Admittedly upon arrival (which was promptly before 10pm to avoid cover charges which do not usually apply before this time), I was overwhelmed by just how nice the bar was considering it seems to be inhabited by hundreds of very "manly" male sports fans throughout the day. For the keen sports fan there are large high definition plasma screens dotted around the bar displaying an array of sports channels including Sky Sports, so you're never missing a trick and you can be sure to see any large sporting event being screened here. There are mini screens in the walls alongside the booths on the bottom floor - very handy if you're feeling a little peckish but want to keep an eye on the game (as you can change channel), and there are seven pool tables on the top floor to keep your female companions entertained if you've dragged them along to watch something that they're not particularly interested in! Everybody loves pool! The venue also boasts an exclusive executive box and further private areas with quieter bars, more secluded HD screens (as well as projectors) and other entertainment - such as Wii consoles. The sporty atmosphere is completed by the large hanging Formula One racing car which you can see when you take a wander up the stairs.
I visited on a Tuesday night, as I mentioned it was free before 10pm, but the website does state that a cover charge may apply after 9.30pm on some nights, so this is definitely worth keeping in mind. In this instance, after 10pm it was still only £5 entry. The venue packed up quite quickly, although it took until about 11.30pm for the DJ to well and truly get warmed up, but in this time I was able to establish that the Sport's Cafe should genuinely be a venue of choice for students, with drinks offers spanning through most of the week - this night specifically there are £1 Corky's shots, £1.50 Carlsberg pints, beer bottles and single house spirit mixers, £2 tequila shots and VK bottles, £2.50 double house spirit mixers and further offers for beer or cocktail jugs. Truly a student's dream - that is, if you drink of course.
The dancefloor is located at the back of the venue on the ground floor, it's quite well sized with a separate bar and a stage to accompany it, but it definitely gets packed. I was so astoundingly hot, perhaps because it's summer, but with enough Cherry or Blueberry Corky's and you'll be none the wiser. The music was what could only be called an "eclectic mix of commercial", with the DJ playing a couple of songs from most genres, from 80s to dance, to pop, to bashment. I think there's a little something for everyone, but I am rather biased and I distinctly noticed a notable absence of funky house. This is my preference, but is also slowly becoming a little more commercial, so this did surprise me. All in all, if you can't handle a little diversity on your musical palate, the Sport's Cafe won't be for you.
My final point to make would be the crowd - I'm going to try and do this with most venues without coming off as racist (as I'm not trying to be), so I am TRYING MY BEST not to offend, but be honest about the mix of people the way you would day to day as generally, you just don't know. The crowd in the venue was predominantly white and student aged to late twenties, not yobbish but definitely a little rowdy (in a fun way). This is a venue where you feel like a mixture of people can all be at ease - everyone seemed perfectly friendly, up for a laugh and social... all in all, I can't wait to get back to the Sport's Cafe again... great night, great prices, centrally located with a clean and smart interior.
Website of notable mention: The Sport's Cafe London
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