I was in Santa Fe for a ridiculously niche lawyers conference and wandered into El Matador on a random Thursday night. Then I came back Friday. And Saturday. Not because of the drinks. Not because of the atmosphere. Not because of the location. Because of Katya. Katya is not my favorite bartender. She is my favorite human being. I've spent enough time in bars to know when someone is good at their job. Katya operates on an entirely different level. She can take what feels like sixteen orders at once, remember every single one, deliver them with absolute precision, keep the entire room moving, somehow do the math in her head, and still make every customer feel like they're the only person sitting at the bar. The basement bar itself is exactly what a great dive should be; a shithole. Heavy hobo stab vibes upon entry, including Katya. Smell: multiple buttholes farting at once. Climate control: sweaty patron dependent. Lighting: liability. TV: playing a rotation of trash 80s DVDs . If business schools were smart, they'd study her. If hospitality groups were smart, they'd clone her. If Santa Fe has any sense at all, they'll do whatever it takes to keep her exactly where she is. Cash only, so come prepared. And bring plenty of it, because she deserves every penny. Katya must be protected at all costs. read more

Kind of a grungy, punk, divey vibe. Not exactly my thing, but where that feels unique to me this is the kind of place to remind yourself it takes all kinds. A busy setting and top candidate for beginning or ending your Santa Fe drunk parade. That is to say, it is fun. It is not refined. But it clearly does not want to be. :) read more

All dive bars are unique. But what sets The Matador apart is its low brow art collection, liberal pours, lots of neighborhood regulars and roster of DJ's. Some night it's punk... some nights it's '80's. I love seeing 20-year-olds running to dance to Van Halen. Go figure. read more

Best bar in town!!!! Everybody is welcome here. Great music, great drink prices, and a great crowd. *Cash only. read more

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Great dive bar for the area. Friendly service. Didn't eat anything. I did witness an object fly off the top of the beer fridge and crash into the back of the bar. The bartender lady said it was their local ghost. I don't really believe in the supernatural. But I can't explain how that object moved on its own. read more

Greatest dive bar in town!!! Service is amazing!!! Good beer and music!!! Worth finding. Doesn't get going until after everything else has closed!!! read more

I would hardly call this a punk bar anymore. Lately, more of a Latin bar, based on the music and crowd. Where is Katya? read more

The guy at the front taking ID's decked in army gear and wearing glasses was very weird and off-putting. Other than that, it's a great bar with a chill vibe! The owners should really check who they hire, though. Last thing someone wants to see at a bar is a guy who thinks he's in Vietnam or something. read more

The heavy metal music was too loud and unnerving. Small basement bar, that is more of a dive bar. They were playing obscure war movies on the tv. I'm not sure what they are going for??? read more

Santa Fe is known for its awesome cultural attractions, food, weather, and many other qualities. And yet there's times when you don't necessarily seek a superlative experience. Perhaps you desire some earthiness, a bit of grunge even. The Matador fills the bill. This basement dive bar effuses those characteristics and then some. Even the underground location adds to its charm. Although the address lists a San Francisco Street location, the entrance is a bit hard to find off of Galisteo Street across from Evangelo's (another fun bar to visit). Head down the concrete stairs and enter into a cozy and compact space. The decor won't win any awards but you'll feel at home with the friendly bartenders and heavy pours. Karla is our favorite and is wise beyond her young years. This is an awesome joint to cap an evening of revels in Santa Fe. Highly recommended. read more

The Matador - Karla, the awesome attack bartender. - Dive Bars Near Me - Santa Fe, New Mexico

Loved the vibes here, very divey. The bartenders were super awesome as well.. will definitely return when back in Santa Fe.

Fantastic dive in the heart of Santa Fe. Unique vs the rest of the town. No frills. Cash only. Great people watching. Strong pours. Great punk decor. Earl was our bartender and he's awesome. read more

Nightlife in sleepy Santa Fe can be a challenge, so Matador came in clutch on our recent visit there on a Friday night. No frills, cash only, dark and underground- nice spot for a beer or mixed drink after a long night. An alt oasis in the desert. read more

We were looking for a place to play darts with friends near downtown. We LUCKED into this spot! It's DOWNTOWN (YAY!) & TINY (perfectly) and in the "basement" -- eclectic decor & 1 dart board were perfect for our drinks before dinner. Phil, the bartender, was fun to banter with & the two other customers who were there joined in the fun. Reasonable prices! We'll DEFINITELY BE BACK! (And so will our friends who were with us -- and everyone we've told in Santa Fe!) :) Cheers! read more

It's the only Neo-Punk destination in Santa Fe New Mexico ! Bring your Cash and Attitude, but leave your Credit Cards & Pretense at home ~ ! read more

The Matador - Vampires rendition of me from 1880's Old West Taos, back when things were really wild... - Dive Bars Near Me - Santa Fe, New Mexico

Loved the bar. Ive taken many trips to Santa Fe and finally made it in. Had a great time then stubbled home read more

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Not the bar downtown Santa Fe wants, but the Bar that downtown Santa Fe NEEDS!!! The Matador is a alternative grungy underground bar, open until 02:00am. That's like an undiscovered African 10 karat blood diamond in the land of geriatric Native American flute playing music. It's cash only my friends. Just look for the inconspicuous stone stairwell illuminated by a red light and come down. A bar to just be real and have free fun. Kick off those bejeweled cowboy boots and that southwestern patterned poncho and come have some grungy, raw fun! read more

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Just the best place . No attitude all real place . The staff is unpretentious and super friendly . The energy there is eclectic.

I agree with Simone L, "Dive" bar, unpretentious, come as you are, no expectations, just genuine people, open to all kinds of fun & all kinds of adventures." We travel about in the US and abroad and often look for friendly establishments that welcome everyone to include LGBT clientele. This small ground/basement level true to it's description, "dive bar" was a welcomed surprise in the center of the city with a feeling of anyone and everyone of any legal age welcomed. We went late one evening after dinner but had to wait as it didn't open at the time described however, it was and worth the wait. It will be a stop anytime we're in Santa Fe. read more

Classic dive. A Santa Fe staple. If you haven't been to Matador and you're in Santa Fe, stop and go now. It's small, cash only, and the can get overcrowded easily. But for a stiff drink with heavy pours, go here! read more

As dive as you can get! I was town for a few days and luckily found this place on an evening stroll. When you find the address look down, it is below street level, follow the nasty looking concrete steps down! And settle in for a healthy pour, classic movie on the one TV and loud music. read more

The Matador - a glass of gingleton next to a bottle of gingleton - Dive Bars Near Me - Santa Fe, New Mexico

This is freaking cool place!!!! I'd say the other word if I thought it would pass the censors. If you can handle a loud, punk, underground bar, this is the place for you! I know when we walked in tonight the patrons and bartender thought to themselves we were preppy, out-of-place, old fogies. Little did they know that we were going to spend the entire night here. We may look a certain way, but we appreciate the art on the walls, the classic dive atmosphere and the STRONG drinks! FYI... CASH ONLY read more

The Matador - One bad ass gin & tonic and one wicked strong bourbon & coke served in SUGAR SHAKER containers. - Dive Bars Near Me - Santa Fe, New Mexico

I'm not a regular bar visitor any more but hit more joints than I can remember in my youth. From teeth and sawdust on the floor to the country club set, this is an every man's bar. it is not too fancy, clean but not spotless, just a great place to go and relax if you like people and you let people like you. I walked down those stairs into the bar wearing a three piece suit and would have been welcomed just as much wearing cut offs, t shirt and sandals. The guy at the door , a biker named Lawrence, is one fine individual. Helpful to everybody. That should tell you all you need to know about the atmosphere. read more

Closest thing to a gay bar in Santa Fe. GREAT FUN. If you are fortunate enough to pop in early and be the only patron, you will be treated to conversation with the lovely and clever bar maid (Is that phrase still ok to use?) We laughed our heads off. I cam back later with a friend. The place was crowded with fun and friendly crowd of all types. I will be there again whenever I am in Santa Fe. read more

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The locales don't want you to find this place and we tried the first night and couldn't find it (too many drinks) Listen for the rocking music outside and follow the stairs down to a really cool rocking dive bar, cheap drinks and funny bartender from Portland! Rock on Matador! read more

The Matador - Dive Bars Near Me - Santa Fe, New Mexico

This dive bar does NOT disappoint! We found out about it through the Drive Bar Shirt Club and when we made a trip to visit family is Los Alamos, we couldn't NOT make a detour! It is perfectly hidden off the Main Street. Head down a set of stairs and you'll enter a dark cave of dive bar goodness. The decor is fun with a punk rock feel. There isn't much room, so if it's busy prepare to stand. Our bartender was awesome. He was very friendly and gave us some great tips of places to visit and things to do. Drinks were reasonable and made with a good pour. If you're looking for a fancy wine bar or craft beer, this isn't the place for you. But for a local dive bar with lots of character and friendly people, it definitely gets 5 stars! read more

The Matador - Staircase off the street. - Dive Bars Near Me - Santa Fe, New Mexico

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We came here three nights in a row during our Santa Fe trip (we were only there for, you guessed it, three nights). It's definitely a regular hang for all the locals and from what I gather, the truest dive in town. - Very divey. Dark, dirty, with interesting walls. - $3 PBRs. - Great music (punk, etc). Although on our first night here, the music was really loud. Could barely hear each other. It's a rather small place too. The noise level was much more tolerable on the subsequent nights. - Dartboard. - Friendly bartenders. read more

If you are looking for a classic dive bar in Santa Fe, the Matador is it. It seem totally out of place in the downtown, but was a nice change of pace. It is not that easy to find and you need to walk down a narrow staircase. When you open the door, it is really dark and your eyes will take a second to adjust if it is sunny. There is a nice big bar, but they had only one beer on draft when we visited, that was a bitter local IPA. They do have a good selection of bottled beers, but I had the feeling this place is more for heavy drinking. It is not very big. We loved that they had a lot of Johnny Cash photos on the wall along with some band tour promo posters. The bar is cash only--which is really odd in this age. It is still worth a visit. read more

The Matador - The Matador - Dive Bars Near Me - Santa Fe, New Mexico

You ever go to a bar and you think, hey I'm not underground, there's not enough Black Cat posters in here, and it's cold let's go to another place. It's hot down in the basement though they do have a few fans. There is sometimes mystery liquids on the bathroom floor but they got bathrooms so that's a win, don't wear sandals. The only issue I have is the price of drinks. I spent $30 (Cash only) on 4 drinks, a tequila drink (bartenders choice), a Malibu and coke, a whiskey coke, and a beer. They haven't got any issues with rolling up as a group of natives with various State's ID's and Tribal ID's either. They do have an ATM with a 5$ fee. read more

NO STARS. AGEIST/HOMOPHOBIC/BIGOTED DOORMAN I came to Santa Fe with the understanding it's an accepting LGBTQIA+ friendly place. I've been wrong before. Clearly this is another example. After several days of enjoying the community and supporting the local economy- we were looking forward to one last night out. We chose Matador because it was close to where were staying. I was ID'd not once - but multiple times, then scoped out as I was just enjoying some drinks with my friends. I was eventually chased out as I dared to buy them a second round as a minority over the age of 40. This happened on the evening of Tuesday, May 16, 2023. SANTA FE, your nightlife is virtually non-existant. Why choke out what you do have? You completly alienated a visitor who just wanted some relaxation and breathing room. So, thanks I guess for showing your true colors? Is this an abbberation or is this what it is? Anybody? Thanks! read more

I consider this a great personal discovery in Santa Fe. I am not concerned that 20 people reviewed it before me. Whatever to them. I found The Matador without the help of their reviews. Curiosity led me down the narrow flight of stairs with music thumping out of a little speaker on a lower step. Curiosity led me down the stairs and through the blue door. Bartender Johnny was hip and cool to chat with, drinks were good & I'll be back to this great local flavor dive bar next time I'm in Santa Fe. Word. Whatever that means. read more

The Matador - break it down - Dive Bars Near Me - Santa Fe, New Mexico

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I haven't been there since 2018. But the place was more fun for 3-4 hours than the whole 4 days I was in Santa Fe, It was relaxing, fun, you can be yourself, just a great comfortable place to have a few drinks. I'm going back to Santa Fe soon and you can bet I'll be there again. I believe the door man was named Lawrence, not sure because I was a little tipsy and it's been a few years, and he is just one heck of a good guy. The bar tender was first rate too. I loved the place and the people. read more

We were allowed in originally, but we were kicked out and not AT ALL allowed back in in since we had a drink in our hand upon arrival.

Oh, the times we've had at the Matador. Don't go here unless you want to party, hear some punk rock, and make some friends. The booze prices are the best in SF, the bartenders always take great care of you, and you'll only get in a fight if you run your stupid mouth. So don't do that, because this is the single slice of low-key perfection in a city that mostly leans into bougeyness and dramatic prices. I love this bar. Long live the Matador \m/ read more

Fun divey bar downstairs in basement. Bartenders all very cool and easy going. Bearded guy is my fav! Reminds me of the bars from my hometown in Lokg Beach. Juke box, strong drinks and friendly people at the bar. read more

1/15/22 - CASH only. Hidden dive bar that has cool bartenders. Threw some darts, didn't catch any hearts. Nice spot to hang

Love this bar!! Great music, awesome bartender. Really can't say enough about it. Finest of the fine, old school punk rock bars!

Possibly my favourite bar west of the Mississippi that's not located in San Francisco ( and that shows that my favorite bar ((singular)) is located there). Cash only. Don't trip. There's an ATM nearby. Sort of gnarly dark post punk atmosphere but great music and GREAT bartending. Hook yourself up and unuptight yourself by coming here and relaxing for a spell. My Negroni was the best cocktail I've ordered in a spell. read more

As a single woman traveling through Santa Fe, I expected to be at least brought into conversation by the bartender and the couple of people who were in there. I tried really hard to strike up a conversation with them but they had no interest. The owner honestly seemed irritated by me. I had two drinks and tipped very well. The inside is adorable but I just did not feel comfortable there. Unfortunately I would not go back because of this. read more

Worst bar I ever been. Just go somewhere. Over priced (they don't even know that),they sale cheap stuff over priced in small place like rats live Worst ever tried it again still the same, rude customer server and bar doest know what they doing...lack of wine, vodka, beer and shots as i see an owner of 2 restaurants. They just robbing your money for keeping you inside. Horrible read more