The Horseshoe Bar, Main Street, Gibraltar.
The Horseshoe pub on Main Street in Gibraltar is approximately halfway along Gibraltar’s Main shopping street and the pub is nestled amongst the shops.
The approach to the pub is via the main front entrance or via a side entrance, both passing what can only be described as a small and busy outside dining area, however the dining area is ideal for the avid people watchers to simply watch the world go by in front of your eyes with a pint and some food.
Myself and Keith arrived at the Horseshoe pub at approximately 9pm when Main Streets shops had closed for the day and the darkness had set in, the first impression upon entering the Horseshoe pub is that it was almost like traveling through time to a simpler yesteryear. The bar/lounge area is basically one room and it can only be described as cosey owing to its size.
On a negative the toilet facilities can only be described as lacking, however this is due the the size of the he pub and the lack of space within the pubs layout, but on a positive I found the facilities to be clean and it met the standards required for a simple working class man like myself.
We decided to sit at the bar on the bar stools and found the atmosphere within the pub to be friendly, the bar was quiet at first but it gradually got busier as the hours passed by and slowly approached last orders at 1am, I found the service to be quick and friendly, the barmaid was a friendly young lady named Jazz, she was an English girl that had decided to move to Gibraltar for a sunshine lifestyle .
The patrons of the pub where mostly English and very friendly, every one chatting away with anyone and everyone, something that I feel has been missing in British pubs for several years now.
I cannot give a judgment on the food as the kitchen had closed upon our late arrival, however the staff where more than happy to prepare a portion of chips to keep me and my hungry belly happy, the Kronenbourg was only £3 a pint, granted that this is expensive when compared to a Wetherspoons, however for Main Street bar in Gibraltar I considered the price to be acceptable and I probably consumed more than my fair share.
Basically, this is a bar that is reminiscent of the 1970's which I loved, it is small in size but has a friendly feeling, the bar staff was chatty and served the beer with a smile and conversation, the toilets where lacking but acceptable, there are no pool tables or other pub pass times available, just music playing in the background and beer. After all, a pub only needs a few things, service with a smile and a chat, food and reasonably priced beer and the Horseshoe ticked all the boxes in its own quaint way.
Overall, I would rate the Horseshoe as 7.5 out of 10, so overall it is recommended and I am sure me and Keith will be returning at some point very soon.
