You’d be forgiven when planning a night out with friends, or looking for a nice place to enjoy a quiet drink, for overlooking a massive sports complex as the place to be.
Zayed Sports City is no stranger to rugby matches, tennis, training nights and spinning classes but it’s also a great place to grab a meal or a drink too. If you make your way up the stairs of the International Tennis Stadium you’ll find The Sportsman’s Arms, nestled comfortably at the heart of the sporty area. Once inside you’ll realise that the family-friendly bar and restaurant has lots to offer whether you’ve been working up a sweat or not.
When we arrive from the office midway through the week and after a busy few days, we’re delighted to not be met with booming music and huge crowds of people. There’s football on the TV and a good atmosphere in the room, as the live sport easily captures most of the guests undivided attention.
The preferred team seems to be winning (comfortably, as it happens) so it’s unlikely that the positive atmosphere will take a downturn any time soon.
When it comes to drinks there are a lot of options, but for us it’s hard to say no to some craft hops so that’s exactly what we order.
As we unwind and watch the game with less intense scrutiny as many of the others in the bar, we look at the food menu, which is filled with bar bites, healthy options and more substantial meals. But, with a burger and brew deal for Dhs85 available, we can’t resist. There are five different burgers to choose from and four types of hops, so there’s enough choice to make it interesting enough to return and try it again. We can vouch for the (somewhat oddly named) chicken burgatory (a doubled, breaded chicken burger, creole mayo, lettuce and slaw).
Indoors is no-smoking, which makes it great for those who want to eat smoke-free (there’s a rather nice terrace for those who don’t mind). It also means it’s a good venue for families, and you’ll often find little ones running around at all times of day (there’s a separate outdoor space for kids, too).
All in all, The Sportsman’s (that’s what us cool kids call it) has a lot going for it – top food, great deals, a good atmosphere and it caters for families, too.
WHAT IS IT…
An American-style bar and restaurant
WHY GO…
The burger and hops deal is Dhs85
