One of my favorite bars in Ibiza, The Mermaid Bar, located in the infamous West End of San Antonio, celebrates 30 years of business this summer. The legendary Danish bar, is owned by one of the resorts best loved characters, Lisbet, who first opened the small bar in 1984, five years before Space nightclub was created. Full of character, it attracts a certain type of clientele and the multilingual hostess is one of the shrewdest operators in the West End. From her perch inside the bar, she carefully selects her customers and believes that a warm welcome and a smile, works better than a pushy PR. I remember the first time that I visited the bar, the reason I did so, was because it looked inviting, relaxed and did not have a pushy PR accosting me to enter. An ideal place to have a chat and a drink with one of the most experienced hostesses in Ibiza. Her hospitality is unique and is what Ibiza should always be about - a warm welcome, good company and professional service. The bar is popular with Spanish, Scandinavian, Irish and English customers and has its own Dart board with Lisbet providing the tunes on request in the background.
The Mermaid Bar San Antonio Ibiza
Drinks come at a ridiculously low price, about €1.50 for a beer and €3 for a large measure spirit with the added bonus of complimentary snacks. The special of the house, is Lisbets very own Dynamite drink, a cocktail she designed herself for the bar. The street that The Little Mermaid is located on, Calle Colon, was the original pedestrianised walkway that the West End was built around. "When I opened the bar in 1984, the West End was a beautiful place, full of small artisan bars and a variety of nationalities. People would come from all around the island to walk along its narrow streets and sample the unique atmosphere" recalls Lisbet. Now one of the oldest surviving bars in The West End, The Little Mermaid, is a bright jewel amid a sea of plastic. It is a beacon of hope and a reminder that the West End, was once a special place full of artists and musicians. The bar deserves much respect for keeping a dream alive and is a must visit location when in San Antonio. To celebrate their 30th Anniversary, Lisbet has kindly offered readers of the Blog a complimentary drink of their choice when mentioning the Dannykay Blog. We congratulate Lisbet and The Mermaid on 30 years of service to Ibiza and hope that it will retain its special charm, for many more years to come.
