermarket at most every ECI with take out items of some sort.

The Club de Gourmets, often in a different section, different floor (in Madrid) sells high end gourmet foods and wines-the best of the best.

In the basement supermarket there will be an area selling take away sandwiches.

there are also prepared foods, to be heated later, like stuffed peppers, paella, rotisserie chicken, etc.

it is not cheap, but if you have an apt nearby maybe not a bad option.

they have a really good open face square sandwich type thing that has a shrimp on top, sieved hard boiled egg on a bread base with a little mayo or something.very tasty.

this is all usually found at the take out bar area that borders the supermarket without actually going into it.

they also have croissant sandwiches that are pretty good, and one cake i like is called "cappuchino".

not coffee at all, but sugary egg yolk sponge cake,which is very moist, served with whipped cream.

Thanks again.

This may affect the selection of accommodations.

It seems Salamanca has more than other areas:

http://www.elcorteingles.es/centros/...idadmadrid.asp

The one on Serrano has an International Delicatessen and is open on Sundays until 8 PM, which is when I happen to get in.

I believe we got wonderful take-out in Murcia, but it was the makings for a picnic and was very good.

A few years ago we stayed at the Huisa Princessa hotel which is next door to the CI store mentioned here...the basement market is wonderful IMO..we would often pop in there to pick something up as we made our way to the adjoining Metro stop.

if you are pressed for time, the goumet/delicatessan separate shop part in c.i. never has any lines.. and only the top quality cold cuts and cheeses.

fun to stroll through there anyway.

they tend to also have tastings of a special product set out.

scrb,
Make sure to spend time at least in the much smaller ECI on Serrano, as it has the most upmarket brands of clothing and other things and is less hectic, crowded than Goya.
The deli department doesn't have long lines, as lin says, and upstairs in all ECI stores there's a handy cafeteria.

In the Salamanca quarter, you'll also have very elegant take-out at either of the 2 branches of Mallorca, Madrid's most "fashionable" gourmet emporium. Prices are quite high, but so is quality and presentation. It makes a great place to people watch and to window shop at least, especially late on Sun. morn. when the wealthy denizens of the neighborhood come in to get their supplies for Sun. lunch or for picnics in the country. One is on Velázquez, the other on Serrano near the Puerta de Independencia, and there's a small Mallorca for snacks and nice lunch in the atrium on the ground floor of the shopping complex, El Jardin de Serrano. I love their croquetas and medianoches.

Cool I'll have to check out Mallorca.

What about markets like La Boqueria in Barcelona? There must be something like that in Madrid?

Oh and there was a good Italian restaurant in Barcelona too. Yes I know it's Spain but Italian food is everywhere.

scrb,
It's neither as large nor as impressive (in terms of the beauty of the displays) as la Boquería, but the fine Mercado de la Paz is where I've always shopped in the Salamanca quarter. It's on the corner of Lagasca and Ayala. It has one of the best cheesemongers in town, La Boulette. The food overall is very high quality.

Some gourmet critics like the Madrid natives on egullet consider Madrid's best market to be the Mercado Chamartín on Bolivia 9, up in the northern business district. But for your needs in the Salamanca apt. you should be very happy with the Mercado de la Paz. The shoe repair man there does an excellent job. There's even a very inexpensive little restaurant inside for a bargain menu del día lunch. The fruit stand across the street on Ayala is legendary, Frutas Vázquez. Beautiful displays.

In Old Madrid you have an old-time, atmospheric covered market, the 19th century, wrought iron Mercado de San Miguel, on the Plaza de San Miguel, near the Plaza Mayor, also el Mercado de la Cebada on Plaza de la Cebada near the Sun. flea market, El Rastro.

For cheap Italian that does take-out for your apt., there's Gino's, a division of VIPS, with one on Hermosilla next to the Hesperia Hermosilla Hotel. Also for very low prices, there's Monte Carlo chain, Pinocchio, with branches all around the city. The best branch is the Ristorante at Sánchez Bustillo 5, very near the Reina Sofía art museum.
www.pinocchio.es

For upscale Italian, there are a couple in the Chueca district that I really like.

Forgot to mention an Italian in Chueca.
There is one that belongs to the Cafe Oliver group, "Madrilia" on Calle Clavel 6. On Mon.-Fri. it offers a good value menu del día, with starter, a pasta (or a meat or fish dish) plus a drink and coffee for only 12.50 euros.
www.madrilia.com

I also like Come Prima on Echegaray 27 in the Barrio de las Letras of Old Madrid.