Need a Reset? Start Upstream at Madrid’s Wildest Bar, Salmon Guru

Photo Credit: Salmon Guru

In Madrid, there are cocktail bars — and then there is Salmon Guru. Tucked into the heart of the Las Letras neighborhood, this technicolor temple of creativity has become one of Europe’s most original drinking destinations. It’s the kind of place where every detail feels intentional yet mischievous, where the clink of glassware becomes a kind of jazz rhythm, and where the line between art, theater, and hospitality completely disappears. The brainchild of Diego Cabrera, one of Spain’s most influential bartenders, Salmon Guru opened in 2016 with a single mission: to shake Madrid awake. Cabrera wanted to strip cocktail culture of its pretension and bring back what he calls “the holy trinity of good bars — fun, flavor, and feeling.” His vision wasn’t just to make great drinks, but to create a space that made people feel alive again. And that’s exactly what he did.

Photo Credit: Salmon Guru

From the outside, you could easily walk past it — a low-lit entrance marked only by a glowing salmon and the promise of something extraordinary behind the door. Step inside, and the world fractures into three cinematic dimensions: a tropical 1960s lounge, an Asian noir fantasy, and a vibrant comic-book universe splashed in neon. The colors are saturated, the details hypnotic. Murals explode across the walls, bartenders move with choreographed precision, and the playlist shifts as fluidly as the cocktails themselves. It’s as if Andy Warhol designed a speakeasy for Stanley Kubrick — and invited you in for the night.

Photo Credit: Salmon Guru

Salmon Guru is not a place of minimalism; it’s maximalism refined to the point of mastery. Cabrera built it as a reaction to the uniformity he saw in the global cocktail scene. Here, nothing repeats. Each night feels different — not just because of what’s in your glass, but because of the energy of the room, the people, the moment. The bar’s name itself is an inside joke — “Salmon” for swimming against the current, “Guru” for the discipline that makes it possible.  That respect manifests in the details: handmade glassware, custom-built décor, locally sourced ingredients that reflect the spirit of Spain but often reimagined through Asian, South American, or Mediterranean lenses. Even the ice — carved, sculpted, sometimes smoked — feels like a medium for storytelling.

Photo Credit: Salmon Guru

At Salmon Guru, the cocktails are the narrative. Each one has its own arc — setup, surprise, and finish. You don’t just sip them; you experience them. Every cocktail is equal parts chemistry and story. Cabrera’s team doesn’t just serve them; they perform them — explaining, engaging, provoking curiosity. The result isn’t just a drink but a dialogue between bartender and guest, memory and imagination. Which is why we’ve chosen to feature Salmon Guru for our cocktail of the week column. And thus, here is the Reset.

THE COCKTAIL OF THE WEEK: THE RESET

Photo Credit: Salmon Guru

 Reset, a meditation on renewal, is paired with a yuzu-Campari popsicle from Salmon Guru’s sister bar, Viva Madrid, offering a sensory jolt between bitter and bright. It was born from the need to stop, to breathe, and to return to the origins. To strip everything back and reinvent myself through simplicity. Sometimes you have to pause to understand where you’re going, and that’s exactly what this cocktail represents: a moment of clarity, a fresh start, and a quiet reminder that evolution begins with stillness.

Says owner Diego Cabrera, “Reset isn’t just a cocktail,  it’s a moment to pause. A reminder that, to keep creating, sometimes you need to stop, look back, and reconnect with your roots. At Salmon Guru, we’re always in motion, but we also know the value of starting fresh, clearing the mind, the palate, and the spirit to rediscover inspiration.” He adds, “This cocktail was born from that need: to return to balance, to simplicity, to flavor that recenters you.”

Here is how to make the Reset at home

1.35 oz Tequila

1 oz Turmeric & Caraway Cordial

0.35 oz Fresh Lemon Juice

0.35 oz Egg White