RIVERSIDE Sports Bar and Kitchen took home the award for ‘Best Sports Bar’ at the Welsh Hospitality Awards 2023.

The award ceremony took place at the Mercure Cardiff Holland House Hotel & Spa on Monday, October 2.

Owner Dan Harris took over the bar in March 2023, and provided the business with some stability after it had been through numerous different tenants in recent years.

Mr Harris, along with bar manager Steve Chetnik and head chef Craig Pugsley, is a proud Gwent local and they have all had history with the Riverside bar over the years.

“We felt it was the perfect place to create a sports bar where people can spend several hours with family and friends,” said Mr Harris.

In a bid to increase their connection with the Welsh sporting community, the business joined forces with a website called Welsh Football Fans to help them achieve the feeling they were aiming for and allow them to foster a positive community within the bar around Welsh football.

The team provides typical bar food, such as burgers, chicken wings and dirty fries, as well as a range of popular pub entertainment, including darts and a few pool tables.

The award was a first for the business, in just six months since opening, and has been a “massive confidence boost for the entire team” according to Mr Harris.

He continued: “We all love the bar and what we are building, and for that to then be recognised on a national scale means that we must be doing something right.

“We’d love for this to be the first Welsh Football Fans branded sports bar in Wales, and for more to follow.”

Riverside Sports Bar and Kitchen can be found on Clarence Place in Newport, NP19 7AB, with full opening hours of Monday and Tuesday 4pm-11pm, Wednesday and Thursday 1pm-11pm, Friday 1pm-1am, Saturday 12pm-1am and Sunday 12pm-11pm.

The kitchen operates on slightly different hours, which you can check out on their website.