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Beer of the Week (w/e 14th April 2024) with Mobyduck
on the Pub Forum
Image posted by Old Boots
Submitted on Saturday, 9th March 2024
With picture contributions to 3231 other pubs
View all this pub's pictures (6 more images)
Detail Pages
Spanish Bar, Ilkeston
Ilkeston
DE7 5QJ
Served areas
Reviews of Spanish Bar (Average Rating: 7½ of 10) see review guidelines
Old Boots left this review about Spanish Bar
Four pulls with Oakham Citra, Exmoor Fox, Doombar, a Dancing Duck beer and four T-bars of mostly Molson Coors national brands on the counter to the left greet you as you enter this multi space bar. The space down a step to the left appears to be another bar, I spotted three pulls and a T-bar in there but I suspect nothing different. The place goes back a long way and there’s a garden at the back and another room off to the front right, it’s probably several shops knocked together. Decorated with a very nice stone floor pattern Lino with cream or navy painted or distressed wood wallpapered walls. I think the Spanish bit is the Madri and Estrella lagers sold, it possibly includes tapas on its menu as well. I found it a little impersonal and the beer average.
On 9th March 2024
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 3230 recommendations about 2939 pubs]
Pub SignMan left this review about Spanish Bar
This is a large and very lively pub spread out across three or four distinct areas. You enter into the main bar space with the servery down the left-hand wall of a stone tile floored room, with chairs and low stools to the front and high tables and stools further back. The walls have been painted in a purple and cream colour scheme which makes some parts of the room feel bright and airy, whilst other spots have more of a darker, cosier feel to them. The servery has a long, slightly curved counter with a stone wall bar back topped with a large TV screen showing live football, flanked by two large clocks. Some fancy light shades and unusual artwork on the walls add a good amount of visual distraction in what might otherwise have been a plainer space. To the front left is a side room with overspill seating, whilst another slightly raised side room to the right of the bar has loads more seating, another TV screen showing the same muted match and a mix of quirky art and plain mirrors on the walls. The pub runs back past the bar, into a packed room which seemed to have some sort of Elvis impersonator doing his thing to great acclaim, although he took a break before I had time to fight my way through the crowd and was replaced by some very loud music blaring through the sound system.
Four cask ales were pouring – Dancing Duck DCUK, Oakham Citra, Thornbridge Jaipur and Sharps Doom Bar. The DCUK was in very good condition and served to me by one of the friendly and efficient bar team who kept things ticking over nicely despite the packed house, ensuring no long queues at he bar. With some time to kill before my bus out of town, I stayed for a quick half of the Citra, which was also on fine form.
This was a somewhat manic visit that is surely not representative of a ‘normal’ visit to this pub. The place was absolutely rocking on this particular Sunday afternoon, and I enjoyed being part of that and sampling some of their well-kept beer, but I can equally imagine settling down here for a quiet pint or two at less busy times.
On 11th September 2023
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Bucking Fastard left this review about Spanish Bar
ORIGINAL REVIEW May 2011
Situated in the town centre ,doormen are required at busy times and the pub is popular with crawlers and a fair amount of totty of various ages mix easily with ale drinkers,pensioners and those lads keen on Spanish football aired on the large screen in the room away from the bar.That seemed the end of the Spanish connection,no tapas in sight.
Given it's GBG listing ,I was expecting a variety of locally brewed ales from some of the award winning teams close by,but the chalk board included the always awful Bombardier casting doubt on the thinking here.Luckily the board was out of date but the ales sampled by the crew were either insipid or in poor condition despite a wide range.Bar staff didn't seem familiar with what they were pulling,and their main focus was to deal with the throng at the bar so maybe the timing of our visit was sub optimal.However I wouldn't be inclined to a revisit.
UPDATE
A lot of money has been spent on an extensive internal refurb with smart furniture,wood panelled walls and modern bar .Covid T&T was observed and the bar had perspex screens.Clearly used by the young ,signs at the tables asks for no shouting between tables,no furniture movement and no gathering at tables other than the one allocated to you.
It would appear there is a rotating selection of real ale and both my Tiny Rebel Cwtch and Salopian Lemon Dream were clear ,although the latter is a poor brew from this normally reliable source.There were a couple of other real ales available ,so if crawling the area put this on the list.
On 12th September 2020
- rating: 6
[User has posted 2727 recommendations about 2727 pubs]
View more reviews of Spanish Bar (8)
No known official website for this pub.
- Facebook - Spanish Bar Official
- CAMRA WhatPub :: Spanish Bar - whatpub.com
Pub Details
Pub details supplied by members of this site to the best of their knowledge. Please check with pub directly before making a special trip.
- Accommodation : No last updated 11 September 2023 by Pub SignMan
- Bar Billiards : No last updated 11 September 2023 by Pub SignMan
- Beer Festivals : Yes last updated 03 July 2017 by Will Larter
- Beer Garden : Yes last updated 03 July 2017 by Will Larter
- Car Park : No last updated 02 August 2013 by Alan Winfield
- Darts : Yes last updated 11 September 2023 by Pub SignMan
- Dog Friendly : Yes last updated 11 September 2023 by Pub SignMan
- Hot Food : No last updated 11 September 2023 by Pub SignMan
- Jukebox : No last updated 11 September 2023 by Pub SignMan
- Live Music : Yes last updated 11 September 2023 by Pub SignMan
- Live TV Sports : Yes last updated 03 July 2017 by Will Larter
- Micropub : No last updated 11 September 2023 by Pub SignMan
- Pinball : No last updated 11 September 2023 by Pub SignMan
- Pool Table : No last updated 11 September 2023 by Pub SignMan
- Real Ale : Yes last updated 02 August 2013 by Alan Winfield
- Real Cider : Yes last updated 11 September 2023 by Pub SignMan
- Wheelchair Access : Yes last updated 11 September 2023 by Pub SignMan
- WiFi : Yes last updated 11 September 2023 by Pub SignMan
