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Salmon Guru

Madrid

Serious drinks served in unserious surrounds

Ten years since the bar first opened, the name Salmon Guru continues to mystify the uninitiated – but there's method in this moniker's madness. Salmon famously swim against the current, embodying an adventurous, adaptable and self-reliant spirit, while gurus represent enlightenment and wisdom gained through experience. This combination of rebelliousness and hard-earned sagacity perfectly encapsulates Salmon Guru's style.

A word of warning: this is not the place for minimalists. Separated into three distinct spaces, it's a riot of colour and texture. The first room is animal themed, with flashes of leopard and zebra print as well as artwork depicting a jungle in fantastically vivid hues and a ceiling that looks like the glittering surface of the sea. The next is filled with comic artwork by Spanish artist Guillermo Pérez Mogorrón, known for his work with Marvel and DC Comics. The final space is a clash of Asian influences, from the ornate fans on the ceiling to the snake-filled bottles that divide the tables, lit in shades of neon reminiscent of a Wong Kar-wai film.

The cocktails – many of which are dreamed up in Guru Lab, the bar's research and development space – are similarly maximalist. The current menu, named Big Bang, is divided into themes like I'm Not From Here (featuring drinks with unexpected flavour combinations), Untouchables (drinks so beloved, they could never be removed from the list) and WTF? (mind-bendingly flavourful cocktails). Among the Untouchables is the Old School Funny (gin, red vermouth, Campari and sherry), which is aged for five years in a system of criaderas and soleras, while the Clericot (manzanilla wine, Jamaica water, makrut lime leaves and oregano, thyme bitters) is a standout of the I'm Not From Here section.

Alcohol-free options are every bit as considered as the cocktails. The Amazonia (purple corn, lime juice, fresh mint and homemade kombucha) and the Cebador (00 redistillate of artichoke, pink grapefruit juice, peppermint and yerba mate with eucalyptus) are two typically inventive offerings.

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