Name: Irreale - Closed
Address: Calle de Manuela Malasaña, 20, 28004 Madrid, Madrid, Espanha, Madrid, 28004
Telephone: +34 917 528 374
Rating: 5.0000

Chris Pearrow

Good beer in downtown

Located just around the corner from the popular micro-brewery Fabrica Maravillas, Irreale is a warm, jazzy alternative if you're looking for a good beer in downtown Madrid. They have a solid beer list (not sure how many, but at least 30) and a rotating line-up of good beers on tap, ranging from fruitiy Belgian brews to lip-puckering American IPAs and locally-made offerings from Toledo's Dolmus brewery.

They also serve food which, as neat and "brewpubby" it might be, seemed a little scant for the price.

So, the real star here is definitely the beer. The bartender is peasant enough and really knows his beer, and is generally happy to help you with your order. What'd I recommend? Who cares! They have an enormous beer list! Experimenting is half the fun!

James Blick

Madrid's first craft beer-only bar

You’re now crossing into Ballesta. The name means “crossbow”, and it’s an appropriately arresting moniker for this small sub-barrio north of Gran Vía, for many years a downtrodden maze of dank backstreets, sweaty pimps and past-their-prime prostitutes. But fear not. In the last few years the area has been reclaimed, revitalised and re-baptised. It’s now called “TriBall”. And within these not-so-quiet streets lies Irreale – officially, by a few months anyway, Madrid’s first craft beer-only bar.

If you like your drinking holes dark, then Irreale is right up your alley. This often-bustling bar is long, narrow and deliciously low-lit. But it’s not a cave; the warm bamboo-toned walls and big brassy bar seem to give off a burnished golden glow. And the mix of jazz and blues on the soundtrack sits perfectly with the decor. Upwards of 30 different bottled beers line the wall – BrewDog, Mekkeller and Lost Abbey, among others – and six regularly rotating taps make this an excellent stop on any Madrid craft beer pilgrimage. Space permitting, they want to add two or three more taps pronto.

When I first swung by some months back the man behind the bar (and the beer menu) was Iacopo, a jaunty Italian. But he recently decamped to run the bar at La Tape, and Irreale’s new ringmaster is a passionate and highly knowledgable beer blogger-cum-bartender named Raúl. This man knows beer by heart – when I told him I was from far-flung New Zealand he rhapsodised about my country’s hops and wrote me up a list of New Zealand bars and beers that I have to try next time I’m in Auckland. Needless to say, he likes to talk about his passion and, for those from a foreign land, his English is spot on.

If you’re hungry, there’s a short but sharp selection of well-priced Spanish plates to share – jamón, lomo, croquetas and their ilk – as well as foreign fare like German sausages and mini-hamburgers. And if the beer in your glass isn’t enough, one of the most popular dishes on the menu is a plate of soft cheese whipped with beer. It tends to run out, so order quick smart.

Raúl heartily supports local brewers, always making sure sure there are a decent number of Madrilenian and Spanish suds spilling out of the taps. And last time I propped up his bar, he’d just plugged in a keg from Fábrica Maravillas, the brewpub that had recently opened around the corner. It was a fine sign. Fábrica Maravillas and Irreale are theoretically in competition, but such is the nascent Madrid craft beer scene that even between between competitors it’s a little like one big happy family. Will the love last? Surely power players are seeing that there be gold in them thar hills – especially given the lucrative craft beer markets overseas. And once the money muscles in, the atmosphere will probably change. For the moment though, enjoy the collegial and grassroots vibe.

And if you are looking for somewhere to go after Irreale, Fábrica Maravillas is only a few minutes walk away (or slightly longer if you’re already legless).