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Chat about:
Beer of the Week (w/e 27th April 2025) with Thuck Phat
on the Pub Forum
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 5½ of 10) see review guidelines
E TA left this review about Sportsmans
It’s definitely operating as a pub, though it has retained some club features – there is still a ‘membership’ cadre, though service at the bar is open to all comers. The pool tables, dartboard, multiple TVs showing live sports – boxing and darts on this occasion - and gaming machines give it a club or sports bar feel, and there is a good local feel and convivial atmosphere to it, seemingly an improvement since Blackthorn’s review, below. The handpumps were dispensing Bass and Riches Farmhouse Cider. On keg were Tall Tales’s Pale Ale, Blackthorn Cider, Red Stripe, Stella, Thatcher’s Dry, Gold and Haze, San Miguel, Guinness, Coors, Blackboys’ Tipple, Mahou, Korev and three fruit ciders from Thatcher’s. The outside was filthy, which means it’s not a great place to approach, but it’s fine for a quick pint or cheap snack.
On 16th January 2025
- rating: 6
[User has posted 3516 recommendations about 3480 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Blackthorn _ left this review about Sportsmans
As JW has pointed out below that this has now become a pub, so I felt obligated to give it a go. It certainly looks quite pub like from the outside, with hanging baskets and illuminations presenting an attractive facade. Inside, I wasn’t quite so sure though, it still seemed to have very much the air of a private members club about it. Perhaps it’s just that most of the punters were members there when it was a private club. I enquired at the bar if it was members only or not, to which the “barman” queried whether I was a member of the human race. Apparently if I was, I could buy a drink. I use the term barman loosely as he spent the rest of the evening sat with some friends; perhaps he was a punter who just helps himself. I was also informed that there are two price tiers depending on whether you are a member or not. I’m not sure which I was charged, but £2.90 a pint seems quite reasonable these days.
Decor wise it’s quite dated with wooden flooring, wallpaper on the upper part of the walls with wood panelling down below and various tree branches attached to pillars with long wire ties. There was also some further foliage on the ceiling. Seating was red velvet benches around the perimeter with tables and red velvet armchairs elsewhere. A fire-place was off to the right although this was not in use and there was also a small trophy cabinet and a couple of plasmas. At the rear it opened out in to a more spacious room that sported a cream and brown colour scheme and there was also a pool table here.
The food seemed very popular, although I did not try it myself. Looking at the menu it seemed to consist of a good selection of “pub grub” dishes with a number of burger and omelette options and these were mostly priced at around the £6 mark.
Beers on tap were GWB’s The Shires, Pedigree and Bass. Ciders were Thatcher’s Gold and Thatcher’s Dry.
On 4th March 2013
- rating: 5
[User has posted 2060 recommendations about 1962 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Jonathan Wilde left this review about Sportsmans
Was a private Bristol County Sports Club
premises now appears it's an open bar.
On 15th November 2012
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 367 recommendations about 349 pubs]