I am going to be in Madrid for several days in May and June and wanted to pick up a couple of the traditional handpainted spanish tiles. Can anyone recommend someplace to purchase them? I imagine I can pick them up in some tourist stores, but was hoping to find someplace that has better quality and hopefully reasonable prices.

Thanks!

There's a nice shop on Claudio Coello, just opposite the NH Hotel Galgos (one street up from Serrano) near c/Diego de Leon. They sell quality products from Talavera and can also custom make tiles with house numbers or family names if you have enough time (it takes a week or so). The owner is very nice but it's been years since I've been there- hopefully it still exists.

The shop is still there. Seems pricy from what I can see in the window, but good looking stuff.

I would recommend Antigua Casa Talavera on Calle Isabel la Catolica, 2 in Madrid. A very charming older couple run the store. The prices are not cheap, but nor are they selling the kind of mass-produced ceramic tiles you can find for lower prices. The pieces in their shop are all hand-painted (pintado al mano) and quite lovely, representing all of the various styles and colors of Spanish ceramics.

I found some very lovely tiles at the Corte Ingles at the HUSA Princesa. The tiles may be ordinary, but they were very lovely and reasonably priced. They also had the lovely plates as well.

I fyou can not find the ones you want in Madrid, take a nice day trip to Toledo and visit the strret shops there. We saw great handmade tiles there in April 2004. They also seemed more likely to cut a deal.