Spending an afternoon with friends over a pint or a jug of beer while chatting in another language is one of the most different things you can do in Zaragoza , and it can be even more interesting with the arrival of Erasmus students this September. For this reason, some Irish bars and taverns in Zaragoza organize meetings and conversations in English to chat and improve the language while having a beer in a relaxed atmosphere and socializing with new people.
GALLAGHER’S IRISH TAVERN
Since August 2019, groups of 20-30 people have been coming to Gallaghers Irish Tavern (6 Roman Walls Street) to meet new people, improve their English and drink good beer in a relaxed atmosphere. The “meetings” in the central tavern take place on Thursdays from 8.30 pm.
José Miguel Bes is one of them, and since he moved to Zaragoza several years ago he has found these conversation groups to be “super enriching.” “When I moved here I didn’t know anyone and at certain ages it’s a bit more complicated to do so. I only hung out with people from work and then I started going to these talks where, in addition to practicing English, you can meet people with similar tastes in a relaxed and very enriching environment,” he explains.
The talks usually last until 10:30 p.m. or even midnight, and people join in whenever they can . New friendships and side plans also emerge from these meetings. “Sometimes we go on excursions or do other things outside the meetings because you really get to know a lot of people and you connect in terms of tastes,” he says. In addition, the tavern encourages these meetings with offers and promotions starting at 8:00 p.m.
“ZZ CHATS” ENGLISH & SPANISH EXCHANGE
With the help of ” ZZ Chats” English & Spanish Exchange, two private individuals organise meetings in English almost every Friday from 9pm at the La Manon café (located at Plaza del Pilar, 15 in Zaragoza), although the location is subject to change. They usually last until 11pm, but as the night is young, those who want to continue the relaxed conversations in English can do so from Gallaghers.
This meetup has been taking place in Zaragoza for over six years and has already been held in several locations, including the Mercado Central. If you want to practice your English while meeting like-minded people, you can attend by registering in advance for the group through the Meetup app.
SCOTLAND COFFEE
At the café Escocia (calle Laurel, 3) on Thursdays they talk about The Simpsons, Marvel, Star Wars or Big Bang Theory . Of course, in English. Lovers of “geek” culture have an obligatory date in this Scottish tavern with the “Quiz night in English” two Thursdays a month from 9:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.
Organized by groups, attendees have a challenge every Thursday to show how much they know about their favorite series or movies through a quiz . Getting it right has a prize and for each round that the team passes they are given a voucher for alcoholic drinks. The winners are offered an exclusive course valued at 250 euros.
To participate in the “quiz night in English” you do not need to register and just go to the Scotland café. These are the sessions for the 2024-2025 season:
- September 19th
- October 3rd and 17th
- November 7th and 21st
- December 12th
- January 9th and 23rd
- February 6th and 20th
- March 6th and 20th
- April 10th and 24th
- May 8th and 22nd
- June 5th and 19th
BULL MCCABE’S THE IRISH PUB
Located in the heart of Zaragoza, on Calle Cádiz 7 , Bull McCabe’s is the ideal meeting point to enjoy an authentic Irish bar while chatting in another language. This pub not only serves as a spectator of the most followed sports competitions in the world of football, rugby and tennis, but is also the venue for one of the meetings in English that take place in Zaragoza.
The ground floor of Bull is filled every Thursday from 9pm with relaxed conversations in English for all audiences and levels. These free meetings are led by a native English teacher, so it is ideal to meet in this space accompanied by the various types of beer that the pub offers. To participate in them, all you need is a mandatory drink. The conversation season starts this Thursday, September 12, and will be a regular event until July.