Every lover of writing knows that few moments compare to the pleasure of get lost by a secret cafe and open the notebook with a hot tea or coffee . It doesn't matter if it's about Paris or New York , of Madrid or a lost town: the discovery of an urban corner where writing our texts reconnects us with the past and culture, with all those gatherings in which hundreds of stories poke their heads into the world.
The best literary cafes they have been laboratories of art for centuries. Places of thought and debate where they chewed political slights, impressions of a novel, or even the birth of future best sellers.
Cultural temples where poems sprout from the grounds of a glass and the shelves still weave eternal stories even though Twitter monopolizes the great debates and the cafes are now more cafeterias-bookshops. we discovered spaces in our country where you can share books between coffees with a heart of foam or enjoy a cultural event under eternal vaults.
Cafe Gijon, Madrid.
COFFEE GIJON, MADRID
It was 1888 when Gijon Gumersindo Garcia came to Madrid to make a fortune with the money earned in Havana. He chose a place that was not very central but colorful enough for summer days without knowing that the Coffee Gijon It would end up being one of the most universal meeting places in the capital.
located in full Recoletos Walk , the Today Gran Cafe Gijon is everything we can ask of a legendary literary cafe: red seats on marble floors, combined dishes and the echo of distant gatherings that evoke the meetings of Valle Inclán, Benito Pérez Galdós or Camilo José Cela , who would describe like few others that Madrid gathering in La Colmena (Paseo de Recoletos, 21).
Music, humor, cinema and gastronomy... What more could you ask for?
COMMERCIAL CAFE, MADRID
In the Glorieta de Bilbao, history floats between the two floors of the Commercial Coffee, the oldest cafeteria in Madrid. Opened on March 21, 1887, the Café Comercial has seen legends such as Gloria Fuertes, Jose Hierro or Antonio Machado , among others.
In 2015 the cafe announced its closure to reopen in 2017 under a facelift that still respects the essence of this bohemian corner. The extensive menu of dishes –and its delicious pancakes included – is combined with book presentations, literary talks and musical events (Bilbao roundabout, 7).
COFFEE SALAMBÓ, BARCELONA
Born in the irresistible Gracia neighborhood in full hangover from the Barcelona Olympics, Cafe Salambo It is a place that pays homage to the novel Sarambó by Gustave Flauvert through a triple collaboration: the literary agent Carmen Balcells, the writer Pedro Zarraluski and the sculptor Francisco Gracias.
A set of three old textile warehouses next to the Verdi cinemas Until 2008, it hosted a series of events, including a literary award supported by such illustrious personalities as Maruja Torres or Enrique Vila-Matas . Fortunately, the crisis and the pandemic have not managed to weigh down the soul of this place where today they emulsify the most succulent dishes and literary events that invite you to write under the imaginary palm trees of this urban oasis (Carrer de Torrijos, 51).
Ubik Cafe, Valencia.
UBIK COFFEE, VALENCIA
Three Italian friends who love science fiction opened the first café-bookstore in Valencia in 2008 inspired by a novel by Philip K. Dick . A time capsule capable of transporting us to all possible universes thanks to its second hand book collections and well-watered novelties of craft beers, exhibitions and cultural events for adults and children.
A place that speaks of the heart of Valencia, of a Ruzafa neighborhood where art and culture are appreciated like in few other places in the Turia capital (Carrer del Literat Azorín, 13).
Restaurant 4 Gats, Barcelona.
ELS QUATRE GATS, BARCELONA
The modernist movement was forged in this old literary cafe opened in 1896 in the vicinity of Plaça Catalunya.
The bohemian inspiration of the famous The Parisian Chat Noir perceived here between an art nouveau style interior, Catalan cuisine proposals and a set of several milestones: in The Quatre Gats Picasso exhibited his drawings for the first time, Gaudí was a recurring regular and Woody Allen chose the location to film one of Vicky Cristina Barcelona's scenes.
The recent history of Barcelona is best savored with a good wine and a pa of coca de recapte as a prelude to an irresistible experience (Carrer de Montsió, 3).
Chaotic, Seville.
CHAOTIC, SEVILLE
chaotic It is an essential meeting point in the heart of Seville and one of the best literary cafes in our country. Three plants which represent three beacons for a reader who finds the perfect home here: the lower floor offers Wi-Fi, a bar and chairs that invite social gatherings, while the other two floors are read through books of all spine and aroma.
Cultural events are not lacking and eternal youth is perceived in the talks of this parallel universe full of stories . A space where Bécquer would have been a regular, savoring a pringá sandwich at one of the tables (José Gestoso, 8).
BAOBAB, BILBAO
Tea was possibly not the flagship drink of the old literary cafes, but today it becomes the best excuse to invite conciliation and silence. Zurria Arzua, owner of the tearoom-bookstore Baobab thought of tea as a bonding element among the regulars of this urban temple overlooking the Bilbao estuary where new titles and sustainable initiatives flourish under the shelter of a warm atmosphere and welcoming music.
As an example, Arzua enhances its Free Books, or the magic of getting the books you want in exchange for leaving others to allow the free circulation of stories (Printzipe Kalea, 1).