The Sportsman Inn — Restaurant in Carlisle

A group of us decided to stop for some lunch. It looks like an Olde Worlde traditional English pub and that's exactly what we got and all the better for that. I was out with three lady friends, all ex colleagues that I hadn't seen for nearly fifty years. To find traditional cask beers on the bar was a huge plus for me. I had a really good pint from the Loch Lomond brewery. Well, it is close enough to Scotland. It was called The Gloaming and an old style 80 shilling ale. Great start. The old pub combined informal dining and drinkers very well. We all enjoyed our food. Two had steak and ale pie which looked really good. One fish & chips and I had Cumberland sausage that was very tasty. I would heartily recommend here for a comfortable stop off during your visit to the City or just out shopping. It was a nice day and others were sat outside on the churchyard wall enjoying their pints. The church of St. Cuthbert is worth seeing too. A mention too for the lady behind the bar who was really nice...

This IS the oldest pub in Carlisle, despite what other city centre pubs may claim.

It has oodles of character and charm, both inside and out, and is hidden away just a minute's walk from the busiest part of the City.

There are usually two/three hand drawn ales that change weekly and are always well kept.

Prices are not the cheapest in town, but are manageable.

Mandy - the landlady, is a darling. She pretends to be grumpy sometimes - but she will go the extra mile to make your visit memorable.

The pub is small with limited seating which makes chatting with other patrons easy. When the weather is nice it's possible to sit outside.

The locals are friendly and the regulars chatty .

Friday afternoon/tea-time is a good time to visit if you...

A proper pub. Food was ok although the burger was dry however the Sunday roast beef was really good and there was plenty gravy to go with it and it was a very healthy portion size. The prices weren’t awful as for 3 mains 1 starter and 3 soft drinks cost just shy of 50£. Service was ok but I don’t know if it was the time but it seemed very quiet and eery even if we were in a bit early for lunch. It seemed to liven up a bit as we left though. The biggest thing I feel they could improve was music as it had none and even a bit would be great. On the bright side though it was comfy clean and food and drinks were good and it was a proper classic...