 Karaoke Night! 
Have A Rest at the Sportsmans!
View Map
Recommendation added: 22/10/2007 22:21
By: dewberry (YSUK rating +825)dewberry has been thanked 3 times for this contribution
"A nice place to have a few drinks during the day is The Sportsmans Rest in Kingstanding. It's one of those pubs where, although they serve a small selection of bar snacks, you go for a drink rather than to sample their culinary delights.
The Sportsmans Rest is split into two rooms; the bar and the lounge. At one time the bar would be the haven of the smokers, but since the ban came into force it's a much nicer place to sit. The high ceiling and large windows make this room seem much bigger than it really is and gives it a bright and cheerful feeling throughout the day. The pool table and dart board are nice touches to help while away your drinking time and there's always someone there to give you a friendly game.
Seating in the bar is a basic but comfy bench along one wall and tables, chairs and bar stools dotted through the rest of the room. There's plenty of room to get around as the seating is pretty much contained to the edges of the room.
The lounge is a bigger room which opens out onto the small beer garden at the back of the pub. Again, the seating is by way of long padded benches around the walls with tables and chairs for those of us who prefer sitting a little straighter! The Sportsmans doesn't tend to have many tables in the lounge as a rule, but on busier nights extra seating and tables are brought out to accommodate bigger crowds.
The TV's in the lounge are usually tuned to either a sports channel or music depending on the time of day and if there's a big sporting match going on at the time. There's also a good speaker system for the karaoke nights – which are always excellent by the way with a great selection of music and a really lively and friendly atmosphere.
The pub has a brilliantly stocked bar. Lagers, ciders and beer are available both on draught and bottled and there is also a small but interesting range of real ales. Alcopops and all the top brand spirits are also available at very reasonable prices with regular promotions taking place on a varying range of drinks; this means if you're flexible with what you drink then you can have an ultra cheap night out. There's a small selection of cheap and cheerful wines which are available by the glass or the bottle, again look out for the promotions to slash your wine bill.
Although this is a 'local' for many people in the area, I've never found The Sportsmans Rest to be cliquey. You can tell at a glance who the real regulars are, but there's a welcoming atmosphere inside for those of us who don't use the pub on such a frequent basis. During the day it's a mix of regulars and workmen popping in for a quick pint, while in the evening there's a younger crowd in there taking advantage of the cheap deals and the fun atmosphere. It can get very lively at night and the atmosphere is usually brilliant, especially on nights when the karaoke has been arranged and well promoted.
Because of the policy of no children in The Sportsmans Rest, we tend to visit during the day while the kids' are at school, although we have been known to have a good session at night too when we can get a babysitter! You can book the lounge for private functions and children are welcome on these occasions; for a small extra charge you can also have a bouncy castle put up in the beer garden. It's very reasonable to hire the lounge and I've been to quite a few get-togethers at The Sportsmans; birthday parties, wedding receptions and even a couple of funerals! They will provide food for a minimal charge and put on a lovely spread of finger buffet items, salads, cakes and nibbles.
Disabled access is no problem. The pub is all on one level and there are no steps or narrow passages to navigate either inside the pub or around the exterior. Although there is no separate disabled toilet, the loo's are wide and large enough for wheelchairs to get around with no problems. The one disadvantage I've found at The Sportsmans is the minimal parking for disabled people; this doesn't affect us as we're quite happy to park on the road and walk the short distance to the pub, but people visiting who have mobility problems would be advised that there is only space for two or three cars on the tiny car park at the front of the pub so there may be a short walk involved once you've found a space.
To find The Sportsmans Rest you need to get yourself into Kingstanding, which is in North Birmingham. Once in Kingstanding get onto one of the main roads running through the area, the B4138 Kingstanding Road. Follow this road until you reach a large island and then take the 3rd exit, staying on the B4138. The Sportsmans Rest is a left hand turn onto Cooksey Lane, and you can spot the pub on the left hand side of the road.
The Sportsmans Rest
20 Cooksey Lane
Kingstanding
Birmingham
B44 9QN
Tel – 0121 580 8689"
Was this recommendation useful?
|
;)
