San Ginés Bookshop

Situated between Calle Arenal and Calle Mayor, in the picturesque Pasadizo de San Ginés, next to the parish church of the same name and Madrid’s most famous chocolate shop, stands what was once one of Spain’s oldest bookshops, where you could find true literary gems. Its origins date back to the seventeenth century, as the first bookseller recorded by Diego Logroño in 1650. Back in autumn 2025, the store decided to devote most of its shop floor to selling souvenirs, although they still sell some books as well.

The shop used to specialise in antique and second-hand books, from fiction to specialist volumes on medicine, art or philosophy. There were also tables set out on the pavement containing unique, special editions alongside guides to the city or volumes on politics, offering some rare finds at affordable prices and making this a haven for collectors and book enthusiasts alike.