Madrid awards the theater
A "lito" is the white or colored cloth that waiters use to serve dishes to diners. It also serves to protect their hands from the heat of some dishes, as well as to clean small stains or imperfections before serving.
Bodegas Rosell (General Lacy, 14), Casa Alberto (Las Huertas, 18), Casa Sotero (José Castán Tobeñas, 1), Cervecería Thomas (Rufino Blanco, 1), Taberna La Mina (General Álvarez de Castro, 8), Josma (Betanzos, 3, Alcorcón), Neotaberna Restaurante Mayser (Sambara, 95), Shift Public House (Cardenal Cisneros, 11), Taberna Bodegas Ricla (Cuchilleros, 6) and Zalamero (Narváez, 67) won in the Bar category.
Camden Coffee Roasters (Plaza de la Constitución, 7, Velilla de San Antonio), Plein Café & Deli (C/ Veneros, 2, Majadahonda), Pum Pum Café (Tribulete, 6) and The Fix (Luisa Fernanda, 15) boast the best service in the Cafeteria category.
And in the Restaurant category, the chosen establishments were Barrutia and El 9 (Santa Teresa, 9), Berria Wine Bar (Plaza de la Independencia, 6), Casa Benigna (Benigno Soto, 9), El Toque (El Plantío, 76, Majadahonda), La Mi Venta (Plaza de La Marina Española, 7), La Nunuka (Libertad, 13), Asador de Aranda La Tahona (Poeta Juan Maragall, 21), La Txitxarrería (Francia, 6, Pozuelo), Los Montes de Galicia (Azcona, 46), Farah (Carrera de San Francisco, 12) and Santé (Avda. del Dos de Mayo, 1, Leganés).
“The LITO awards showcase the diversity of our hospitality sector, not only in size, but also in type and activity,” noted José Antonio Aparicio, president of Hostelería Madrid, at the awards ceremony. “Among the winners are traditional cafes with impeccable service that are embracing the new coffee culture. There are international restaurants, a clear reflection of a cosmopolitan and inclusive Madrid, as well as cocktail bars, an increasingly popular type of establishment, and, of course, the century-old bars of the historic center.”
In addition, Miguel González of Restaurante El Bierzo and José Luis Izuel, president of Hostelería España, received the first LITO Honorary Awards for their professional careers and for their work in improving the sector.
To award these prizes, nearly 60 aspects of the service were evaluated, divided into 13 categories such as uniform, menu, order times, knowledge of the offer, collection times and customer farewell.
Uniforms, checkout times, and knowledge of the menu were the highest-rated aspects of restaurant service, with average scores of 96.7, 93.5, and 93.4, respectively. Internal communication received the highest average score at bars (97.5), followed by uniforms (95.1) and checkout times (95.1), while presentation quality was the top scorer in cafes, with 94.6.
“My sincerest congratulations, especially to the waiters, bartenders, reception and welcome staff, sommeliers, head waiters… In short, to all those people who make our stay so much more enjoyable. Today, the LITO awards settle a long-standing debt with Madrid’s hospitality industry,” Aparicio concluded.
