16 photos offer glimpse inside new sports bar in Derbyshire town – offering cocktails, pizzas and entertainment

A new sports bar has launched in a Derbyshire town – offering food, drink and plenty to keep customers entertained.

By Tom Hardwick

Published 2nd Apr 2024, 22:20 BST

Updated 5th Apr 2024, 13:33 BST

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RABONA Sports Bar & Cantina has opened its doors on Dale Road, Matlock – replacing the former Pointing Dogs pub after it closed down suddenly last October.

RABONA offers a wide range of food options, along with beers and cocktails – as well as paying homage to some of South America’s greatest sporting heroes.

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The Derbyshire Times was invited for a look around the new venue, and these 16 photos show customers what to expect from RABONA.

Jack Wild and Josh Middleton, another manager at the venue, are pictured here mixing cocktails at the first floor cocktail bar. Katie said: “We have three other businesses on Dale Road. We run Buddy’s Smokehouse, Spuddy’s jacket potato shop and the Remarkable Hare, but it’s a different dynamic. There are other places in Matlock that show sports, but we’ve taken it to a different level with the amount of TVs that we’ve got.”

1. “Different dynamic” to other ventures

Jack Wild and Josh Middleton, another manager at the venue, are pictured here mixing cocktails at the first floor cocktail bar. Katie said: “We have three other businesses on Dale Road. We run Buddy’s Smokehouse, Spuddy’s jacket potato shop and the Remarkable Hare, but it’s a different dynamic. There are other places in Matlock that show sports, but we’ve taken it to a different level with the amount of TVs that we’ve got.” Photo: Brian Eyre

There is plenty of artwork on the walls leading down to the basement bar. Katie said: “We’ve completely changed the interior and changed the whole vibe completely. We’ve had murals done all over the walls. Our style is South American, so we’ve had people like Diego Maradona and Ronaldinho painted on the walls all over.”

2. Complete revamp

There is plenty of artwork on the walls leading down to the basement bar. Katie said: “We’ve completely changed the interior and changed the whole vibe completely. We’ve had murals done all over the walls. Our style is South American, so we’ve had people like Diego Maradona and Ronaldinho painted on the walls all over.” Photo: Brian Eyre

Katie praised the support of local residents and customers from their other ventures, and said: “We’ve been really lucky. We’ve got a lot of very loyal customers from our other venues, who support us through everything. We’ve definitely drawn in a new clientele as well, and we’ve had so many people who’ve not just come once since it opened, but have been two, three or four times.”

3. Great support after launch

Katie praised the support of local residents and customers from their other ventures, and said: “We’ve been really lucky. We’ve got a lot of very loyal customers from our other venues, who support us through everything. We’ve definitely drawn in a new clientele as well, and we’ve had so many people who’ve not just come once since it opened, but have been two, three or four times.” Photo: Brian Eyre

Katie said: “We knew what we felt was a bit of a gap in the market. Our other two restaurants do really well, but we’ve definitely not taken away from ourselves with RABONA. It’s something different to what we’re already doing. Buddy’s is food-led, the Remarkable Hare is more of a pub and a restaurant, and this is something a little bit different to what we’ve done before. It’s been a learning experience for us to do something new, but we’ve loved it.”

4. “Loving the experience”

Katie said: “We knew what we felt was a bit of a gap in the market. Our other two restaurants do really well, but we’ve definitely not taken away from ourselves with RABONA. It’s something different to what we’re already doing. Buddy’s is food-led, the Remarkable Hare is more of a pub and a restaurant, and this is something a little bit different to what we’ve done before. It’s been a learning experience for us to do something new, but we’ve loved it.” Photo: Brian Eyre

Derbyshire Dale Road Prince Matlock Buxton