Bradley's Spanish Bar, Fitzrovia, W1

Official site of Bradley's Spanish Bar - www.bradleysspanishbar.com

Official site of Bradley's Spanish Bar - www.bradleysspanishbar.com

We used to frequent this place too many times to recall in the late '80s and early '90s and what a hoot. On warm summer evenings drinkers would spill out onto Hanway Street virtually blocking it. It was run by two elderly Spanish wrestlers(?) - their photos adorned the walls - and the price of drinks would vary throughout the evening; no two rounds would cost the same. The two-floor bar is very cramped and the men's loo was diabolical - so narrow that you'd risk ending up in the urinal if someone passed you. However, it did have a certain charm and today looks unchanged.

This is a small Spanish place with two bars that are very relaxed, although it has seen better days and the gent's toilet is an abomination. This all probably adds to the good atmosphere of the bar as the posers that frequent most pubs in this area wouldn't be seen dead in here. As is to be expected there are all kinds of foreign currency stuck to the walls behind the bar and all the staff that I met were Spanish and very friendly with it. The jukebox has many great tunes on it and the other customers seemed to have the same sort of taste in music as myself which was handy. There is a selection of premium lagers alongside John Smiths, Guinness and Strongbow. This is a grubby place, but I thought it had a certain charm and would visit again.