Guide to the best sports bars and pubs in London

With numerous flatscreen TVs, a super-projector and fixtures including everything from rugby and football to basketball, tennis and cricket, Victoria’s Greenwood strives to cater to all your watching-related needs. The lively sports pub and kitchen serves platters of American-style food for sharing with the table and pours familiar sporty lagers, signature cocktails and more. The different parts of the spacious venue can be booked for private events or viewing as well.

Coming from the award-winning group behind renowned spots such as Gymkhana and Trishna, Brigadiers is a classy kind of sports bar that’s inspired by India's military mess halls. The restaurant and TV sports bar is furnished in deep brown colours and polished wood, and offers barbecue delicacies such as ribs and chops and a stimulating draft beer range to enjoy while you watch the match. It also has a pool room.

The Faltering Fullback is a beloved North London Irish pub with huge screens and a leafy beer garden that’s great for taking a breather during halftime. Though it’s situated in Arsenal F.C. territory behind Finsbury Park, the pub places an emphasis on rugby matches, but generally shows all sorts of sports. All in all, it’s a good choice regardless of whether you're looking to catch up on the score or just relax with a freshly poured pint in hand.

A traditional sports boozer in Clapham, The Alexandra has a history going back more than a century and a half. The two projector screens and five HD TVs it boasts are much younger, of course, and show a wide range of sports. You can get competitive yourself, as the pub includes oches. There are also regular DJ nights, pub quizzes and other entertaining events, and if you get hungry while waiting for the match to finish, you can recharge with a freshly baked pizza.

A cosy, colourful joint in Exmouth Market, Café Kick lets you watch sports on big screens while enjoying a changing all-day menu of comforting, homecooked food or sipping on a cold pint. Decorated with sports memorabilia and flags, the café and bar also boasts a traditional French football table – in nice weather, it’s set up on the pavement outside, so you can even impress passers-by with your skills.

Pub on the Park is known for its large terrace with spectacular view of London Fields, but the interior warren hides various rooms, open fires and big screens showing major tournaments and other fixtures. Taken together, it’s the perfect spot to watch a match after playing a bit of footie on the green. They also serve an array of pub classics, complete with a commendable vegan offer, and often host DJ sessions and other entertainment.

The fun-loving Belushi’s Bars have several locations around London, offering their signature combo of sports watching, entertainment and a rowdy party vibe expanded. Standout branches include the one in Camden, which hosts regular live music nights in addition to signature Belushi’s features such as happy hour, beer pong, karaoke and a late-night kitchen, and The Dugout, which boasts several so-called Caves, private areas with a TV, games consoles and a dedicated server for a relaxing mates’ night out.

Regarded as one of the best sports bars in the UK, not just London, Fulham's recently renovated Famous Three Kings pub comes equipped with a multitude of HD screens showing a variety of sporting events. The kitchen serves all the pub grub classics, from burgers to pizza and fish 'n' chips, and you can even order a 5l keg for the table, contributing to the lively vibe at this contemporarily furnished football pub.

Dedicated sports fans will want to keep the Kings Sports Bar in their back pocket, especially those who follow competitions such as the NFL or newer esports leagues. The sleek contemporary bar is part of the Empire Casino in Leicester Square and as such, it’s open around the clock. With 17 screens of different sizes and a menu of American-style food that’s served until the early hours, Kings Sports Bar is just the place for when you need to catch an all-important overseas match.

The Charlotte occupies a Southwark railway arch, but also boasts a terrace. Both areas at this large and elegantly furnished pub come equipped with large screens for watching different sports tournaments. You can enjoy pub classics such as ribs and fish ‘n’ chips while you watch, with pizza served on weekends as well. Upstairs you’ll find pool tables you can book for some friendly competition as well.

A mainstay of local social life, Big Penny Social on the Blackhorse Beer Mile is set in a large, airy warehouse with wooden tables and benches and a long bar with 20 draft beers on keg and cask. It also boasts an outdoor beer garden and, more pertinently as far as this guide is concerned, an 18-foot HD projector and huge plasma screens showing football, rugby and other fixtures.

Where better to watch a match than the pub where the Football Association met in 1863 to define the game's very rules? The Freemasons Arms, a Victorian football pub in Covent Garden, celebrates this historic occasion with football memorabilia displayed in the bar. You can watch theory put into practice as well, with six HD plasma screens showing major matches and other sporting events. You'll find pub staples such as fish 'n' chips and pies on the food menu, and there are different authentic Kentish cask ales to chug in victory as well.

The Moretown Belle next to the Tower of London is a proper sports bar that boasts as many as 31 UHD screens, including multi-screen walls. You can watch major national and international sporting events live in this contemporary bar with neon signage, munching on classic pub food as you do. There are dartboards and pool tables to keep you entertained while waiting for kick-off, or you can relax on the terrace if you’d prefer to do some outdoors socialising.

If you'd prefer to switch the usual Heineken-type sports beer for a more artisanal brew, the award-winning Three Compasses sports pub in Hackney has you covered with craft beers from local breweries. Featuring two projector screens, it's a favourite of local sports fans, who make sure each football, rugby or cricket match is watched in a lively, welcoming atmosphere. There's banging pub grub, too, usually in the form of a mouth-watering burger pop-up.

Styled as an urban greenhouse with wrought-iron decor, the Broadleaf sports lounge and restaurant serves American comfort food for lunch and dinner. With several huge screens showing football, rugby and other major tournaments, the restaurant in The City is a good choice for those who want to watch a match in a more elegant space than their local boozer. You can also play shuffleboard or enjoy a meal in the outside area.

If you want to make sure you won’t be stuck in some toilet-adjacent corner and miss half the match, you’ll want to head to one of the Sports Bar & Grill venues around the city. Every seat has an uninterrupted view of the screen at these dedicated sports bars, complete with BT Sport and Sky Sports coverage and a menu of American and British pub classics to enjoy. At some of the sleek, contemporary branches, you can also play darts or pool.

Frankie's Sports Bar & Grill is located at the Stamford Bridge stadium, the headquarters of Chelsea FC, so expect it to get (c)rowdy for home games. The elegant football bar boasts outdoor seating and has 16 big screens showing fixtures throughout the week, from soccer to golf and the NFL. Choose from an array of international favourites such as wings, tacos and pizza if you get hungry, or order one of the cocktails to quench your thirst.

When you need to regenerate before, during or after a bout of shopping at the Westfield London mall, the Westwood Sports Pub & Kitchen is there for you, serving burgers, wings and other American-style pub classics. The spacious industrial hall is equipped with huge HD screens, letting you catch all the latest football, rugby, boxing, Formula 1 and NFL action, as well as other major sporting events. If you’re there with a group of friends, consider ordering a sharing platter.

By pouring their craft beers straight from the tank, the Long Arm Sports Pub & Brewery eliminates the need for any packaging and places you right in the centre the Shoreditch production facility. With a never-ending supply of fresh beer on hand, two enormous projectors and other large screens, the vast industrial space is a great choice to watch some soccer, rugby, basketball, boxing or other sporting events.

Sports fans who enjoy a pint of Guinness with their footie will find themselves at home at this stylish Irish sports pub and its traditionally hospitable atmosphere. A cosy spot despite being quite large, McGettigan's offers plenty of tipples to choose from in addition to the beer. You can also order pub classics such as fish 'n' chips and burgers here.

F1 Arcade is the ultimate bar destination for any Formula 1 enthusiast, featuring no fewer than 60 full-motion racing simulators. This high-tech social gaming venue offers various racing challenges and competitions for all skill levels, as well as delicious food and cocktails. In addition, F1 Arcade hosts official F1 Grand Prix watch parties and can be booked for private events.

Bar Kick in Shoreditch shows major tournaments on a dozen HD screens spread across its two floors. Rest assured, every seat offers an unobstructed view of the match. You can enjoy burgers and other pub favourites whilst you immerse yourself in the action, complemented by a selection of craft beers and cocktails served from the bar. During half-time, test your skills at one of the premium foosball tables for added entertainment.

Make your way to Nordic Bar for a fusion of sports, cocktails, and an authentic Scandinavian vibe. The finest Scandinavian beers and vodkas are accompanied by a menu featuring accessible pub fare, including Swedish favourites like pytt i panna and meatballs. In addition to the live sports action, you can play beer pong or arcade games here too.

Speedboat Bar is inspired by the bustling shophouses of Bangkok's Chinatown quarter, serving zingy, flavourful Thai food in the ground-floor dining area. Head to the upstairs bar, decorated with autographed portraits of Thailand's canal speedboat racers, for live sports in a loud, vibrant setting – it's not the biggest of places, but that just adds to the atmosphere.