{"id":2500,"date":"2022-04-12T10:00:42","date_gmt":"2022-04-12T09:00:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.esmadrid.com\/blog\/en\/?p=2500"},"modified":"2022-04-12T10:00:42","modified_gmt":"2022-04-12T09:00:42","slug":"all-the-flavours-of-the-literary-quarter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.esmadrid.com\/blog\/en\/2022\/04\/12\/all-the-flavours-of-the-literary-quarter\/","title":{"rendered":"All the flavours of the Literary Quarter"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"

Viva Madrid. @ \u00c1lvaro L\u00f3pez del Cerro.<\/p><\/div>\n

In the most literary month in Madrid\u2019s calendar, we\u2019ll explore all of the streets and squares that were once a haven for the great writers of the Spanish Golden Age.<\/strong> Many of their taverns and restaurants<\/strong> hearken back to years gone by. Others have embraced modern times but remind us that here and now, like back then, exciting things are always happening. That applies to the kitchen too.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Federico Garc\u00eda Lorca, plaza de Santa Ana. @ \u00c1lvaro L\u00f3pez del Cerro.<\/p><\/div>\n

If Calder\u00f3n de la Barca<\/strong> and Federico Garc\u00eda Lorca<\/strong> were as immortal as their works, they\u2019d come down from their pedestals in Plaza de Santa Ana<\/strong> to chat\u2014what would they talk about?\u2014and have something to eat or drink at one of its lively outdoor caf\u00e9s. We\u2019re in the heart of Barrio de las Letras (Literary Quarter). It\u2019s dominated by Teatro Espa\u00f1ol<\/strong><\/a>, an opera house on the former site of Corral del Pr\u00edncipe<\/strong>, one of six open-air theatres that Madrid had at one point during the Spanish Golden Age. It was precisely during this period that the area we\u2019re visiting today, always buzzing and vibrant, was a favourite haunt of illustrious writers like \u201cThe Phoenix of Wits\u201d (Lope de Vega<\/strong>), G\u00f3ngora<\/strong>, Quevedo<\/strong> and Miguel de Cervantes<\/strong>, who described the orchards of Paseo del Prado that marked the boundaries of this large residential area as fountains that \u201cflowed with nectar\u201d and \u201crained ambrosia\u201d. With these words to inspire us, we\u2019ll explore all of the taverns, bars and restaurants that must have delighted those earliest residents who didn\u2019t know it but would end up giving a name to this set of picturesque streets and little squares in the heart of the city.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Casa Alberto. @ \u00c1lvaro L\u00f3pez del Cerro.<\/p><\/div>\n

To soak up the area\u2019s literary spirit, the first thing we should do is visit Lope de Vega House Museum<\/strong><\/a>, where the writer lived for the last 25 years of his life. It\u2019s in Calle de Cervantes, a street named after his arch-rival, whose life we can also trace in the area. No. 87 Calle de Atocha was once the location of Juan Cuesta printing house, where the first edition of Don Quixote<\/em> was printed in 1605. At no. 18 Calle de las Huertas, a building now stands on the site of another where he wrote the second part of his great masterpiece. We\u2019ll make a stop here. Back then, the building\u2019s ground floor didn\u2019t house Casa Alberto<\/strong><\/a>, even though it\u2019s one of the city\u2019s oldest restaurants. It opened in 1827 as a simple tavern that served wine accompanied by hard-boiled eggs or dried cod. Its red facade is typical of Madrid\u2019s taverns, and its bar is the only one in Madrid made of onyx. Other very old features include the soda carbonator, the\u00a0cash register and the\u00a0five-tap tower\u00a0out of which beer and vermouth flowed. House specialities include escargots, Madrid-style tripe and oxtail.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Casa Gonz\u00e1lez. @ \u00c1lvaro L\u00f3pez del Cerro.<\/p><\/div>\n

The oldest shop still trading in the neighbourhood is Casa Gonz\u00e1lez<\/strong><\/a> (no. 12 Le\u00f3n), established in 1931 as a grocery. It soon became a favourite with Madrid\u2019s middle classes, who were frequent consumers of its preserved foods, wines, cheeses and Ib\u00e9rico pork cold meats and sausages, which since the 1990s can also be enjoyed on site. The same philosophy is shared by Alimentaci\u00f3n Quiroga<\/strong> <\/a>(no. 19 Huertas), a shop that opened in 1958 and has been transformed into a very 21st century food shop where you can just as easily do your shopping (ham, cheese, etc.) as you can enjoy some toasted bread topped with foie gras<\/em> and drizzled with black truffle honey. Another famous establishment in the area is almost a century old and holds true to its principles: La Venencia<\/strong><\/a> (no. 7 Echegaray), a wine bar anchored in the past that only serves fino and manzanilla sherries, accompanied by tapas of mojama<\/em> (salt-cured tuna), anchovies, olives and pickles.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Alimentaci\u00f3n Quiroga. @ \u00c1lvaro L\u00f3pez del Cerro.<\/p><\/div>\n

Some restaurants continue to serve cuisine that’s utterly classic, though not necessarily from Madrid, perhaps because the appearance of the neighbourhood, also known as that of the \u201cThespians\u201d and that of the \u201cMuses\u201d, seems to require it. Examples include La Huerta de Tudela<\/strong><\/a> (no. 15 Prado), where vegetables from Navarre play a starring role on the menu, and El Caldero<\/strong><\/a>, a little slice of Murcia in Madrid that makes some of the world’s best arroz caldoso<\/em> (literally, \u201csoupy rice\u201d). Some restaurants that offer more traditional Madrid fare are La Daniela<\/strong><\/a> (no. 7 Plaza de Jes\u00fas), where they\u2019re experts on cocido<\/em> (chickpea stew), Casa Mortero<\/strong><\/a> (no. 9 Zorrilla), with its creamy croquettes, and Castizo<\/strong><\/a> (no. 9 Plaza del \u00c1ngel), a \u201cneo-tavern\u201d whose mirrors remind us: \u201cMadriz, home of everyone and city of no one<\/em>\u201d.<\/p>\n

\"\"

La cantina del Ateneo<\/p><\/div>\n

One of the major cultural institutions in the neighbourhood is Ateneo de Madrid<\/strong><\/a> (no. 21 Prado), which had an important role in Spanish social life in the 19th and early 20th centuries as a forum for discussions and a platform for free expression of ideas. The room known as the cacharrer\u00eda<\/em> (china shop) bore witness to the lively social gatherings where writers and artists used to hold discussions well into the night. It hosted the likes of Mariano Jos\u00e9 de Larra, Miguel de Unamuno, Valle-Incl\u00e1n, Gald\u00f3s and Federico Garc\u00eda Lorca, who would be surprised by the new atmosphere of its caf\u00e9, now called La Cantina del Ateneo<\/strong><\/a> (no. 10 Santa Catalina), where you can have a coffee, yes, but you can also enjoy Mediterranean dishes.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Salmon Guru<\/p><\/div>\n

One illustrious member of the Ateneo was Jos\u00e9 de Echagaray, who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1904. He lent his name to one of the main streets in Barrio de Las Letras, and it\u2019s home to some must-visit establishments including Casa Lobo <\/strong><\/a>(no. 8 Echegaray), a contemporary version of Madrid\u2019s old eating houses that operates under the culinary supervision of chef Fernando P. Arellano<\/strong>. Of all its tasty offerings, our top picks are the soldaditos de pav\u00eda<\/em> (cod fritters) and cochifrito<\/em>, fried suckling pigs\u2019 ears marinated in honey and spicy chorizo. At no. 21, Salmon Guru<\/strong> <\/a>awaits. It ranks 24th on the list of the World\u2019s 50 Best Bars. It\u2019s not a restaurant, but a bar where Diego Cabrera <\/strong>unleashes his imagination to create fabulous cocktails like the ones in his Locuras<\/em> (Madness) series. It also serves very original food. Fancy some Brazilian cheese bread?<\/p>\n

\"\"

Viva Madrid<\/p><\/div>\n

Diego Cabrera is also behind Viva Madrid<\/strong> (no. 7 Manuel Fern\u00e1ndez y Gonz\u00e1lez), an unusual pub in a space that formerly housed a tavern established in 1856. It still has the striking ceramic tiles, coffered ceiling and tin bar from that era. The cocktails are spectacular, but so are the raciones<\/em> (\u201cservings\u201d, typically shared): stewed red pancetta, confit potatoes with black brava<\/em> (spicy paprika) sauce, and tuna and potato salad with Kalamata olive paste are some examples. Another pub that has been given a new life is La Elisa<\/strong><\/a> (no. 42 Santa Mar\u00eda), whose tiles and wooden bar remind us that it opened in 1907. Its menu favours traditional fare, with some innovative tweaks that act as a counterpoint. Two examples: spicy stuffed breaded mussels and vinegar-marinated anchovies with fresh-cut chips.<\/p>\n

\"\"

La Elisa<\/p><\/div>\n

La Elisa restaurant group also owns other restaurants in the neighbourhood: Sua<\/strong><\/a> (no. 22 Morat\u00edn), where charcoal is the star of the menu, the trattoria<\/em> Tandem<\/strong><\/a> (no. 39 Santa Mar\u00eda) and Triciclo<\/strong><\/a> (no. 28 Santa Mar\u00eda), which takes us on a culinary journey to different parts of the world. It’s a place to enjoy fresh ingredients which lets their natural flavours shine through, making almost no changes. The same philosophy is shared by Estimar<\/strong><\/a> (no. 18 Marqu\u00e9s de Cubas), a seafood restaurant.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Restaurante Cebo<\/p><\/div>\n

The neighbourhood’s history is steeped in literature and the humanities, but there\u2019s room for a number or two. Or 3, which is how many of its restaurants boast a Michelin star: Cebo<\/strong><\/a> (no. 34 Carrera de San Jer\u00f3nimo), helmed by Aurelio Morales; Gofio<\/strong><\/a> (no. 9 Lope de Vega), where Safe Cruz serves creative Canary Island fare, and Yugo The Bunker<\/strong> (no. 4 San Blas) by chef\u00a0Juli\u00e1n M\u00e1rmol, who has a passion for Japanese haute cuisine. The restaurant has two areas: a traditional Izakaya\u00a0bar on the upper level and a perfect recreation of a World War II Japanese bunker downstairs. If there\u2019s one thing that\u2019s clear, it’s that there’s an enormous variety of culinary offerings to be found in Barrio de las Letras. That same diversity also distinguishes its residents. One of them, Valle-Incl\u00e1n, springs to mind when one looks in the concave and convex mirrors in Callej\u00f3n del Gato, now in Bar Las Bravas <\/strong><\/a>(no. 3 \u00c1lvarez Gato), which deform the observer just as the author described in Bohemian Lights<\/em>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In the most literary month in Madrid\u2019s calendar, we\u2019ll explore all of the streets and squares that were once a haven for the great writers of the Spanish Golden Age. Many of their taverns and restaurants hearken back to years gone by. Others have embraced modern times but remind us that here and now, like […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":2515,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[3],"tags":[89,168],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.esmadrid.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2500"}],"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\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.esmadrid.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2500"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/blog.esmadrid.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2500\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2516,"href":"https:\/\/blog.esmadrid.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2500\/revisions\/2516"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.esmadrid.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2515"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.esmadrid.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2500"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.esmadrid.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2500"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.esmadrid.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2500"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}