Angelita, the gastro wine and cocktail bar in Madrid founded by the Villalón brothers, has reopened after a month of intense work. Along with a complete makeover of the interiors, the renovation has brought several changes to the selection of drinks, food and wine, as well as new opening hours. The soul is the same, the rest is to be discovered.
The Cocktail Bar at Angelita
Angelita Madrid is spread over two floors and has no shortage of space. The basement cocktail bar has reopened to the public with brand-new additions to the previous drinks list. The leitmotif continues to be “a return to the essential forms of nature”, and the four new
cocktails offer an original take on this central concept.
They are called The Fig Tree, The Strawberry Tree, The Bean and The Apricot. Each is a celebration of its namesake plant, and all the plants are cultivated on the Villalón family farm. This not only means the raw ingredients are very fresh, but also that they change over the weeks, following the course of the seasons. It’s one of the special touches that have put Angelita on the map of cocktail bars to watch out for.
It’s also worth mentioning that you can order the same wines at the cocktail bar as in the wine bar upstairs. There are over 3,000 labels to choose from, and 100 are available by the glass. On the subject of the wine bar, it’s nice to hear that it has reopened as a spontaneous space, after having been closed during the pandemic: no reservations, streamlined management of seating, and open to informal encounters between customers.
Angelita’s Hibiki Room
The renovated cocktail bar in Madrid also has a brand-new feature, the so-called Hibiki room. It’s a modular space with a handful of seats arranged around a fully equipped bar placed at the customers’ disposal. It’s designed for small groups of people looking for a bit of privacy, or a gastronomic experience tailored to their tastes and desires.
Angelita’s Dining Room
The cocktail bar and Hibiki room occupy the basement level. Moving up to the ground floor, we find the abovementioned wine bar as well as the dining room. Regarding the latter, we can say that chef Alfonso Sancho has joined the team of Lis Benítez to give the menu a touch of haute cuisine. Nonetheless, one of Angelita’s most outstanding qualities is the same as always, i.e. that many of the dishes are prepared using produce from the Villalón farm.
Opening Hours are Mindful of Sustainability
The reason behind the new opening hours also deserves a mention. Angelita’s patrons are now welcome from Monday to Friday, from 5:30 pm until closing time. It’s an unusual choice for a cocktail bar, but it’s motivated by the desire to strike a better work-life balance. So, with this decision, the Villalón brothers’ focus on sustainability also extends to the social sphere.
This kind of commitment may seem like a gamble. But Angelita’s reputation and the awards it has received represent a solid foundation and reduce the risk of paying too high a price for this mindful approach.
Images courtesy Angelita
