Madrid regains its most literary café. With over 135 years of history and after a five-month closure for renovations, Café Gijón reopens its doors, allowing the city to regain one of its most iconic landmarks.
Since its opening in 1888, its tables have hosted gatherings of great writers and intellectuals such as Pío Baroja, Benito Pérez Galdós, Fernando Fernán Gómez, Camilo José Cela, and Carmen Martín Gaite, among many others.
Preserving the essence
Located at number 21 on Paseo de Recoletos, Café Gijón returns with a more modern space and improved facilities, while maintaining the traditional aesthetic that has made it an icon of the capital.
The establishment has been taken over by the Capuchino Group, a company that operates high-end restaurants throughout the country, owning businesses such as the Tahini Sushi Bar & Restaurant, located in Marbella and Mallorca, and the prestigious Wellies in Puerto Portals (Mallorca).
As announced by the café on its Instagram profile, they are returning “with the same essence, all of its history, and a comprehensive restoration of its features so you can feel at home again.” Thus, the characteristic marble columns, mirrors, lamps, and its atmosphere as a social and cultural hub have been preserved.
A gathering place
Café Gijón reopened on Monday, March 30, coinciding with the first days of spring and attracting both locals and visitors. Its goal is to remain a cultural gathering place in Madrid and to carry on the tradition that has been part of Paseo de Recoletos for over a century.
In fact, thanks to its long history, the establishmenthas its own literary award, the Café Gijón Short Novel Prize, created by the writer and actor Fernando Fernán Gómez in 1949 and still awarded today.