'When I set out to do something, I get fully invested,' says Goyo, the man behind Ciriaco Brown. 'So much so that this project has helped me get to know myself better.' Now that is quite the investment. Thanks to his wife, who encouraged him while they were on holiday, a friend and a loan, Goyo decided that after a lifetime of managing bars and nightlife spots, it was the right time for him to start his own venture, and that it had to be in Lavapiés. About a year and a half before the early-2019 opening, he got possession of a former wholesale clothing warehouse and managed to transform it into the incredible place that it is today. Every little detail (and there are a lot of them, from lamps to upholstery, from the columns to the sizeable cocktail offering) is well-thought-out, the pieces of the motley style somehow fit together like a puzzle. 'I want this to be the kind of place you discover and then rave about to your friends, telling them, "I'm taking you to place you're going to love"'.
The opening times make it easy to grab a drink before or after dinner, depending on your eating schedule, while you chat and laugh, drink and make confessions until the sun's about to come up. The cocktail bar was co-designed by Barcelona-based studios Pichiglás and Yomuto, with the idea that when you head in, you're not sure if it's been open for two years or ten, but that what strikes you is the comfort (Goyo even has their motto, 'A todo confort', tattooed on his right shoulder). This pub revolves around the life story of Ciriaco Brown, and it's left up to you to decide if he ever existed or not. Customer service goes beyond taking orders at the bar, there’s quality music playing and prices are considerably affordable. The pub concept is back, and Ciriaco Brown might just be the Madrid’s number one.
