Two years after taking over from Gabi and Pilar, Carito Lourenço and Germán Carrizo are consolidating a new era for a bar that has been part of València’s gastronomic history for over four decades. This new stage maintains market-driven cuisine and the recipes that have defined Maipi’s identity, while also recovering traditional culinary techniques and a unique way of preparing and serving fresh, seasonal products.
Two years ago, Carito Lourenço and Germán Carrizo made a decision: to bet on Maipi and take on the challenge of keeping one of València’s most emblematic bars alive. This meant stepping up to lead a venue with over four decades of history, a very distinct identity, and a way of working that was already part of the city’s gastronomic memory. To celebrate this consolidation of the project, Maipi brought together “the legends” (friends of the house) and “the youth academy” (those making their debut) over two days to express their gratitude and introduce their proposal. Both days were filled with reunions and deeply emotional moments, especially when Gabi and Pilar highlighted the courage shown by Carito and Germán in taking the reins of this iconic València bar two years ago.
The handover was no accident. When Gabi and Pilar decided to retire, they wanted Maipi to continue, and after a 41-year career, they sought someone who understood the value of what they had built and could take on the project with respect, passion, and commitment. Carito and Germán, founders of Tándem Gastronómico with an extensive background that includes their own projects, consultancy for over 90 openings, and a Michelin star at Fierro, decided to accept the challenge and bet on Maipi’s continuity, fully aware of the responsibility that came with leading a place so deeply rooted in València.
Using that legacy as a starting point, Carito and Germán took up the mantle and dedicated the first few months to learning how the house operates, listening to the team, and becoming familiar with its recipes and methods. Part of the staff that accompanied Gabi and Pilar for years remains at the bar, while the new stage has brought in new people without leaving behind the recipes and knowledge that Pilar has been passing on to them. “This time has allowed us to get to know Maipi from the inside,” says Germán.
That is why these two years feel somewhat like a first anniversary: the first served to settle in, listen, and understand the project; this second one opens a stage where Carito and Germán can be proud of continuing to preserve Maipi’s essence and keeping alive the culture of the Valencián bars that have left a mark on everyone’s memory. “The first year was about adaptation and learning; during the second, we have begun to find our footing and introduce changes more naturally. We want to keep growing Maipi, but without turning it into something else. For us, ensuring the bar is still recognizable in ten or twenty years is just as important as everything we can contribute ourselves,” notes Carito.
Maipi’s current proposal maintains the market cuisine and the recipe book that form part of the bar’s identity, but it also incorporates its own way of working with products and understanding gastronomy. Shopping is still done item by item every day at the Mercado Central and the Mercado de Ruzafa, selecting fresh, seasonal products that set the pace of the menu. Classic tapas like *ensaladilla* or *ajoarriero* continue to hold a central place, but traditional preparations that are part of the house’s memory are also being recovered, such as oven-baked rice, *cazuelas*, and other slow-cooked dishes that Germán has been developing through his conversations with Pilar.
A legacy to preserve
“The first thing we felt was the enormous respect and vertigo we experienced taking over a house with over 40 years of history. But at the same time, enormous excitement. It was like becoming responsible for something that already belonged to the memory of València,” explains Carito Lourenço. “That was precisely what motivated us: the possibility of Maipi continuing to exist and being able to contribute our own perspective without losing what made it recognizable,” says Germán Carrizo.
Indeed, since opening its doors in 1983, Maipi had become one of the city’s classics: a neighbourhood bar linked to market cuisine, fresh products, and timeless recipes, but also a meeting place frequented by several generations of Valencians and numerous personalities. Footballers and sports journalists found Maipi to be one of their meeting points in the city, while in the 90s, its location facing the ABC Martí cinemas made it a mandatory stop for those attending premieres and, occasionally, for some of the stars of the Mostra de València.
Now, two years after the handover, Maipi has celebrated this new stage with “Maipi, a New Round,” an event that brought together the legends of Maipi—those who have been part of its history—and the new academy—people destined to be part of its present and future. The event itself played with this generational handover through various nostalgic elements, such as a limited-edition sticker album that attendees received upon arrival. The first to successfully complete it were able to sit down for dinner at the bar’s most iconic spot: the counter. The celebration also featured a quiz about Maipi’s past and present, with the winner receiving a Golden Pass to visit, along with a companion, three Tándem Gastronómico projects: La Oficina, Doña Petrona, and Maipi itself.
Carito and Germán, at the helm of Tándem Gastronómico
Before taking on the challenge of Maipi, Carito Lourenço and Germán Carrizo had already built their own careers within the culinary world. They are the founders of Tándem Gastronómico, a studio through which they have developed restaurant projects, consulting, and gastronomic management, allowing them to participate in the opening of more than 90 establishments. Their own projects include FIERRO (1 MICHELIN Star), which has been in the heart of Ruzafa for 11 years, La Oficina de Carito y Germán, and Doña Petrona. Their work at the helm of FIERRO has earned them a MICHELIN star, a recognition that has consolidated a career developed over many years in València.
Added to this is an experience that goes beyond the kitchen, encompassing concept creation, team management, and the development of gastronomic projects with their own unique identity. Since 2024, with Maipi, they have taken charge of a classic, proving that two years later, the venture is still going strong. Maipi continues, the team remains in the field, and they have proven beyond doubt that even after more than four decades, a classic can still be in top form.
Report by Will McCarthy
Article copyright ‘24/7 Valencia’
MAIPI
C/ Maestro José Serrano, 1
46005
Valencia
Ruzafa
Contacto
Hours:
Monday to Friday: 13:30h to 16:00h
from 20:00h a 23:00h.
Closed Saturdays and Sundays.
MORE ABOUT MAIPI
MAIPI – Website: https://maipi.es/
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