Last Monday morning, somewhat begrudgingly, I cast aside my butt-in-the chair writing routine at my Starbucks office. Fabio and I had a social engagement. We met his former colleague and her Spanish husband at the Café Gijon, a twenty-five minute walk from home. Judging by the décor; gruff, inattentive, gray-haired waiter; food; and we-don’t-really-care-what-you-think aura, I realized we must be in one of the most traditional cafes in Madrid. The façade of brown marble surrounding wood-trimmed picture windows made the place look old-fashioned. Inside, the black marble tables rested on cream- and rust-colored marble tiles. The frayed cuffs of the waiters’ pants dragged on the floor. Had I not already breakfasted on homemade granola with banana, blueberries, and oat milk, I would have been hard pressed to find something appealing among the toast with olive oil, tomato, and Iberian ham (or “colored” lard if one preferred) or the turbid, sweet hot chocolate with fried churros. When I sat down, little did I know how many famous literary butts-in-the-chair had preceded me.
The café is located along the tree-lined avenue Recoletos, one of my two favorite walking routes, but I had barely noticed the spot in all the times I’d passed it. I should have. It’s been there since 1888. In those early years, madrileños ambling along Recoletos in the summer stopped by for refreshing cold drinks such as lemon or barley water (I’m not so far off in what I drink), sasparilla, or horchata, a heavily sweetened cold drink made of soaked, ground tiger nuts.
Little by little, Café Gijon became a gathering spot for tertulias, informal discussions amongst writers, artists, poets, and musicians that took place regularly in a bar or restaurant. Participants would share their recent writings, poems, plays, or musical productions. A tertulia had the undertones of a writing group or book club minus the bar, alcohol, smoke, and spittoons. Famous Spanish writers such as Ramón María del Valle-Inclán and Jacinto Benavente attended. In the 1920s, Federico García Lorca, a poet, playwright, and essayist, who was shot and killed during the Civil War for his antifascist beliefs, support for the International Red Cross, and being gay, patronized the place.
Writers and poets weren’t the only clientele. They rubbed elbows with the first Spaniard, Dr. Santiago Ramon y Cajal, to receive a scientific Nobel Prize. In 1906, he won the physiology/medicine award for his research on the microscopic structure of the brain. His work led to the modern field of neuroscience.
In 1934, two years before the Civil War, Café Gijon became one the most famous watering holes for Madrid literary figures. After the war, it turned into a meeting place for intellectuals, writers, and artists known as the Generation of ’36. Needless to say, men dominated the tertulias. Some you might have heard of include Salvador Dalí, the surrealist artist, and Luis Buñuel, one of the most influential filmmakers of all time. The cafe later housed the first tertulias for women writers. It became known as “the ultimate literary café in Madrid.”
The 1936-1939 Civil War caused the breakdown of traditional tertulias. Instead, activists and Republican party leaders opposing Franco dominated the Café Gijon and other tertulia bars and restaurants in Madrid. The Café Gijon turned into a meeting place and headquarters for Republicans. Given food scarcities, the café’s cooks could offer only modest lunches. When Madrid fell to Franco’s Nationalists, the café earned a little money serving meals to the officers and soldiers.
After the war, the economic situation was so bad that the tertulianos, those who attended the tertulias, had little money to buy coffee, a meal, or a drink. A money lender, a man who had a nearby shop selling tobacco and matches, sat in the entrance of the café to offer his services. A lot of writers owed him a substantial debt. Patrons who didn’t want to borrow pesetas ordered water and bicarbonate of soda. They were free. In spite of their empty pockets, writers, artists, and actors filled the stools and chairs and debates rang in the smoky air.
In 1949, a café patron, a young theater and screen actor, founded a literary prize for short novels and named it after the café, Premio Café Gijón para Novelas Cortas. It remains a prestigious annual award. The café’s popularity continued to rise. Truman Capote, Orson Wells, Joseph Cotton, Eva Gardner, the British actor, George Sanders, and other celebrities also frequented the café.
The Café Gijon won’t replace my grande decaf latte with oat milk and my table in the corner at Starbucks but knowing about the authors, poets, and artists who gathered around marble tables smoking, spitting on the floor, and drinking muddy coffee will keep my butt-in-the-chair. The café has survived for 135 years despite some truly tough times. I’ll walk by it with more reverence this afternoon.
I LOVE this! Lorca was friends with my grandfather Amado in Spain. I bet Amado spent time there. I’ll ask my dad.
! Interesting! We had a cafe hangout like this in Blacksburg of all places. Bolos was a splendid and modest retreat for support, friendship and inspiration. Thank you for sharing Spanish culture and history through this window! Love to you and Fabio