Sport Bar: "Sports bar in Playa del Carmen" Playa del Carmen Restaurant Tip by SWFC_Fan

I stopped at Sport Bar for a couple of cold beers on the afternoon that I visited Playa del Carmen in February 2006.

In Playa del Carmen, the main drag (Avenida Quinta, or Fifth Avenue) houses a huge selection of bars and restaurants aimed at the huge tourist crowds. I decided to take a wander off the main drag and went a few blocks inland to discover Sport Bar on Avenida Norte.

This large green and white fronted bar, complete with the names of Mexican beer brands and large model beer cans decorating the bar's exterior, is easy to spot on what is otherwise a pretty sparsely occupied street.

The airy interior is sparsely furnished (with wooden tables and green plastic chairs) and the few other customers in the place at the time of my visit were locals. The walls are decorated with photos of Playa del Carmen from years gone by (black and white photos of the beach and of fishermen with their catch), and a couple of TV sets were tuned into a local sports channel showing highlights of European football games. There is a pool table in the back of the bar.

The bar offers a limited food menu, most of which is seafood. A seafood cocktail costs 120 Pesos, shrimp cocktail 70/80 Pesos and a fillet of fish 65 Pesos. Brandy, rum, vodka and tequila cost 40 Pesos a glass.

The bottled beers were "2 for 1" at the time of my visit, so I paid 35 Pesos for 2 bottles of Sol, served with sliced limes, salt, a bowl of nibbles and a plate of cucumber and olives.

A cool, laid-back bar off the beaten tourist path.

Address: 10 Avenida Norte
Comparison: about average
Directions: Located on Avenida Norte (a road running parallel to the main drag, Avenida Quinta)
Price: less than US$10
Rating: 3
Theme: Local