Bar Review – The Matador, Orlando, FL

The Matador – 56 E. Pine St., Orlando, FL

Anyone who has known me for a few years knows that The Matador is my default bar of choice in Orlando. One of the main reasons is that it was opened by three friends of mine, all of whom have known me since I was knee-high to a grasshopper (that means I was really young). Don’t let that bias affect your perception of this review, however, because this is easily one of the best bars downtown Orlando has to offer.

When you first enter The Matador, the two things that are most striking are the incredibly long bar on the right and the open loft on the left. Your first impression may be that it’s an upscale, trendy place, but don’t let that throw you off. It’s a t-shirt and jeans kind of bar, just the way I like it.

The Matador is a very inviting space, even when it’s packed with people. It’s usually pretty easy to find an area at the bar to get an order in, but if it’s too crowded, you can always head upstairs to the “side bar” in the loft. Granted, there isn’t quite the same selection up there, but they have the essentials. At the main bar, their tap beer selection is high quality and covers a wide range of styles. The only downside is that there are only 5 of them. As for bottles, it’s the standard fare with a few rarities thrown in, like Orange Blossom Pilsner, a local beer brewed with real orange blossom honey.

Once you’ve gotten your drink, the choices of where to enjoy it are pretty vast. They’ve got tables and chairs outside if you want to get away from the crowd, or you can sit up front near the wall-length windows. There are couches and chairs upstairs in the loft as well as a back room that’s set up like a cozy little living room. There’s also seating around the pool table below the loft, but that can be a pain if people are playing. You’ll constantly be asked to move so that they can position their shots. In short, it’s usually pretty easy to find a little nook to hang out in because the place is so big.

The bartenders are always awesome, quick, and courteous. They’ve even got some attractive ladies behind the bar, but they keep it classy. The drinks are strong and the prices are right.

My only complaint about The Matador is that they took away the jukebox they used to have. When I first started going there in 2005, it was awesome to walk in on a Tuesday night, put a dollar in and listen to some of the best collection of songs I’ve ever seen in a CD jukebox. I’m sure that a lot of people played the same songs throughout the course of a night though, and you can only listen to so much Ryan Adams before something must be done, so I can’t really fault them for ditching it.

If you’re looking for a cool, spacious, laid-back bar in Orlando, you have to check out The Matador. You can’t find a better mixture of atmosphere, price, and space in the downtown area.

[The Matador on Myspace]