The great Green Whale or Bunker of Plaza de España will open its doors to the public next December, after four years of waiting. It will be with the Café de Cervantes, a new venue managed by Casa Remigio, which will occupy the glass structure half buried in the gardens of the square.
This construction is part of the reform of Plaza de España that took place in 2021 and was one of the elements that most aroused the curiosity of the public. Shaped like a whale or a bunker covered by green plants, it has become a recognizable point of the new urban design. However, it has remained empty until now, when it will finally house the promised café.
A menina, wood and two terraces
The Café de Cervantes is scheduled to open in the second week of December, coinciding with the Christmas season. It will have two terraces of 100 square meters each and a capacity of 20 tables.
The interior will be decorated with a menina, beer tanks and 3,000 linear meters of wood, which will maintain the natural aesthetics of the plant-based exterior. In fact, as reported by Telemadrid, the company responsible for the premises will spend 260,000 euros on a vertical garden with natural plants, including ivy and jasmine.
Gastronomy and literature
The menu of the new establishment will include dishes from Cervantes’ Don Quixote, honoring the café’s name. In addition, to maintain its literary essence, Spanish books will be available to borrow free of charge, making it not only a gastronomic but also a cultural venue.
It will be open from 8 a.m. to 2 a.m., so it will cover a wide range of hours and for different audiences. Located in the Plaza de España, a strategic point of the city, it will serve breakfasts, meals, snacks, snacks and even evening drinks for visitors to the area.
A commitment to Madrid’s terraces
“Food, nature and light” are three of the slogans of the Casa Remigio Group, which will be in charge of managing the new Café de Cervantes for the next 25 years. It is the company that won the municipal concession and, according to Madrid regional television, has invested more than 1.5 million euros in the remodeling.
Since its first premises in Chamberí in 1996, Casa Remigio has expanded its restaurants all over Madrid, and its commitment to terraces, natural spaces and beach clubs stands out. These include, for example, the Café del Río in Madrid Río or La Taberna in Casa de Campo, among many others.