{"id":1469,"date":"2016-04-19T11:55:17","date_gmt":"2016-04-19T10:55:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.esmadrid.com\/blog\/en\/?p=1469"},"modified":"2016-04-19T11:57:09","modified_gmt":"2016-04-19T10:57:09","slug":"lost-in-la-latina","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.esmadrid.com\/blog\/en\/2016\/04\/19\/lost-in-la-latina\/","title":{"rendered":"Lost in La Latina"},"content":{"rendered":"

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La Latina<\/a> is a labyrinth of bars, restaurants and bullish antiquarians<\/strong>. The sheer quantity of places on offer is staggering and, if you\u2019re anything like me, when you enter into the over-filled fray you have absolutely no idea how to distinguish between the good and the bad. So why not consult the experts? While everyone has an opinion on who serves the tastiest tapas or where to buy the best bounty of treasure<\/strong>, the most trusted tips<\/strong> come from those who live or work in the area.<\/p>\n

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So, armed with only my notebook, I set out to create a comprehensive guide<\/strong> of where to eat, drink and shop based on the advice of the merchants and restaurateurs who spend the majority of their week roaming this eclectic district. For the first of this multi-part series, I asked two different vintage stores to share their favourite places. I soon discovered a district in the midst of change \u2013 especially around El Rastro<\/strong><\/a> \u2013 making it the perfect time to re-discover one of Madrid\u2019s most ancient neighbourhoods.<\/p>\n

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IKB 191<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Calle del Arganzuela 18<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/strong>This huge emporium of vintage furniture<\/strong> opened a year ago inside a 700 sqare metre space on Calle de Arganzuela. Filled from floor to ceiling with mainly Italian and French furniture, the massive warehouse also plays host to the occasional exhibition and event. Overseeing it all is a young team headed by Rub\u00e9n L\u00f3pez Fidalgo<\/strong>. \u201cWe\u2019ve noticed the barrio change since we opened; there\u2019s a huge amount of young people moving here.\u201d In IKB 191\u2019s office I sit down with Pablo Roig Alonso, who tells me that the local aesthetic is changing. \u201cThe old elements are being progressively juxtaposed with a more modern aesthetic.\u201d Naturally, I ask him to share two of his favourite places<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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IKB-191 recommends\u2026\u00a0Caf\u00e9 Pav\u00f3n<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Calle de Embajadores, 9<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/strong>Built in 1925, this theatre<\/strong> is one of Madrid\u2019s few art deco buildings and its front bar was recently taken over by a group of enterprising \u00a0friends. \u201cThe new owners have really improved the space but have respected the original elements,\u201d says Pablo. Large windows drench the space with natural sunlight<\/strong>, while a false ceiling has been removed to reveal the original carved wooden beams beneath. This is an ideal spot to come for a mid-week drink<\/strong>, snack on some wholesome tapas<\/strong>, or share a rowdy drink with friends on the weekend.<\/p>\n

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IKB-191 also recommends\u2026 Restaurante Camoat\u00ed<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Calle Alfonso VI 3<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/strong>\u201cMy Argentine friend says this is the best Argentinean restaurant in Madrid!\u201d exclaims Pablo. Located on Calle Alfonso VI in the heart of La Latina the food is a fusion<\/strong> of traditionally cooked meat and hearty Italian recipes. \u201cYou have to try the provolone<\/strong> and the empanadas<\/strong>,\u201d says Pablo. There is also a touch of French creole cuisine on offer. The bistro\u2019s Latin American provenance permeates through the space; from the name Camoat\u00ed which is derived from the indigenous language of the Guarani in South American, to the delicious menu<\/strong> and flamboyancy of the staff, this is the perfect spot for a cosy lunch or dinner.<\/p>\n

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WOODY METAL<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Calle de la Ribera de Curtidores 19<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/strong>Alicia Sonlleva, Fichi Lazareno and Julian Prieto, opened their \u201csastrer\u00eda de muebles<\/em>\u201d<\/strong> (tailor of furniture), halfway down El Rastro over a year ago. The part vintage store, part restoration studio, part pop-up clothing shop<\/strong> (in the basement) is known for its lively weekend celebrations which often involve an in-house DJ and much swirling of vermut<\/em><\/strong>. \u201cWe\u2019re all about having fun,\u201d says Sonlleva, pretty convincingly. Rub\u00e9n Nuevo, who moved to Madrid one year ago after a long stint in London also works at the shop and recommended two of his favourite places to eat and drink.<\/p>\n

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Woody Metal recommends\u2026 La Perejila<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Calle Cava Baja, 25<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/strong>\u201cThis taberna<\/em><\/strong> opened eight years ago and the whole place is decorated as an homage to the flamenco singer<\/strong> La Perejila,\u201d explains Rub\u00e9n. Located on the popular Cava Baja strip, the mixture of Andalusian motifs and colourful pop references are a playful ode to a singer who was never actually very famous but who is celebrated almost like a saint; there\u2019s even a couple of altars dedicated to her. Brother and sister owners Luis and Ana Bo\u00e1n obviously have a sense of humour but take their menu very seriously; traditional tapas<\/strong> are prepared with the utmost of care and a variety of specials are scribbled onto blackboards<\/strong>, which are all hung on the back wall. \u201cTry the octopus<\/strong>,\u201d says Rub\u00e9n, who as a Galician, knows what he\u2019s talking about.<\/p>\n

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Woody Metal also recommends\u2026 La China Mandarina<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Plaza de Cascorro 17<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/strong>Three Pamploneses<\/em> (from Pamplona) are behind this cosmopolitan caf\u00e9<\/strong> and restaurant<\/strong> on the rapidly transforming Rastro stip. Rub\u00e9n likes it for its decoration<\/strong> but also spares some praise for the Mediterranean cuisine. Perched on a corner in the Plaza de Cascorro, La China Mandarina opened in 2014 inside a former Chinese clothes shop. Today, it represents part of the new wave of eateries moving into the area, giving people more of a universal choice when those hunger pangs set in. \u201cThis is a very historic district but people seem really excited by the regeneration<\/strong>,\u201d says co-owner \u00d3scar Zugasti. \u201cI\u2019ve been living here for fourteen years and just in the last year I\u2019ve seen new businesses \u2013 from an artisanal beer seller, to a bike shop and even a language school \u2013 open on this street,\u201d says Zugasti with a smile.<\/p>\n

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La Latina is a labyrinth of bars, restaurants and bullish antiquarians. The sheer quantity of places on offer is staggering and, if you\u2019re anything like me, when you enter into the over-filled fray you have absolutely no idea how to distinguish between the good and the bad. So why not consult the experts? While everyone […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":29,"featured_media":1481,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[5,4],"tags":[192,224,140,32,53,223],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.esmadrid.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1469"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.esmadrid.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.esmadrid.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.esmadrid.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/29"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.esmadrid.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1469"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/blog.esmadrid.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1469\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1485,"href":"https:\/\/blog.esmadrid.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1469\/revisions\/1485"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.esmadrid.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1481"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.esmadrid.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1469"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.esmadrid.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1469"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.esmadrid.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1469"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}