The Matador

Great local spot perfect for starting your night out! They offer relatively affordable drinks, and the bartenders are pretty cool. There's a pool table that you don't have to pay for, darts, and lots of comfortable places to sit. Outside is a chill vibe as well, with several seats and tables out front - I've been there 3 times, and it's never been super crowded. Parking can be a challenge at times, but there are lots nearby to park at. I recommend starting out here if you're bar hopping and then walking to the mills (about a 5 minute walk, and you'll pass several bars along the way)

One of the few remaining spots for locals that doesn’t get packed like a can of sardines. The drinks here are well made, the crowd is always diverse and down to earth. No uptight bougie stuff here, their version of a mule kicks ass and takes names. Recommend if you wanna just unwind, plenty of food in the area as well. The free games in the back room are always a favorite.

The energy is always in good paces when Tiffany is working! Even with a packed bar, she always takes the time to acknowledge waiting guests while still maintaining superior drink execution. It’s also refreshing to see someone who makes a little effort in their appearance !

Vibe central! Chandler at the bar whipping up great cocktails. His personality definitely added to our awesome experience here.

I love the atmosphere at The Matador. It’s a great local spot to grab a drink after a long day and the staff is always so down to earth. The girl bartender is really funny and pours a mean drink. I’d go back there for her alone.

Shocked is an understatement for how our group was treated at this bar. Go here if you’d like to be berated by bartenders in front of other patrons, pushed, spit and even cursed at by barbacks for absolutely no reason. Nobody in our group were belligerent or rude. The hostility by staff was unfathomable and disappointing as we are all locals and have worked in the industry. Our group were made out to be nuisances for trying to enjoy a last beverage at last call and the staff targeted only our friends of color but continued to serve their friends instead in front of us. Stop going here.

Worst experience ever. First Tiffany was our bartender and she was super shady and rude. Our group only had 2 drinks each and asked for shots 5 mins before closing and the staff came over in our face to force us out of the bar. Even grabbed one of my friends' drinks out of his hand. Excuse me? It's not illegal to ask for a shot BEFORE 2am. They corned one of my friends like they were about to jump him too. Absolute disgusting behavior. We all work in the industry so to see a bar act like that was unbelievable.

Simple, Spanish/Catholic inspired digs. Pool table, darts, comfy sofas, tasty cocktails and good company can all be found here.

Love Matador, great place to play pool or darts, Tiffany is my favorite and she makes a mean old fashioned

I had never been to this bar but decided to give it a try with my sister and BIL. It is a cozy bar with inside and outside seating, a pool table and a dart section. It is a good place to relax and get a drink to wrap up a busy week or just to chill and enjoy a couple of drinks. I got a Campari Spritz and it sure was a good one! We will be back.

I'm sorry but there is always bad vibes at this bar. Super raunchy. Super rude female bartender. There's like no AC because I was literally melting in there. Don't waste your time.

Stop by in this bar and seemed to be a good local bar. Drinks are pretty basic. Nice mohair and local crowd.

This was my first visit here since they moved to this location. I always enjoyed the downtown location, and this one is even better. It is dark and cozy inside. the outside patio adjacent to Santiago's is a great spot to hang out as well. Service was great here by the bartenders. They can make great cocktails and serve them up quickly. This is a fun place to hang out.

The atmosphere and relaxing and fun old school music. I like the decor as well. Drink well prepared.

Seemed like a good bar but they didn't accept my 22 yr old ID?? I've never had this happen to before. Maybe it's because I am Asian.

The Matador is one of my favorite local cocktail bars! It's never too crowded and it's a fun spot to chill with friends. I usually go for the Old Fashioned or the G&T on tap and then shoot some pool. There's plenty of indoor seating, cozy vintage sofas, and a large patio out front. This bar is located right next to Santiago's Bodega, so it's a great place to grab drinks while you wait for a table or after dinner for a night cap. Parking can be tricky since the lot behind the building is usually full from the restaurant, but you can easily find street parking on any of the side streets in the neighborhood off Virginia.

This place has a very cool and crafty vibe. I love how eclectic the atmosphere is, with all kinds of comfy chairs, decor, and crazy wall art. It's got history and you can feel it. The cocktails are great too, I always end up with the seasonal/signature gin spritz. They also have pool and darts closer to the back. Great for a chill night with friends

BEST VIBE IN ALL OF ORLANDO. This is my go-to spot for a fantastic evening of shenanigans - located in the Virginia/ Mills area. You can come here with just about any friend/crew from the most norm-core to the most eccentric, and everyone will feel at home, co-mingle in the frivolity, and enjoy the great vibes and music. There's a free pool table, darts, and other retro games. So - even if you come in by yourself, there's plenty of ways to meet people and make new friends. It's right next to Santiago's, so a great place to swing through before/after. The front porch is a great place to hang out and get swept into fascinating conversations. The bar owner is the BEST, most hilarious, wonderful person. He used to be in a famous 90s band. I'll let you ask him about it.

Whenever I'm in the Ivanhoe area, The Matador is usually the spot to hop into. What I enjoy most is their rustic, Romanticism-like decor and taste is music (get ready for some throwbacks!). As for drinks, cocktails are refreshingly unique and decorative. Wait time for a beverage is average, and pool table is almost always taken, though people are courteous of those wanting to join in. I enjoy grabbing a drink and heading over to the back nook area for some darts!

horrible customer service, the bar tender/ owner will make you feel insane if you order any thing from the menu. Avoid this place at all cost, no lie, especially as a woman.

Come if you want to try something fun and creative! The staff post their own recipes and so far they have steered me in the right direction so I will ignore some of the playfully cocky interactions with bartenders.

This is my spot. The gin and tonic on tap is perfection. I love the atmosphere so so much. Service is always top tier.

Tiffany, Matt, and Kyle are the best bartenders in the area of Orlando. Definitely a place that everyone that comes to Mills Ave should check out. Great drinks for a good price. Good music, with a great rock/alternative playlist. Ask for the Mezcal Margarita or a Fernet shot.

Can't contact the bar because the website and phone number does not work. Not sure how to contact the business

thought the barback was the bartender, he greeted everyone and the. repeatedly would have to get the bartender to do her job rude chick making drinks last night also she was v slow ignored other guests won't be back.. cute place tho

Dude, rude rude rude rude rude. Just a guy on vacation having a good time who's night was completely stifled by horrible bartenders. You know how it is being in your mid 20's at places that stay open past 12 am, wether you're a nice person or not, you'll probably be treated like a college douche. This is one of those places who hires bare minimum staff that apparently don't give a rats ass wether your night stays good after leaving. There is no reason to be an asshole in this atmosphere ever, especially to guests. Place was recommended to me by someone I had met at another bar. Cool atmosphere and fun music. Whoever the female bartender was on 3/11/23 needs a reality check or some love from someone other than her cat. Good old fashioned tho at a nice price ;) Matt f*** you. Go to guest house or Tori Tori, they have amazing bartenders!

Great atmosphere. Get away from the madness of down town and come here. The bartenders make amazing drinks and have great customer service. The crowd is full of mature people looking to have a good time. Highly recommend this spot!

Came here with my friend for some drinks and to catch up. Cool little bar with nice decors and very dark antique-ish vibe. Love the interior. Their drink selections are delicious. Bartenders are nice and attentive and can make anything you want. It gets a little loud but it's a nice place to hang out. There's a outside patio as well. I like that they have free pool and certain games. We wanted to play but unfortunately it was full. Parking is easier if you get there early and there's street parking available.

Just stopped by for s drink with a friend. Nice neighbor hood bar. The has a pool table inside and conf chairs. We sat outside and enjoyed the weather. They have 5 tables out side. It's all connected to 2 other places. I have Jack and Coke and service was nice. Parking was fun to find. Will be back

The Matador is a gem. In fact this whole little strip of restaurants and bars are a perfect relaxed Friday night spent.

Matthew is an amazing bartender. Truly don't think I've ever seen a faster bartender, especially not with such high volume on a Saturday night. He can make multiple craft cocktails at once (like insanely fast) and he said he's only been bartending for a few weeks. I'm IMPRESSED!

One bad experience can ruin the place you've loved for years! I've been coming here for few years now. I've never ever had an issue with the bartender before until today. I came with 6 other people and we were looking forward to chilling here. It's a Sunday night so it's not that busy. Three people that were at the bar already had drinks so Mariel (the bartender) took my order. My friend came to the bar to order and said what she wanted but right at that moment 3 men walked in so she immediately took their order and completely forgot my friends order. I got my drink and came outside. My friends waited at the bar but after 10 minutes they just walked away, disappointed by the service. Pretty baffling that they weren't able to get drinks when the bar wasn't even that busy. The horrible customer service aside, they have completely changed their gin and tonic on tap. I remember a day when it actually used to be good. Now it just tastes like water. Very disappointed!!

I like the theme of this place, they have a pool table, dart room area and a little cozy corner with couch and comfy arm chairs. Nice place to hangout, it's not too loud. They also have patio area. I totally forgot the drink that I ordered but it was pretty good.

2019 Review 67/100 A cool and unique bar with cool vibes. A nice play for a low key drink. The interior feels kind of vintage with low lighting. Very moody. It's not a huge place but it works if you're there with a smaller group. There is one central bar area with tables and couches scattered around the bar. They also have a pool table. Service is friendly and the drinks are good. I think this place is generally overlooked and under-rated. It's pretty great.

Went here for the first time the other night because friends looked it up when they were looking for the best Old Fashion around. They seemed to enjoy their drinks. I ended up ordering the Matador Mule. i will say that it was actually quite tasty. Just the right amount of liquor to ginger beer. The place was not too busy considering it was around 10 pm on a Wednesday evening. It's nice that you can either sit at the bar, or play pool, or go in the dart room and socialize while playing a fun game of darts. I would say though, I wish there were more than one bathroom per gender and would prefer that it was a bit cleaner in there.

Went here right when they opened on a Sunday night with a friend so we could catch up with some drinks in a fun atmosphere. We were the only ones there for a bit so we took advantage and snapped some pics in the cute eclectic American home in the 70-80s vibe. The bartender Salba was real nice and offered up great suggestions for drinks that were equally tasty and strong Overall the vibe was pretty chill and no nonsense which was perfect. Check this place out for sure.

The Matador does not seem like much from the outside. You may even completely miss it while driving by. However, this is such a cool little bar with an eclectic taste in decor and interestingly enough, a wide range of personalities. We went to the Matador last week to chill after a long day of work and were pleasantly surprised with the drinks, the ambiance, and the people. I ordered a delicious gin drink (the Sunflower) and sat at the bar, where I was greeted by a very friendly bartender. Looking around there were people of all ages and walks of life, all hanging out together and feeling comfortable in the space. Their craft cocktails are delicious and unique. My yummy Sunflower was a classic gin cocktail with St. Germain, lemon, and Cointreau, with a surprising twist of an absinthe wash. Great place to hang out with all of your friends!

This is my go to spot on Virginia, I am a sucker for easy going bars that have a selection of cocktails and beer. The Matador also has a free-to-play pool table in the middle of the bar, you'll be troubled to find another in the same part of town that isn't in a hole in the wall type of place. The Matador has a great beer selection, rotating cocktail menu and is staffed with fantastic bartenders who are both knowledgable and helpful with getting you served. They also have Chartreuse which is becoming increasingly more difficult for me to find but immediately sets them apart from other spots IMO. Our visit last night (on a Tuesday) was very pleasant, we were only in for a single cocktail following our dinner. There was about a dozen people, most of which were outside. They have 2 TVs just in case you want to watch the game, inside also has ample seating. The Matador is awesome, we will definitely be back.

Drive by this place often. So this time on my way home from work, I thought I'd give it try. Plenty of empty tables on tge patio. But I the Hostess told me I needed a reservation. I didn't know they required reservations. Some other time I guess ... or not ...

Cool place, kinda loud and hard to grab a drink. But cool place to hang with friends and have some drinks.

My favorite Orlando bar! You have to try the gin and tonic on tap and a Seasonal Collins, which changes flavors every few weeks. I've tried strawberry matcha and blackberry lavender! Probably the best part of The Matador is its aesthetic; the interior is filled with antique couches and decor, red walls and dim lighting, with a pool table that's free to play. The bartenders are friendly and always have great music playing. The perfect mellow, local spot - you'll feel right at home!

Excellent little neighborhood bar. Drinks are good and fairly priced, bartenders are nice, and they have ample seating and a free video game cabinet!Parking can be a challenge since they share their lot with Santiago's and Orlando Meats and they can get a little busy on Friday and Saturday after 9:00 or so, but it's never intolerable. Smoking is allowed on the patio but not inside.

What a cool speakeasy vibe in the Mills 50 district. We were given the recommendation by a local bartender, and so glad we checked it out. Mariel is fantastic, and makes some seriously delicious drinks! The Old Fashioned and Seasonal Collins were our favorites. We started our evening out there, then came back because of her. There's a reason it was the top spot on our handwritten recommendations from Maria at Hanson's. (Check her out, too!)

Nice staff. Decent drinks. Chill ambiance. Too many butters in my old fashioned. Chill after happy hour at Santiago's next door.

We were referred to this place from some workers at Santiago's. Our servers, Tiffany and Kevin, seemed extremely annoyed by us with an attitude and complete dryness. They lied about having fresh lemon juice and then when they seemed annoyed we asked if it was because it was last call and Kevin said "yeah we close at 2" meanwhile it was 1:30. We would've had one drink and left since we're also in the industry. They treated the other customers just fine. It was our first time there and We will definitely not be back. Stick to Santiago's, guesthouse or Tori Tori

Drinks: Gin Mule! It's not on the menu but it was recommended by one of the friendly bartenders. It's delicious! If you're a fan of gin, I suggest ordering one! Their menu cocktails are also great: old fashioned is strong! If you like wine, go for the Malbec! Atmosphere: I love the outside deck area with plenty of spots to stand or sit. The inside has a few vintage seats, but not a lot. There is free pool - just make sure you're there early if you want to go for that. Clean restrooms. Fantastic playlist! Service: craft cocktails take time, so you may be waiting a little while for a drink. But that's just how it is! Bartenders are cool and nice. Door guy remembered me after my first time there. Matador is a great spot for a relaxed night out with friends!

This place is a quiet place before a certain time of day. The drinks are unique and tasty. The prices are decent. The inside looks interesting with different types of decor for all the different vibes there are.

Gin and Tonic on TAP is where it's at people! Best G&T I've ever had. The bar is quirky, weird unmatching furniture (kinda looks like you're in some old-timey living room). There's a couple of pool tables and a lot of space and small tables and couches to sit at and socialize. The bartenders are friendly and the drinks are strong and good. A little pricey, but definitely worth it. This would be a great date place - maybe to stop by after a great meal at the neighboring Santiago's Bodega!

If you're looking for a drink cocktail made by alcohol artists, this is the place for you! Great relaxed atmosphere between downtown and Winter Park.

I only visited The Matador once but I left excited to come back again. The Old Fashioned I had was well-made (and strong) and there's a specialty white Negroni that I want to come back and try. There's a lone billiard table in there but it's free to play! My wife and I were able to get 3 games in without anybody bugging us to play next. I liked the moody interior and relaxing atmosphere and I especially liked that when I got hungry, Santiago's Bodega was right next door. I will definitely be bringing friends here the next time I need a place to chill.

We love coming here when we need a break from beer on our usual Virginia Drive pub crawl. The gin & tonic is my go-to and I'm never disappointed. The service can be hit or miss depending on how busy it is, but I feel like that's typical of bars. They always play great music and decor is fun to look at as well.

This is a really cool, chill, kitschy place with awesome decor and plenty of places to find good seating, whether inside or outside. The bartenders are awesome and the gin and tonics were excellent.

Oh yeah, diggin' the new location in Ivanhoe Village. Took over the old Sip location so it's already a great venue to start with. They have some delicious craft cocktails available and if Steph is working, she makes a mean Negroni! It's pretty loud in here when it's poppin' - no smoking tho so that is a huge plus. This does lead to a ton of people hangin' out front but it adds to the ambiance. So if you wanna grab a drink and have you pup in tow, hang outside. They also have had a food truck here a few times I stopped in so that is a plus. Check it out, great addition to the Ivanhood community!

I took some friends from out of town to The Matador Saturday night. The 3 Stars of my review are there only because both of the bartenders were nice, friendly and helpful. I don't want to sound like an uppity dude, but everything else was missing something. First, the space... to me... if feels like it's just unfinished. There is some eclectic furniture scattered around, but it just doesn't feel well thought out. It felt sort of empty and haphazard. Don't get me wrong I usually love eclectic, but somehow their version just feels sad. Parking was a bear. No spaces at all close by. I ended up dropping my posse off and finding a parking spot about 4 blocks away. Booooooo! The last and final critique is the harshest. There was a group of sperry-wearing, silly too-short, short-wearing, frat boy types that were just plain unpleasant to be around. They were loud, they were loud, they were LOUD. What the hell is it about straight frat-boy type dudes that makes them have to YELL AT EACH OTHER even when they are only a foot or two away from their bros? Are they trying to establish their dominance in the animal kingdom? Attract fertile females of the species? As if!!!!! Guys! Wearing sperry (or sperry-like shoes), silly little shorts that are, by most standards too short, and YELLING AT YOUR BRO WHO IS ONLY A FOOT AWAY FROM YOU makes you look like an asshat. Sorry, but somebody had to say it.

A friend and I were here not long ago and for the first time since it opened. As a big fan of The Matador when it was located downtown, I was expecting great things at the new location. It didn't disappoint. As Alyx K. mentioned, the inside of the bar is pretty spacious and provides a few different seating options. The décor is very cool and reminded me a lot of the old Matador. I miss the upstairs part that the old one had and the new one does not, though ... but I'll live. The bar seemed to have a fair selection of beer, though nothing truly unique and that I would otherwise find at Redlight Redlight, Milk Bar, etc. I had one Stella Artois (from a bottle) and I think it was $4. My friend had a Guinness, which I believe also was $4. The prices seem to be pretty fair, if not slightly lower than at most places. I'm used to paying at least $5 for a Guinness when I occasionally have one, so if they're $4 here then that's not a bad deal. The customers at Matador on the night we were here were a little zany. A pretty woman approached us while we hung out outside after obtaining our beers and asked to join us, but only a moment later was interacting with the people at the table next to ours. She seemed friendly enough, but also may have had a lot to drink. She was harmless, though. It looks like decent people hang out here, which is a good sign and probably will bring me back every now and then. I definitely prefer RL RL, The Imperial, Milk Bar and even The Hideaway and Wally's when I hang out in this part of town, but I will do my best to stop in at The Matador whenever I can. Hopefully it thrives in its new location in, my opinion, one of the best neighborhoods in town. (Note: There may or may not be outdoor seating ... on the night I went, there were tables outside, but no chairs ... and when I drove by another time, I saw people seated at the tables. Maybe they just didn't bring the chairs out on the night I went.)

The Matador is amazing. The Gin and Tonic on tap is one of the best G & T's that I've ever had. I ordered two cocktails as did my girlfriend and they were all on point. Their great beer selection compliments their well crafted cocktails. The decor inside is very nice as well matching the name of the Bar with a "Matador" theme. I'm definitely going to be coming back here.

Went here for first time last night. Very cool bar and decor, bartenders were accommodating even though they were very busy. Would give it 5 stars but it's pretty expensive even for basic well liquor. I would return though. Seems like a good spot for a date or intimate gathering. Music is not overbearing and plenty of seating/furniture.

I was charged $9.00...that's NINE dollars for a "WELL Whiskey Sour." The grumpy middle aged bar tender charged me NINE dollars for a Makers Mark Whiskey Sour...I would be surprised if the the whole bottle costed NINE dollars...there were 7 people in the bar, 4 of them were my friends. 3 of them were staff, yet she seemed like she didn't have the time of day for me. NINE dollars ladies and gentlemen. ......NINE dollars. #gotosantiagos