• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About
    • First Time Here?
    • Archive
    • London Blogs
  • Blog
  • Travel
    • London Theater Tickets
    • Shopping
    • Tips
    • Tours
    • Transport
    • Maps
    • Parks
    • Resources
    • Restaurants
    • Top 10 London
  • Culture
    • Art
    • Buildings
    • Food
    • London Books
    • Movies
    • Museums
    • Music
    • Pubs
  • Londonism
    • Reviews
    • Fun London
    • Iconic London
    • Life in London
    • London Realities
    • Moving to London
    • Politics
  • The Tube
  • London History
    • Great London Buildings
    • Great Londoners
  • Contact
  • Guidebooks
    • 101 London Travel Tips – Guidebook
    • 101 Free Things to do in London

Londontopia

The Website for People Who Love London

You are here: Home / Culture / Food / The London Fiver – Five of the Best Sports Bars

The London Fiver – Five of the Best Sports Bars

May 9, 2019 By John Rabon

One could certainly argue that every pub in the UK is a sports bar, since it’s naturally where everyone gathers to watch a match.  Certain pubs, of course, are bound to have their favored teams’ colors adorning the walls and cheering supporters on game day.  However, some places go above this to mark themselves as true sports bars, a place seemingly designed only to watch the contests between athletes.  London, of course, has many great places to watch sporting events, and we have identified five of our favorite spots for a pint and a match.  Let us know your own favorite spectator bars in the comments.

Bar Kick – Shoreditch

Mostly known for the vast selection of table football games, Bar Kick is also a great place to watch real football in addition to the tabletop games.  There are several large flatscreen TVs throughout the bar and the webpage keeps track of which upcoming matches are going to be available to watch.  Bar Kick also has food options that go beyond what you might expect for a sports bar including group platters and buffet selections.

Carlsberg Sports Bar – Leicester Square

Found in the Empire Casino in Leicester Square, the Carlsberg Sports Bar is a good place to watch a game, regardless of whether you intend to gamble before or after.  Whether you want to sit at the bar before the TV sets, pick a table and follow the match on one of two nine-screen big televisions, or follow any of the other fourteen screens, there are plenty of good spots and many games you can follow.  If you want to reserve a particular spot, the bar’s website will let you do that in advance of the match.  There’s also a great selection of food, beer, and cocktails.

Greenwood – Victoria

Greenwood bills itself as *the* sports bar for Victoria and seemingly has more screens than any bar in London.  As such, you can watch just about anything you want there from Premier League football to the NFL.  Even if you’re not there for sport, there are plenty of booths and tables that are secluded enough to avoid a match and concentrate on your food and drink.  It also doesn’t hurt that the place is absolutely gorgeous inside.  It has many hallmarks of the traditional sports bar without looking like one.

Faltering Fullback – Finsbury Park

The most traditional pub on this list, the Faltering Fullback is dedicated almost exclusively to one sport—rugby.  Most of the décor on the walls that isn’t a mitch-match of eclectic kitsch is rugby-related from jerseys to photos.  The outdoor beer garden is also something to behold, looking almost like a rainforest.  It’s also got one of the more interesting food menus of the bars on this list, and you’re more likely to find Thai dishes here than your traditional British pub fare.  The bar has been known to put on other sports, so don’t be disappointed if you’re not that into rugby.

Rileys Sports Bar – Haymarket

Rileys is another spot with tons of screens and multiple opportunities to watch your favorite game.  This southwest London bar has thirty-four TVs and four projector screens, so it can show multiple events at once and you will be sure to find a spot for that big game.  If you’re looking for some activity before or after your chosen match, you can go upstairs to play on one of their pool, table tennis, or football tables.  Rileys also has a lounge that can be reserved for special events, whether you’re looking to have a watch party with your mates or celebrate a special occasion.

John Rabon
Author: John Rabon

John is a regular writer for Anglotopia and its sister websites. He is currently engaged in finding a way to move books slightly to the left without the embarrassment of being walked in on by Eddie Izzard. For any comments, questions, or complaints, please contact the Lord Mayor of London, Boris Johnson's haircut.

close

Free London News

Get the latest news on London history, culture, travel, exhibitions, and more right in your inbox!

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

Share this:

  • Print
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Reddit
  • Pocket

Filed Under: Dining, Food, London Fiver, Pubs, Sport

Subscribe to Our Free London Updates

Free London News

Get the latest news on London history, culture, travel, exhibitions, and more right in your inbox!

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

About John Rabon

John is a regular writer for Anglotopia and its sister websites. He is currently engaged in finding a way to move books slightly to the left without the embarrassment of being walked in on by Eddie Izzard. For any comments, questions, or complaints, please contact the Lord Mayor of London, Boris Johnson's haircut.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Nick Davies says

    May 9, 2019 at 10:15 am

    “One could certainly argue that every pub in the UK is a sports bar,”

    You certainly could, but it’s an argument you’ll lose. A large number of pubs have no TV, especially outside twon centres. Some, like the JD Wetherspoon chain, Britain’s biggest, make a virtue of having no background music too. Look through WhatPub.com and you see a symbol for ‘quiet pub’ as well as another for ‘sports TV’ .

Primary Sidebar

Subscribe to Our Free London Updates

Free London News

Get the latest news on London history, culture, travel, exhibitions, and more right in your inbox!

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

Get the Anglotopia/Londontopia App

Our Advertisers

If you are a mobile gamer, you may want to take a look at UK’s new mobile casinos and slots reviewed by NewCasinoUK.

Join the London Forum

  • Mudlarking
  • MY FAVOURITE PLACE IN LONDON
  • What's Your Favorite Place in London?
  • Paddington Station

London Guide

  • Ten Cheap Things You Can Do in London on a Budget
  • Ten London Exhibitions to Look Forward to in 2023
  • London’s Non-Free Museums: Your Guide to London’s Museums That Charge Admission
  • Trip Planning: Top 10 Exhibitions To Plan Your 2018 Trips to London Around
  • London Guide: Our Favorite Restaurants in London – London Restaurant Recommendations for Americans – What’s Your Favorite?

Connect With Us

  • Facebook
  • RSS Feed
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Support Londontopia

Search our Extensive Archive

Top 10 London

  • Ten Unusual Exhibits to See in London
  • London Pubs: Ten Thameside Pubs for a Pint and a View
  • Top 10 London: Ten More Things to Do Along the River Thames
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Shopping Centers in London
  • Museums of London: Ten Overlooked London Museums
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to See and Do in Haggerston
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to See and Do in Haringey
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to See and Do in Redbridge
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to See and Do in Hillingdon
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to Do in Canonbury

Recent Posts

  • Natural History Museum named most visited indoor UK attraction again
  • The Ugly Duchess: Beauty and Satire in the Renaissance at the National Gallery
  • Gatwick returns to profit as air travel bounces back
  • Sir Mark Rylance brings role as Dr Semmelweis to West End
  • Shire horses prepare Tower of London moat for next wildflower display
  • In Video: Watch pianist Lang Lang perform at St Pancras station
  • Heathrow ready for ‘successful Easter getaway’ after chaos of 2022
  • More than 40,000 plant species now stored in Kew Gardens’ seed bank
  • Ten of the Best Fish & Chips Restaurants in London
  • Judi Dench hails ‘heroic’ Ada Salter as blue plaque unveiled

Best Posts on Londontopia

  • 101 London Travel Tips
  • Top 100 London Attractions
  • How to Find the Cheapest Airfares to London
  • 10 Things NOT to do in London
  • Best London Guidebooks
  • 101 Free Things to do in London
  • London Lingo – A London Word Dictionary
  • Top 7 Tips for Doing London on the Cheap
  • Top 11 Myths American Believe about London
  • Guide to Eating in London
  • Best Times of Year to Travel to London
  • London Packing Tips
  • Top 11 Movies Set in London
  • Top Attractions off the Tourist Track
  • Top 5 Most Amazing London Hotels
  • Top 10 Hostels in London
  • Best Views in London Restuarants
  • London Taxi Ettiquette
  • Top 12 London Views
  • Great Fire of London
  • A Guide to Five of London’s Bridges
  • 10 Random Facts and Figures about Trafalgar Square
  • Top 100 British Slang Words

London Places to Explore

Bloomsbury Buckingham Palace Canary Wharf City of London Covent Garden Cutty Sark Greenwich Hampstead Hampton Court Palace Heathrow Houses of Parliament Hyde Park Imperial War Museum Islington Kensington Kensington Palace Leicester Square London London Eye London Transport Museum Museum of London National Gallery Notting Hill Piccadilly Circus Putney Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park Regent's Street Royal Academy Selfridges Somerset House Southbank Southwark St Pancras St Paul's Cathedral Tate Britain Tate Modern The City Tower Bridge Tower of London Trafalgar Square V&A Wandsworth West End Westminster Westminster Abbey

SIGN-UP FOR FREE LONDON WEEKLY UPDATES!

Please enter a valid email address
That address is already in use
The security code entered was incorrect
Thanks for signing up

Recent Videos

Walk Around London Virtually Right Now – Watched Walker is the YouTube Channel We All Need Right Now

Jason Hawkes Shares a Beautiful Video of London From Above That We All Need Right now

London Tube: You’ve Got to Watch This Amazing Mesmerizing Animation That Shows the Real Geography of the London Underground

Video: The Basics of Crossrail – London’s New Underground Line

London History: The Place Where Old London Double Decker Buses Went to Die

London Video: A Look at the Great Smog of London

10 Interesting Facts about the Hammersmith and City Line

Nearly half of Londoners have used Elizabeth line so far – survey

Tube and London bus fares to rise by nearly 6% from March

What is Crossrail 2 and What is Its Current Status?

London Alert: Strike by London Underground workers to go ahead after last-minute talks fail

London Mayor hails Elizabeth line as direct routes and Sunday services begin

Footer

About Londontopia

Londontopia is simply the website for people who love London. It was founded by Jonathan & Jackie Thomas from Anglotopia.net as a place to post articles solely focused on London and its environs. Keep up with all the latest London news at Londontopia! This site is geared towards people who love to visit London and our primary audience is North American but everyone is welcome!

When We’re in London Next

We don’t currently have any travel plans to London but hope to visit at some point in 2021.

  • SEO Backlinks
  • Travel Blog

SIGN-UP FOR FREE LONDON WEEKLY UPDATES!

Please enter a valid email address
That address is already in use
The security code entered was incorrect
Thanks for signing up

Copyright © 2023 Anglotopia, LLC · Website Developed by Anglotopia, LLC · Log in