In a city where sport is practically a second religion, finding the right place to watch it matters almost as much as the final score. From Premier League nail-biters and Six Nations showdowns to late-night NBA clashes and the roar of the Cheltenham crowd, London’s sports bars now cater to every kind of fan and every kind of game. This guide to London’s best sports bars pinpoints the capital’s top spots for catching the action – whether you’re after wall-to-wall screens, craft beer and decent grub, or a raucous atmosphere that feels one step removed from the stadium itself. From footy to the gee-gees, here’s where London really comes to play.
Prime spots in central London for Premier League and European football on the big screen
From Soho to the Strand,the center of town is laced with venues where every weekend feels like a cup final. Around Leicester Square and Piccadilly Circus you’ll find cavernous bars with walls of HD screens, custom sound systems and beer taps as far as the eye can see – ideal for catching the early kick-off, the 3pm drama and the late televised clash without ever leaving your barstool. Many central haunts now operate on a quasi-stadium model, with table service, pre-match playlists and even in-house punditry from the more vocal regulars. Look out for late licences on Champions League nights, and bookings that come with guaranteed views of the main screen, a bucket of cold lager and a stack of wings for good measure.
Elsewhere, tucked down side streets in Holborn, Covent Garden and Fitzrovia, you’ll uncover more characterful options – Victorian boozers that have embraced ultra-modern tech. Think 4K projectors, multiple angles of the same game, and staff who know their way around the offside rule as well as the cask list. These central spots tend to cater for mixed allegiances and overseas fans, so you’ll often see La Liga, Serie A and Bundesliga fixtures sharing screen time with the domestic schedule.
- Multiple screens: so you don’t miss a second of the undercard fixtures.
- Dedicated sound zones: different commentary tracks in different corners of the bar.
- Table bookings: reserve your seat for the biggest derbies and European nights.
- Food-led venues: burgers, sharing platters and late-night snacks for extra-time epics.
| Area | What To Expect | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Soho | Loud, lively, packed on matchdays | Big Premier League clashes |
| Covent Garden | Mix of tourists and die-hards | Champions League midweeks |
| Holborn | After-work crowd, strong craft beer | Early and late TV kick-offs |
Where to catch rugby cricket and boxing with proper pints and matchday atmosphere
If your definition of a big night out involves crash-tackles, cricket whites and the crunch of leather on jaw, London’s bar scene has you covered. From cavernous rugby temples in Twickenham to cricket-mad boozers that treat Lord’s like a place of worship, these spots balance serious screens with serious beer.Think cask ales poured in time with a Six Nations anthem, craft lagers lined up before the first ball in a Test, and staff who know the undercard on a Saturday fight night as well as they know the regulars. Commentary is cranked up, stools vanish by kick-off, and you’ll be hard-pressed to find a table not draped in a replica shirt.
Most venues double down on atmosphere with fan-fuelled rituals: shared pitchers for scrum-time nerves, bell-rings before the first over, or free shots when the main event ends in a stoppage. Expect projector walls, standing-room-only bar rails and booking-only booths when a pay-per-view bout rolls around. To help you plot your viewing calendar, here’s a fast look at how a few of London’s better-known haunts line up their sporting priorities:
- Rugby havens bristling with jerseys, anthem-sheets and breakfast pints for early kick-offs.
- Cricket dens serving long-session snacks, summery jugs and scorecard chatter late into the evening.
- Boxing bunkers with booming sound, late licences and punters judging every scorecard.
| Area | Best For | Typical Pint |
|---|---|---|
| Twickenham | Six Nations scrums and club finals | Hearty cask bitter |
| Marylebone | Test match marathons | Crisp session pale ale |
| Soho | Late-night title fights | Cold continental lager |
Top pubs for American sports from NFL Sundays to late night NBA and baseball
From the first kick-off on a Sunday afternoon to that West Coast NBA tip at ridiculous o’clock, London’s US-sports bars are drilled like playbooks. Expect wall-to-wall screens, cold beer, and hot wings, with commentary loud enough to drown out even the most despairing Jets fan. Many venues now run dedicated US schedules – think RedZone blaring in one corner, a standalone screen for the London expat Bills mafia in another, and a crowd of night-shift workers living for extra innings. Advance booking is essential for the big-ticket events, and more than a few places swing open early doors for playoff runs and the World Series.
- Dedicated NFL Sundays with multi-game coverage and sound on the main fixture.
- Late-night NBA and MLB feeds, often staying open until the final buzzer or last pitch.
- American-style menus – wings, loaded fries, buckets of beers and pitchers of cocktails.
- Expat crowds that turn bars into mini New Yorks, Bostons and Chicagos for a few hours.
| Bar Vibe | Best For | US Sport Special |
|---|---|---|
| Big-screen temple | All-day NFL | RedZone + jersey-clad regulars |
| Basement bunker | Night-owl NBA fans | Tip-offs shown till 3am |
| Craft beer haunt | Baseball die-hards | World Series watch parties |
Best bars for horse racing darts and niche sports with insider tips on when to go
Beyond the big-match mayhem, London hides a subculture of bars where horse racing form guides share bar space with dartboards and obscure scorelines from Gaelic football or Korean baseball. In Soho, speakeasy-style basements such as The Coach & Horses and long-time racing haunts around High Holborn tune into afternoon meets from Ascot to Aintree, their punters nursing pints and betting slips with equal intensity. East of the City, you’ll find Irish-run boozers where the commentary from Leopardstown or Punchestown is treated with near-religious reverence, and a back room is invariably given over to oche action, chalk-smeared scoreboards and fiercely guarded local leagues.
To catch these places at their buzzing best, timing is everything.Aim for weekday late lunches for the racing channels, when regulars swap tips without the weekend crush, and midweek evenings for darts when pub leagues are in full swing but you can still snag a decent vantage point. Look out, too, for specialist venues that rotate niche fixtures on multiple screens and aren’t afraid to clear the volume for a sudden-death leg or a photo finish.
- Go early on major race days (Cheltenham, Grand National, Royal Ascot) to secure a seat and sightline.
- Midweek nights are prime for darts leagues and quirky sports like handball and Aussie Rules.
- Ask the bar staff – they often know which channel is showing the lesser-known fixtures.
- Check social media for last-minute schedule changes and pop-up betting offers.
| Area | Vibe | Best Time | What To Watch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Soho | Old-school racing crowd | Fri 1-4pm | UK & Irish horse racing |
| Holborn | City punters on lunch | Midweek 12-3pm | Midweek meets, greyhounds |
| East End | Loud, locals, darts | Tue-Thu 7-10pm | Darts leagues, niche football |
| North London | Community pub sports | Sun early evening | GAA, rugby league replays |
The Conclusion
Wherever you plant yourself on match day – craning up at a cinema-sized screen in a city-centre behemoth, or nursing a perfectly kept pint in a snug backstreet boozer – London has a sports bar to match your tempo.From Six Nations scrums to midweek Champions League clashes, from the roar of Wembley to the thunder of the gee-gees at Ascot, the capital’s pubs and bars are wired into the sporting calendar like few other cities on earth.
Use this guide as a starting XI rather than a definitive squad: venues change hands, TV rights get shuffled, and new contenders are always muscling into the fixture list.Check ahead for bookings, big-event surcharges and which channels are showing what – especially if you’re chasing more niche fixtures or overseas leagues.
What doesn’t change is the city’s appetite for live sport in good company. Whether you’re in it for the atmosphere, the ale, the accumulator or all three, London’s sports bars are ready to put you ringside, pitchside or trackside – without ever having to leave the pub.
