Tom Collins, the most demanded cocktail
In savas are specialists in mix simplicity and flavor , ingredients that are served with ice (and care) on the white marble bar that dominates this place of industrial decoration, located in the hat shop street , in the neighborhood footbath .
Gintas and Dovi, the couple behind the business, arrived from Lithuania to Madrid 12 years ago , settling in what (although they did not know it at the time) was going to be the neighborhood chosen to give life to your first business.
Savas: closeness you feel with someone you just met
“We have been here twelve years. In fact, our first floor was just 500 meters from our bar, on Majorca street. We think it's nice to go back to the neighborhood where we started our life in the city. Now we don't live too far either, we are installed in the Legazpi area” , explains Gintas.
“This was our neighborhood. That's why, half coincidence, half wanted, we decided that Lavapiés would be the chosen location to open Savas, since, in addition, there are not too many cocktail bars in this area”, he points out.
This cozy tavern, which opened its doors six months ago, has become everything a meeting point for neighborhood residents , as well as one of the temples revered by lovers of ** beer .**
The reason? It's found under the black tiles that dot the pristine white of the walls...
“Under those tiles are hidden the logos of the virgin . As this place used to belong to the beer brand from Madrid, we started receiving a public very devoted to this fermented drink”, Gintas explains to Traveler.es.
Despite these beer origins, Savas is a bar that does not understand labels. This space has been conceived so that you feel free to choose what you want to taste, without any prejudice.
The objective, according to Gintas, is that you do not feel the obligation to decide what you want to drink before you go. Be it a cocktail or a cane, you are welcome.
“We wanted to keep that beer side, so the public of Savas is divided between those who come directly to **have a few beers** and those who seek enjoy a good cocktail. And we love that”, says the owner of Savas.
Although it would be sacrilege not to try some of their concoctions, such as, for example, **Gimlet Jazmin (€7.5)**, made with Martin Miller's gin, green tea cordial with jasmine and lime. Classics with a personal touch, This is how Gintas defines the eleven cocktails offered by the Savas menu.
“Even though he thought it would be the **Caipirinha (€6.5)**, due to the success it had in Southeast (where I worked), the most requested so far is the Tom Collins (€8) -gin, lime, sugar and soda-. It is a fresh cocktail, the perfect alternative for those who usually drink gin and tonics and he wants to change a little”, Gintas tells Traveler.es.
Madrid beer is drunk here
Despite the fact that this couple has just declared their independence in the mixology sector, both had a great hotel background.
“It was the first time we opened a cocktail bar, we both have a lot of experience in hospitality. We have worked in renowned restaurants. I was a bartender for eight years in Sudestada, where Dovi also spent four years. In turn, she spent three years at Punto MX”, explains Gintas.
But this is not the reason why whoever sets foot in this little corner of Madrid repeats himself. the magic is in the savoir faire , in getting an environment where affinity flows, an atmosphere where you can breathe... SAVAS. This Lithuanian word means “own, ours or close”. And so they promise to make us feel Dovi and Gintas in their second home.
“If we attribute it to people, it refers to someone with whom you have a closeness, it does not have to be your friend or your neighbor . Ultimately, this is the essence of any bar, creating a small community where there is a good atmosphere. And we are very happy, because we are getting it ”, he concludes.
WHY GO
Because in footbath there is life beyond the terraces of Argumosa street and because this neighborhood Madrid It is much more than cheap beers and fast tapas. And Savas is proof of that.
“Here people can find something that is missing in the rest of the places in the area: a place to spend a couple of hours talking quietly ”, Gintas tells us. Cocktail or beer in hand, of course.
The wine is on the way...
ADDITIONAL FEATURES
Although cocktails are the specialty of this bar, beer also plays a leading role, since they have different versions of La Virgen: Madrid Lager, Jamonera, Ipa and Trigo Limpio.
"One of them we change it according to the season , until recently we had chestnuts”, says Gintas.
“Over time, we also intend to have a small selection of wines, perhaps focused on those from Jerez, that can also be used in cocktails”, he points out. Another of his future plans is to import some products of Lithuania in order to pour its essence into delicious traditional dishes.
The interior of the premises
Address: Calle de la Sombrerería nº 3, Madrid See map
Schedule: Monday 6:00 p.m.-12:00 a.m.; Wednesday until 1:00 a.m.; Thursday until 2:00 a.m.; Friday and Saturday until 2:30 a.m.; Sunday 4:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m.
Additional schedule information: Closed on Tuesdays.
Half price: €8 the cocktail