Situated in a secluded courtyard off Cowcross Street, Farringdon, this is one of three branches of the Sports Bar and Grill in London, offering big screen sports coverage along with a massive menu of food and drink, from breakfasts to evening meals.

The Venue
The first thing you notice is the huge array of screens capable of screening several events simultaneously in different parts of the bar, along with some impressive sporting paraphernalia including signed shirts and photos. That said, they’ve taken steps to make sure the environment is more female-friendly than the average sports bar, with wine glasses on the tables and their large range of wines on display. As well as the main room, with its long and well staffed bar, there’s also the more secluded Scarlet bar which is hired out for work conferences and private parties.

The Atmosphere
As well as the obvious sports fans when there’s a large event on, it varies from solitary workers taking advantage of the bar’s boast of a power point at every table to catch up on emails, to families and friends enjoying a meal with the added pleasure of its open frontage when the weather’s hot.

The Food
One if the most extensive menus of any bar/restaurant in London, with something approaching 50 different choices, all served in big portions on wooden boards to add rustic charm. Kick off with traditional starters such as soup of the day (£3.95), smoked salmon (£8.95), or a half rack of bbq ribs (£5.95). There’s definitely an American influence on the main courses, from hot dogs with sautéed onions, melted mature cheddar and bbq sauce (£7.95-£8.95) to a large selection of different burgers, including a low carb option (£8.45). There’s also an unprecedented choice of three different veggie burgers (£7.95-£8.95), cold and warm sandwiches (£4.95-£9.95), salads (£8.95-£11.95), steak grills (£17.95-£18.95) and a Sunday roast (£12.95).

The Drink
A similarly wide choice at the bar, too. On draught there’s Fosters, Ringwood, EPA and John Smith‘s (all £3.70 per pint), Strongbow (£3.80), Kronenbourg and Guinness (£3.90), Heineken (£4.30), Tiger (£4.50) and bottles including Old Speckled Hen (£3.90), Peroni (£3.80), Windhoek (£3.80) and Bulmer’s (£4.40) for cider drinkers, among others. White wines starts with the Monterio Viura (Spain) at £4.95 per glass or £14.75 per bottle, and peaks with the Joseph Mellot Sancerre (£35). Red wines start with the Monterio Tempranillo (£4.95/£14.75), with plenty of more expensive options to tickle your tastebuds. There’s also a handful of rose wines (£16-£19.50), champagnes and sparkling wine (£22.95-£140).

The Last Word
Superlative, friendly service, generous portions and a choice of food that should keep most diners happy all mean that you don’t need to be a sports fan to be a fan of the Sports Bar and Grill.

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