Planning on watching a Premier League tie, FA Cup clash or blockbuster England clash? Score salubrious surroundings with a decent pint (and delish food, sometimes too), by heading to one of these football friendly pubs and bars. Back of the net!
The best bars and pubs for watching football in central London
The Lyric, Soho
There are a couple of decent-sized TVs in this homey pub, with gallons of respectable craft beers (cask and keg). And Guinness, of course. The Lyric, 37 Great Windmill Street, W1D 7LT
De Hems, Chinatown
Bustling multi-level pub with Dutch heritage. Cram in on match day, order a Leffe and cheer on van Dijk, van Aanholt, or whoever your Dutch hero happens to be. De Hems, 11 Macclesfield Street, W1D 5BW
Porterhouse, Covent Garden
Towering Irish boozer, screens all over the place — plus its own beers on tap (try the oyster stout). As well as internationals and Premier League, it screens hurling. The Porterhouse, 21-22 Maiden Lane, WC2E 7NA
Cafe Kick, Exmouth Market
Continental style cafe with foosball and cocktails. Arrive early to get a seat, and enjoy the match in style with a martini. Cafe Kick, 43 Exmouth Market, EC1R 4QL
Greenwood, Victoria
Huge venue with 20 big screens, gets incredibly busy on big match days, and rightly so. Pizza’s worth a look-in too. Greenwood, 170 Victoria Street, SW1E 5LB
The Dugout at Belushi’s Sports Bar, London Bridge
Student-styled joint with lots of large screens, plus filling burgers and bar snacks. They’re strict with IDs, so bring one. Other Belushi’s can be found around London (Camden, Shepherd’s Bush, Hammersmith, Greenwich). The Dugout at Belushi’s Sports Bar, 161-165, Borough High Street, SE1 1HR
Nordic Bar, Fitzrovia
Scandinavian-themed party bar with ping pong, retro arcade tables and — most importantly — four large screens for the football. Nordic Bar, 25 Newman Street W1T 1PN
Pavilion End, City of London
The name’s obviously a cricket reference, but Pavilion End also screens a lot of football — not just the Prem but also Bundesliga and Ligue 1. Tres bon. Pavilion End, 23 Watling Street, EC4M 9BR
The best bars and pubs for watching football in north London
World’s End, Finsbury Park
Sky Sports and BT Sports on the big screen, plus a foosball table on which to reenact your team’s famous victory/defeat. Nice pub grub too. World’s End, 21-23 Stroud Green Road, N4 3EF
Earl of Camden, Camden
Big screens, little screens… this place has it all. Add to that a variety of taps, with a leaning towards real ale, and plenty of pizza to chew on mid match. Earl of Camden, 55 Parkway, NW1 7PN
Faltering Fullback, Finsbury Park
Classic Irish pub cluttered with old gimcrack and the occasional TV with footy (and rugby if you’re so inclined). Get a Guinness and Thai food to go with. And if it’s all too much, go find solace in the magnificent beer garden. Faltering Fullback, 19 Perth Road, N4 3HB
Hemingford Arms, Barnsbury
All the big league games screened in this ivy-ensconced, Chesterfield-stuffed class act of a pub. Hemingford Arms, 158 Hemingford Road, N1 1DF
Clissold Park Tavern, Stoke Newington
Sizeable screens indoor and out (in the summer), accompanied by seriously good antipasti and pizza. There’s table football as well. Clissold Park Tavern, 177 Green Lanes, N16 9DB
The Beehive, Tottenham
The shirts on the wall set out the Beehive’s stall as a Spurs’ fans’ pub, but how could any football lover resist its many TVs showing games, especially out in the sunny courtyard. The Beehive, Stoneleigh Road, N17 9BQ
Boxpark Wembley
If you didn’t manage to score tickets for the big match at Wembley, second best is watching it a few hundred feet away. Guaranteed atmosphere. Boxpark Wembley, Wembley Park, HA9 0JT
The best bars and pubs for watching football in south London
The Clubhouse at Dulwich Hamlet, East Dulwich
Community Bar at Dulwich Hamlet’s ground, with plenty of craft beer, pie deals… and on-screen footie. You’ll see some pretty neat footwork outside on the pitch too. The Clubhouse at Dulwich Hamlet, Champion Hill Stadium, Edgar Kail Way, SE22 8BD
Duke of Edinburgh, Brixton
Perennially-bustling backstreet boozer with multiple screens, and sometimes a biggie in the mahoosive beer garden for good measure. Jerk chicken will tide you over. Duke of Edinburgh, 204 Ferndale Road, SW9 8AG
Boxpark Croydon
Home to that insta-iconic video of hundreds of England fans recklessly wasting their pints, Boxpark Croydon screens big matches on its huge screen, with offshoot bars elsewhere in the venue showing other games. Boxpark Croydon, 99 George Street, CR0 1LD
The Tap In, Elephant and Castle
Football-themed craft beer bar (think lots of old posters, footy stickers on the walls) with a few screens dotted about, plus one massive one. The Tap In, 2 Sayer Street, SE17 1FG
The Pilgrim, Kennington
In the balmy days of the early/late season, watch the game on The Pilgrim’s screens, nestled away in its little beer garden. As the chills sets in, move inside, where big screen and sofas await. The Pilgrim, 247 Kennington Lane SE11 5QU
The Alexandra, Clapham
Spacious gastro pub with a few screens/projectors. One of the gardens shows football when it’s warm enough Apparently this is a Liverpool pub, but all comers are welcome. The Alexandra, 14 Clapham Common South Side, SW4 7AA
Belleville Brewing Co, Wandsworth Common
Great little brewery serving deliciously fresh beers, and screening matches on a couple of screens (they’re not huge, but the setting/beer’s so good, we feel compelled to include here). Belleville Brewing Co, 44 Jaggard Way, SW12 8SG
The best bars and pubs for watching football in east London
Moretown Belle, St Katherine Docks
Modern, pub with an America diner vibe and 31 (!) screens showing sport. The beer menu is 100% uninspiring, but there are plenty of cocktails/wines you can be getting on with instead. Moretown Belle, 5 Thomas More Street, E1W 1YY
Bar Kick, Shoreditch
Spacious, trendy, exposed brick kind of place with table football, and plenty of screens dangling from the ceiling. Bar Kick, 127 Shoreditch High Street, E1 6JE
Matchbox, Shoreditch
As the name suggests, this sports-obsessed joint is veritably plastered with TVs, broadcasting all the major football matches. Foosball tables, too. Matchbox, 135 Shoreditch High Street E1 6JE
Sports Bar & Grill, Old Street, Canary Wharf
Book a table for individual screens. A bit anti-social maybe, but one way to guaranteed you’re not craning your neck for 90 minutes. The food isn’t cheap for what it is, mind. There are other Sports Bar & Grills across London (Marylebone, Canary Wharf, Clapham Junction, Farringdon, Victoria), not all with the private TV option — which is why we winkled out this one. Sports Bar & Grill, 174-180 Old Street
Pub on the Park, Hackney
True to its name, you can pretty much watch the footy in the park — the gardens here are furnished with TVs and heaters. Admirable range of beers for a sports establishment. Pub on the Park, 19 Martello Street E8 3PE
Three Compasses, Dalston
Craft beer, award-winning burgers (made with Angus beef we’re told) and footie projected into the wall. Hip crowd. Good times. Three Compasses, 99 Dalston Lane, E8 1NH
The Leyton Star, Leyton
Big projector and few smaller (but not that small) screens to watch on. Outdoor screens in the spring/summer. Nosh on some extremely loaded fries while you watch. The Leyton Star, 116 High Road, E15 2BX
The Chequers, Walthamstow
The projector’s rolled out for plenty of footy games at this brilliant Walthamstow boozer, which does a very decent line in local beer and sharing plates. The Chequers, 145 High Street, E17 7BX
The best bars and pubs for watching football in west London
Famous Three Kings, Hammersmith
Winner of various sports pub awards. Screens everywhere you look, and a healthy measure of roistering: a solid call for Super Sunday in this neck of the woods. Famous Three Kings, 171 North End Road, W14 9NL
Jolly Gardeners, Putney
Shows pretty much all of the top-flight football it can — and a very good shout if you’re in the area. In the summer, they put screens in the garden. Jolly Gardeners, 61-63 Lacy Road, SW15 1NT
The Temperance, Putney Bridge
Very much NOT a teetotal pub, the Temperance does 2-for-1 cocktails all day every day — and screens all the big football matches on its many TVs. The Temperance, 90 Fulham High Street, SW6 3LF
The Wandle of Earlsfield, Earlsfield
Like a pie with your football? Order the chicken, leek & tarragon at this Earlsfield gastro, screening all the major Premier/Champions League action. The Wandle of Earlsfield, 332 Garratt Lane, SW18 4EJ
The Elgin, Notting Hill
A gorgeous Victorian boozer that does quality pub food, The Elgin also screens Prem matches. You can also book a private room, if you want to get your mates together for a big clash. The Elgin, 96 Ladbroke Grove, W11 1PY
The Richmond, Shepherd’s Bush
Basic but sports-obsessed boozer, screening Premier League alongside Scottish Premiership and Gaelic football. Basically, turn up, and you’ll see some kind of ball being kicked around some kind of pitch. The Richmond, 55 Shepherds Bush Road, W6 7LU
Westwood Sports Pub & Kitchen, Wood Lane
Ditch the shopping basket at Westfield, and spend the afternoon watching the footy at this in-mall sports bar. Giant HD screens show big matches (plus oodles more sport). Good bar food too. Westwood Sports Pub & Kitchen, Ariel Way, W12 7HB
The Sporting Page, Chelsea
Classy gastro with a solid English menu (roasts, wellingtons, sticky toffee pud), and an all-important scattering of TVs screening the football. The Sporting Page, 6 Camera Place, SW10 0BH
Got a suggestion? Tell us in the comments. Note: There are also some establishments which focus on football from other countries e.g. Stockwell’s Portuguese restaurants. We’ve not listed these here, excellent though some of these are.
