Another sporting event is set to sweep across the UK, with the annual Six Nations tournament due to kick off. Finding a decent pub to watch a rugby match from can be trying. There are any number of bad pints and unseeable TV screens in London. But there are plenty of top venues to enjoy the Six Nations too.
The Standard has rounded up top pubs, bars and community spaces to watch the games and have noted the best to watch Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales specifically. Those following the French or the Italian squads might struggle in town, but will be welcome in pubs all the same (this is rugby, not football).
Here are some of the best rugby pubs in London.
Vinegar Yard
Vinegar Yard, nestled next to London Bridge Station, will be screening all the matches of the tournament on the big screen in the main site and outside in its heated (and covered) courtyard. The bars will be fully stocked and fans can expect sarnies from the Untitled Sandwich shop, pizza from Bad Boy Pizza Society, and burgers from Nanny Bill’s. Groups can book various viewing packages.
London Irish Centre
Best for Irish fans (obviously)
The reigning champions are this year’s clear favourites. And so a positive mood is expected at the London Irish Centre, which will be showing the lads in green, who face England in their first outing in the tournament. There’ll be post-match entertainment in the form of live music from Cailíní Lua and Lorraine O’Reilly and food from Happy Plates catering.
50-52 Camden Square, NW1 9XB. £17.50 standing ticket. Find more info here.
London Welsh Centre
The London Welsh Centre in Bloomsbury is this year showing all the action on a huge, 170 square-foot screen. There’ll also be Welsh beer and snacks from over the border. Booking in advance is essential and tickets are £10 (annual members at the centre go free).
Pillars
Pints at Pillars Brewery in Walthamstow are little over a fiver, which might be lure number one in this north east London enclave. This is a big, communal space and is likely to get raucous. Definitely one for big groups to order rounds of lager and to get stuck in. Free entry, but reserve a spot for £6 (and pre-order drinks).
Against the Grain Taproom
Against the Grain Cidery
Very much one for cider fans, Against the Grain Taproom and Cidery in Wimbledon is screening all the Six Nations matches, all to be enjoyed alongside a long list of craft ciders. There are beers on offer too, as well as wine and cocktails, and lots of wood-fired pizzas too. Expect it to get rowdy — south west London is prime rugby land.
You’re as close as possible to the match without actually being in the stadium at the Cabbage Patch, which calls itself “the most famous rugby pub in the world.” It offers traditional food, but rugby fans flock in their droves and the atmosphere is hard to top and you’ll find plenty of high spirits and match chats.
This Irish bar from duo Aaron Wall and Ciarán Smith has some of the best Guinness in the city, and an exceptional cocktail menu to boot. As you’d expect, it’s popular with Irish fans on match days and the atmosphere is always a friendly one. As well as good beer and great chat, the food is top dollar, too.
Also great for Ireland fans (but all comers, really)
No prizes for guessing where this pub’s allegiance lies: the décor says Irish. The Fullback has plenty of decent ales on tap, a surprising amount of space given how cosy it all feels, and a menu offering up Thai food for those who fancy it. And, with the likes of guitars, scarves, accordions and aeroplanes hanging from the ceiling, you can always play I spy if the match is proving to be especially uneventful. You can’t book tables here, so get down early.
Better looking than the usual sports bars, the Famous Three Kings boasts 16 screens and, though they’re known for favouring the Welsh, they’ll be screening every match of the tournament. There are decent pizzas and solid pub grub, and this is one of the places you’ll definitely want to book ahead for. Expect singing.
Scottish pubs are few and far between in the capital, so your best bet is to find an area where you’re likely to bump into like-minded fans. The Orange Tree has two drop down screens inside, and a 65-inch screen for those who fancy braving the outside patio terrace. They’re big on food here, too, so make a day of it and eat. If you haven’t been, be sure to see what’s on at the Orange Tree Theatre next door, too.
Lovely old Fulham pub the Prince, which features its own indoor garden, is welcoming fans to catch the every game this year. It’s one of the more idyllic spots to watch the action and the food is always sound – the pub has hosted residencies from the likes of Homeslice and Patty & Bun in the past.
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One of the better boozers around leafy Herne Hill and Brockwell Park, the Florence is a large, but really rather splendid pub. It’ll mainly be screening the England matches, with England getting going early in February, but doubtless more will follow.
Do not be deceived by its mammoth ivory exterior, this watering hole takes its rugby as seriously as its style. The Islington pub will be showing every single match on its big screen and offers the near-obligatory Thai curry that so often comes with a rugby day out.
Head to the heart of the City, where Indian restaurant and sports bar Brigadiers will be showing every game. It’ll be running a special Six Nations menu while the tournament’s in action, mixing fiery Indian flavours with British classics, while each of the three private dining rooms (equipped with their own TVs) are available to rent on matchdays.
The Ship
Perched on the Thames, this rugby favourite draws in big crowds on game day. Luckily for those wanting a breather from all the excitement, the Ship has an outdoor area with some more tranquil riverside views.
Victoria sports bar Greenwood is going all out for the Six Nations this year. As well as showing the action on their big communal screens, the bar is also offering VIP areas for groups, with comfy seats, table service all night, food and, of course, plenty of booze. The bar is one of seven Sport London bars showing the rugby across town.
The Bedford pub is another lovely spot to swing by. All the matches will be show on the Balham venue’s 12ft projector screens. If you’re in a group, there are private rooms for hire too. Decent burgers.
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Flat Iron Square is always a popular open-air choice for rugby fans and will screening all the matches again this year. There are three big screens, and loads of smaller ones dotted around in case your view is blocked. With various food options, free-flowing booze and pre- and post-match DJs, it’s always a fun one. Booking essential.
Named after the bloody battle which kicked off the Crimean War, few places display the hostile rivalries of the Six Nations better than The Alma. This Young’s pub is home to one of the best matchday atmospheres west London pubs have to offer.
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For Irish fans and everyone
Gibney’s, the basement saloon bar just off the Old Street roundabout, will be screening all the games throughout the tournament. Enjoy a pint or two of the in-house stout (or a certain name-brand competitor, of course) as well as top bar snacks from Richard Corrigan’s restaurant, Daffodil Mulligan, upstairs.
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We hope your eyes will be glued to the screen during the matches, but if the action does wane slightly, then it helps to have panoramic city views to keep you entertained. That’s the case at Skylight’s Tobacco Dock venue, which will be showing the matches on its seven screens, with happy hours and beer jug specials keeping things lively. Ticketed.
This Tottenham boozer, which is under the stewardship of Beavertown and as such serves all their locally brewed pints, is showing the matches on its three screens, and serving modern pub grub to go along with it: fish and chips, vegan burgers, cauliflower and truffle mac and cheese and the like. It’s opposite the new Tottenham Hotspur stadium if you want a double-header day of sport.
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It’s all going on at this Marylebone pub, which is always front and centre when rugby is on. There are big screens here, a solid selection of beers, and a classic pub food menu to keep revellers ready for action.
The Chelsea bolt hole will all be showing all the Six Nations matches alongside game day platters and pints. Sister pubs The George in Fitzrovia, and the Hound in Chiswick are doing the same.
To celebrate the Six Nations, BrewDog is again offering a free round of its own-brand stout, Black Heart, in any one of its bars during England matches over the course of the tournament. Every game will be shown live and the regular beers and food menu will be offered too.