The Sportsman Stratford — Restaurant in London

So on Saturday (3rd Nov 18) me and my bros (Keet & Se) Linked up and went to the Lamb pub to show a friend who plays music there some support. Turns out that said friend failed to show us he won’t be there that week🤣 not big deal. What to do now? We decided we would go Goose...I mean The Sportsman (which is part of the Stonegate Pub Company ) So I called a Uber and we went. So we got inside....wait....let me just point out that we have been going to this place for years. Anyone can look at my photos and see when the “mansdem” link up it their we go. Anyhoo, so we get inside and head to the bar (as we do) after a while a female bartender approaches. Keet: “ Can I have 3 white rums please with a slice of lime and 2 ginger ales?” Bartender: “ok” She walks off. So as I’m watching her, I notice she starts to pour wrey and nephew...takes a look to see if my brothers watching (this time I’ve walked away from my bros) then puts the cap back on and starts to pour Bacardi.... Me: “Excuse me...it’s wrey and nephew we want not Bacardi” Bartender: “well he said white rum” Me: “ok, but I saw you start to pour the wrey and nephew then st.....” Her: “I’m not gonna serve you then” At this point Im Kinda baffed thinking what just happened? As I’m trying to get my head around what is happening the bartender walks over to a male bartender and whispers something in his ear. He looks over at me, I start walking towards to explain the situation and before I can say a word he starts talking into his walkie talkie, from nowhere two security guards appear..at this point I’m looking round to see where the trouble is because I did never think they are coming for us. Security: “sir you won’t be getting served today” Now I’m completely baffed 😳 he starts to try move me towards the door Me: “wait one second, can I have a word with the manager please?” (What I didn’t know is that the manager has already told him to kick us out) Security: “ She is just gonna tell you the same thing” Me: “I would still like a word please so I can sort this out” He points out the manager to me, I walk over ( let it be known, in all this, their is no raised voices, no screw face. I’m calm and more confused if anything) Me: “can I have a word please?” She looks at security then says ok. She come round the bar and I explain to her about the bartender and the drink. I tell her we not looking for any trouble, we just wanna have couple drinks listen some music as we have been doing there for years even before that said bartender worked there. Manager: “ yeah I understand but one of you called her a b*tch” Me: 😳 Me: “I swear none of us said anything like that to her, please ask her who said it” The manager calls the bartender over and asks her...she looks at us and cannot say who said it (because she is lying) but yet they STILL tltold us we had to leave. Now, I would just they this. In all the years we have been going there. We have broken up fights, seen/stopped men harassing women among other things. NONE of these people have been thrown out, but 3 black men walk in ask for a drink and the bartender gets it wrong? Security is called and we are shown the...

Terrible security guards! This was my first time in Stratford for a while. It was 7pm on a Friday evening. The pub was half full. I am 50 years’ old and my female friend is 58. We both worked for many years previously for the Probation Service so I think I can say we are about as unthreatening as it is possible to be!

We arrived at the Goose to be confronted by three large security guards standing outside. They asked ‘do you have id’? I was confused, since (outside an airport) I have not been asked for Id in 25 years. I said ‘why do I need Id. Do I not look over 21? The reply was ‘do you think I am stupid. I know you are over 21... We need id for the Police’. There followed an annoying and pointless discussion. They really did seem very angry about something. Perhaps they had had a bad night or are often I violent confrontations. Anyway, I did not have id. And we decided to not make any further fuss so just left the scene.

A postscript to this was that we walked past the pub again 30 minutes later to hear two mid 20s girls and two guys arguing the same point. “Why do we need ids” etc... One of the girls started screaming abuse at the guards and... they let them in!

This was a really horrible experience. Ruined our night in Stratford. Call me a snowflake if you wish but I think that this kind of treatment will only create more aggression from other people. It was as if the pub did not want customers. These security guards are like something out of some extreme totalitarian state.

Needless to say I will never go anywhere near this awful place again if I see security guards outside.

The irony is I have been inside before at lunchtime and the staff inside are quite cool. But I could not get in so cannot comment on the...

The Sportsman Stratford is an excellent sports pub that offers a great atmosphere and a range of amenities. The prices are reasonable, and you'll get good value for your money, especially when you consider the range of entertainments it offers.

One of the highlights of the pub is the staff, who are friendly, welcoming, and always prepared to provide any assistance you may need. The venue is also accessible for people with disabilities, so everyone can enjoy their time there.

A great feature of The Sportsman Stratford is the numerous TVs it has. This makes it a great place to watch live sports games. The pub also has two pool tables where you can test your skills. This makes it a perfect social spot for a night out with your mates.

The food menu is pretty decent, with a fair choice of standard pub food. While it's not a gourmet experience, it's tasty, filling, and perfect to snack on while watching sports.

In summary, The Sportsman Stratford sports pub is a great place to enjoy sports and a drink or two while hanging out with friends. It has reasonable prices, friendly staff, and plenty of entertainment options, so make sure to give it a try on your...