I absolutely love this place! The drinks are delicious and the vibes are always perfect! Parking can be a pain sometimes as the back lot fills up fast but there's a few nearby lots. The bartenders are a good time and they make sure the vibes stay perfect. You can find all walks of life and youre bound to meet a new friend. Def a must stop for Orlando barhopping read more

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Great place to come and hang out with friends and catch up. You can think the ambience & eclectic design layout and drink some tasty craft cocktails, me myself being a tequila guy I went for the spicy margarita which definitely packed a punch. Very cool area also if you want to go bar hopping but not be in downtown Orlando. read more

The Matador - Spicy Habanero Margarita - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Orlando, Florida

I went here with a friend for some cocktails. They were awesome. Matt was our bartender and he was amazing. I have to give him the biggest shoutout for noticing some extremely intoxicated relentless men bothering us and asking us if we were okay. It's nice to know that he was watching out for our wellbeing. The place was packed on a Saturday night. People were playing pool and having fun. Nice, safe bar. read more

The Matador - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Orlando, Florida

This is a cute spot in the outskirts of downtown that has a great vibe. The bartenders and servers are very welcoming and friendly so it's a nice place to just chill. I love that they have outdoor seating and the decor inside is very classic. If you're looking for a late night spot for food and drinks, this is the place to go. I really appreciated that it's not too divy but everyone was just there to have fun. Honestly, the only reason I didn't give them 5 stars is because I'm still a little confused on whether or not they serve food and if so I haven't tried it yet. Our drinks were awesome though! read more

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. read more

The Matador - Campari Spritz time! - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Orlando, Florida

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. read more

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

The Matador - a man standing at a bar - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Orlando, Florida

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. read more

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 read more

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. read more

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! read more

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.

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. read more

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. read more

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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 read more

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

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. read more

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

The Matador - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Orlando, Florida

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!! read more

The Matador - Gin and tonic - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Orlando, Florida

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. read more

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. read more

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. read more

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. read more

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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. read more

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! read more

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! read more

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

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. read more

The Matador - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Orlando, Florida

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. read more

The Matador - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Orlando, Florida

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! read more

The Matador - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Orlando, Florida

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. read more

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! read more

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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. read more

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.) read more

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! read more

The Matador - Bartender Matthew slinging behind the bar! - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Orlando, Florida

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! read more

I love that Orlando has a few of these really great spots for a good cocktail or specialty drink mixed to perfection. The Matador folks take this stuff seriously and I appreciate the time and effort they put into every drink. If the bar is empty (before 9ish), make sure to chat with one of the bartenders to get a great recommendation. For me- I enjoy a good Moscow Mule (I know, how hipster of me), and a Tom Collins. They have perfected these two mainstays and I can't wait to have them recommend something new next time I go. Also, the place is gorgeous. The inside is decorated to perfection (dark, moody, great vintage couches and chairs), and they're building a deck out front (to match the one next door). I'm a fan! read more

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! read more

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! read more

The Matador - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Orlando, Florida

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. read more