"Jockey Club Madrid Restaurante Porcelain Ashtray" (SOLD)
Price on Request
4.5"Sq x 1"H
Stamped: Capeans Espana on underside
w/ green racing stripe border
The Restaurant
The idea of creating a restaurant which was more like an exclusive club was thought up by Clodoaldo Cortés. He believed that the restaurant should be a place where a select number of guests, mainly from the upper classes in Madrid, could reserve tables and areas that would be tailored to their every need. He was determined to restore the prestige of the capital city after both the Spanish Civil War and the Second World War.
The restaurant became to be known as the Jockey restaurant because it is part of a chain of restaurants spanning the globe that all have horse racing related names. In Madrid there is another restaurant of the same chain which is called Club 31, and together they make up the Spanish representatives of this company.
On its opening in 1945, the restaurant was quite bare and for the first few months was only busy when it was hired for a wedding or a banquet. Gradually however, the Jockey began acquiring the atmosphere and clientele that it had been designed for. Among some of the guests that came to eat at the restaurant were politicians, heads of state and aristocracy as well as members of the Spanish Royal Family. Since then, the Jockey has occupied a spot in high society and has gained some traditions which maintain its exclusivity.
The Jockey was designed to resemble the gentleman's clubs of England and has certainly contributed to the exclusive feel of the restaurant. There are ample amounts of dark wood, heavy carpets and velvet covered seats which evoke the wealthy and posh feel of the establishment. Dotted around there are brass and solver statues of horses and horse riders, and there are also many paintings and photographs of similar subjects to be found on the walls.
Due to its high society status and its history, the Jockey restaurant has developed its own etiquette and dress code in order to create and keep creating their desired atmosphere. Men are required to wear a suit and tie and proper table manners must be observed if you are going to eat at this restaurant when you visit Madrid.