El-ATENEO Grand Splendid
World’s Most Beautiful Bookstore & Bibliophile’s Heaven
This is the worlds most beautiful bookstore which is setup in a historic palatial theatre, which was called the Teatro Gran Splendid back in 1919 built by rchitects Peró and Torres Armengol.
The theatre turned Bookstore has once hosted great tango shows and has remained a cinema too.
The ecleticist building having retained its original frescoes ceilings painted by an Italian Painter “Nazareno Orlandi” , the balconies that are turned into spots where one can get a good read, the theatre boxes turned into shelves, remain aesthetically appealing and takes you back it time.
It has great variety of books, stationary items and a coffee shop too with some live piano music, that are set up in the space that was once used as a stage for the performing art pieces.
National Geographic and The Guardians has acknowledged the beauty of the bookstore as well.