London - Pubs & Bars - Bars - Sports Bars
I think sports bars are for people who like football. I don’t like football. I once tried very hard to like football because someone I like likes it. I watched two whole half games. One was very boring as it just involved people running backwards and forwards after a ball and not very much happening. Really rolling a ping pong ball around in a tray would have been as much fun. The other had lots of fouls and was much more interesting. I can’t help but think that if a game is more interesting when people cheat, maybe something is lacking from the game.
I have a strong suspicion that for most fans it’s more about the other fans than the game. It’s a group ritual. More specifically, it’s a generally a male ritual.
So there’s me, stopping off to top up my phone on the way to the Qype 1 year birthday party. So while I was there I asked if they knew the Offside Bar. Yes they did… ‘You mean the sports bar?’ in a tone that said very clearly that I did not look like the regular clientele. Having confirmed I was indeed going in the right direction I headed on. I bet they thought I was a kissogram or something.
Anyway, the bar… City Road is pretty bleak. The bar has bright green bits outside. Bright green has a tendency to remind me of the Tommy Knockers (as in Stephen King). Here it also has absolutely nothing, as far as I can see, to do with the Irish. Inside the bar is verging on bleak as well. If it was empty it would be a huge gaping space, with bar at one end and a raised area with comfy seating at the other. I have no idea how full it usually is, but for us it was ideal. That big space was full with lots of tables. Most folks got seated, which is good for a pub if you ask me.
I only actually visited the bar once. I had my doubts when they said they were out of cider… but the staff seemed nice, and did rustle up a can of Diamond White, which was nice. They also put on a massive spread of food. Quite varied too, with stuff for fry fans (e.g. onion rings), via posh (prawns on sticks), sandwiches (ham and pickle) to salad. I think some of it came out of packets, but if so they were good quality packets and very tasty. The ladies loos had seen better days, with one door being minus a lock and loo roll on the top of the cistern rather than in the holder. Clean though.
As to the famous photographs… Yep, very good. I’m not a massive sports photography fan, but some of the photos were interesting. I did have a bit of a laugh over some in the loos. They have mirrors with pictures superimposed. E.g. one with some footballer, sprawled seductively, with his ball resting between his legs. LOL
I’m not exactly qualified to award stars to a sports bar, but I have to try… To be honest coming back here on a normal day to watch football appeals about as much as eating gravel. But on our night the atmosphere was great, the staff was friendly, there was plenty of seating (yes, we ran out, but there was more proportionally than you’d get in many pubs I reckon), and the place has individuality thanks to the photography. So I’m giving it a 4…
Check out my review of The Offside Bar - I am moonrising - on Qype
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