Irish Pubs in Madrid

In our short three day stay in September 2013 we found and, more importantly, patronized two Irish pubs.  The first, disingenuously named International Brewery Bringas was just off the Plaza Mayor and did have Murphy’s Irish Red on tap and Magners cider although in a bottle.  Unfortunately, the bartenders were both native Spaniards and not Irish and, unbelievably, there wasn’t a Guinness to be found in the bar.

The menu was Spanish food, not Irish and the décor had a more wood-paneled western US, rocky mountain bar feeling than being Irish pub-like.   The bartenders were friendly enough when addressed in Spanish and the place was enjoyable enough for us to return to again.

So using our previously discussed rating system the International Brewery Bringas receives 1 point for ambience, 0 points for the bartenders’ non-Irishness, 1 point for having Murphy’s Irish Red on tap (although I’m tempted to give them a demerit for not having a Guinness in the house and for having Cruz Campo on the primary tap), we didn’t try the kitchen but people enjoyed their orders so we’ll give them 1 point for food quality and because the bartenders were friendly and there was the appropriate futbol match on the television we’ll give them and additional 2 points for entertainment. 

So the rundown is this:

Ambience                                 1 point

Bartenders                                0 points

Taps                                         1 point

Food                                        1 point

Entertainment                            2 points

Total for International Brewery Bringas is 5 points which puts them in a distant second behind Hannigans.  Congratulations to International Brewery Bringas for being the second Irish bar we have found in Spain.

In spite of the lower point total, if you ever find yourself in the neighborhood of Plaza Mayor in Madrid and in need of refreshment we would absolutely recommend this establishment as a quality option.

A short footnote: we found another, very Irish looking bar on our walk through Madrid from the Brazilian consulate.  We were very disappointed to find only Spanish beer available on tap, a Spanish bartender, a Spanish menu, a Spanish ambience inside and no entertainment (although it was during the day).  Because of this we took no photos, and cannot for the life of us remember exactly where it was located or the name of the place but if you find it, don’t hesitate to patronize the place because we enjoyed it. 

That does it for this edition of Irish Pubs Abroad by Marilyn and Mike.

The best Irish Pub we've found yet...

Seems like everywhere we’ve been there’s one or two self-proclaimed Irish pubs.  So, out of our own personal interest, hunger and thirst, we’re going to look for and document Irish pubs wherever we go.  We’ve been saying for years now “There’s an Irish pub in every town and if not, there’s a business opportunity”.  We’re going to have a little fun with this so please let us know if we’ve missed a candidate.  We welcome all suggestions (researching will be enjoyable). 

The first Irish pub sets the standard of course, and it sets the bar high.  To try and bring a little objectivity to this very subjective effort we propose to rate the pubs on the following scale.

1.  Ambience (1 to 3 points) – dark wood paneling and furniture, lighting, mirrors, floors, signage, etc.

2.  Irish Bartender (0 to 3 points) – a second point is available if there is more than one Irish bartender.  The third point is for a bartender that insults you while he/she serves you and you find that you enjoy it (he or she could only be Irish).

3.  Taps (0 to 3 points) – One point each for having on tap:  a) Guinness, b) Irish ale, or beer, and c) Irish cider.

4.  Kitchen (0 to 4 points) – One point each for having: a) an Irish breakfast fry-up, b) a bacon sandwich, c) a shepherd pie, and d) food quality.

5.  Entertainment (0 to 3 points) – No I do not mean “Paddy jokes”.  Fiddlers and tenors are appropriate as is futbol and hurling (on the television of course).  Bartenders count.

First up:  HANNIGAN & SON(Granada, Spain)

Located at the base of the Albayzin near Calle Elvira we are rating the original Hannigans (there are two in Granada).  We found this gem in the fall of 2010 and have been returning ever since.  We give 2 points for ambience for the dark wood, the bar and the signage.  Uncomfortable and poorly arranged seating are only a small problem.

Hannigans receives 3 points in the Irish Bartender category because Rory and John, God Bless them are both Irish and Rory is also the house master of the insult, bad jokes and on good days, part of the entertainment.

This pub scores extremely well in the Taps (3 points) and Kitchen (3 points) categories.  Guinness, Strongbow and Murphys Irish Red are all on tap although we have been considering that we should deduct one point for their also having Amstel on tap.  The kitchen is small but generates an amazing fry up, bacon sandwich and hamburger (made with Irish beef and good Irish cheddar cheese) along with a limited number of other items such as chicken wings.  They do not offer a shepherd pie.  Kitchen hours are somewhat limited (currently 1:30pm to 5:00pm weekends and 7:00pm to 10:00pm weekdays) and closed for a couple of months during the summer so you have to plan a little but it is well worth it.

Finally Hannigans receives 2 point for entertainment.  Futbol and hurling are regularly on the television and the bartenders are worth a few laughs every time.  Music is from the bartender’s playlist and requests are sometimes granted.

Summary for Hannigans:

Ambience                                2

Bartender(s)                            3

Taps                                         3

Kitchen                                   3

Entertainment                         2

Total                                        13 point of a possible 16

This is a very high standard indeed and we can’t wait to get back.  Oh and Rory, you are only worth 3 points “petal”.