Those who know the Cava Baja in Madrid will wonder how I was
able to photograph this street without anyone if, even in the middle of a
pandemic, there is usually no place for a pin here. Okay, I went out early on a
Sunday morning (even before buying bread) and found a quiet neighborhood, with
bright light and a pre-spring vibe that made you want to stay until dinner
time.
It is true that at this early hour all the bars and
restaurants for which this area is famous are closed,
but it is just then
that the true beauty of this emblematic Madrid street is reflected.
The Cava Baja, in the heart of the sugarcane and
wine-growing area of La Latina, is the street with the highest attention of
bars and restaurants in the capital. One every six meters, 53 stores just 320
meters from the Puerta Cerrada to the Plaza del Humilladero.
No street so short has access to so many bars and
restaurants as the path to the mythical Casa Lucio;
It even competes in a multitude of venues with roads of
several kilometers such as Calle Alcalá or Paseo de la Castellana.
The influx of the public evolves with the fashions.
Today,
and for more than 15 years, locals and tourists come to Cava
Baja to enjoy the atmosphere offered by one of the temples of good food and
drink in Madrid.
People familiar with the Cava Baja in Madrid will wonder how
I photographed this nearly empty street if, even in the midst of a pandemic, it
tends to be crowded. Okay, I went there early on a Sunday morning (before I
even bought my bread) and found a quiet area, with bright light and a
pre-spring vibe that made me want to stay until snack time.
It is true that at dawn all the bars and restaurants for
which this neighborhood is famous are closed, but it is precisely at this time
that the true beauty of this emblematic street in Madrid is appreciated.
The fact is that Cava Baja, in the heart of the beer and
wine district of La Latina,
is the street with
the highest concentration of bars and restaurants in the capital. One every six
meters, 53 neighbors just 320 meters from the Closed Door to the Plaza del
Humilladero.
No other street so short has access to so many bars and
restaurants as the street of the mythical Casa Lucio; It even rivals in many
establishments with streets of several kilometers such as Calle Alcalá or Paseo
de la Castellana.
Visitors have fluctuated as fashion trends have changed.
Today, for 15 years, Cava Baja has enjoyed the presence of locals and foreign
visitors. It is true that a good part of the neighbors complain about the noise
and annoyances that so many places cause in so few meters, but let's focus on
the positive side and enjoy one of the temples of good food and good drinks in
Madrid.
Up to 50 bars and restaurants, you can count to the right
and left by traveling 300 meters. Lamiak, La Potente, Casa Lucio, Taberna Los
Huevos de Lucio, Cava Baja nº 5 (La Playa), Julián de Tolosa, Taberna
Txacolina, Casa Lucas, La Chata and many more. Few streets in the world can
boast such a density of taverns as Cava Baja.
When you go, you will find that there are not 50, but a
few more or less.
But it's still there. And where you used to have a bar, now
you have another. And it is that in this street the changes are very frequent.
Throughout history, countless creations have been opened and
closed, almost all related to food and drink (although there are also art
galleries and souvenir shops). For sample, the Posada de la Villa dates from
1642. And where Casa Lucio now opens its doors was the Posada de San Pedro,
which already existed in 1720, and later the historic Mesón del Segoviano.
In 2014, the El Schotis bar-restaurant,
which had been serving Castilian dishes for more than half a
century, closed permanently. Today most bars are relatively new, although there
are still some with tradition. And it is still a tradition of the circular public
from bar to bar along the entire street.
No matter what day you go, there is always an atmosphere,
especially at noon and at night. But it is during the weekend that the whole
street fills up, both for the aperitif and for the tapas before the aperitif.
There are so many mogollones that it seems that we are in the town square in
the middle of the patron saint festivities. It does not surprise me that the
locals prefer the quiet of a Tuesday to the noise of a Saturday.
If you are ambulatory through the city center, near the
"Plaza Mayor", or perhaps near the market of