The biggest soccer event on the planet kicks off this summer, but you don’t need a ticket to the World Cup to experience the excitement of being surrounded by fans in a lively atmosphere.
New York City is home to a plethora of bars and restaurants across all five boroughs that cater to soccer fans looking to eat, drink and watch together—something that’s true even when there aren’t big events coming along that raise interest to new heights.
We’ve pulled together recommendations for places that work as destinations for anyone with an interest in watching World Cup matches (but note there will be many more places showing the games). Some are known as gathering spots for fans from specific World Cup countries—including spots for most of the countries playing in the NYC area; some serve soccer supporters year-round; and some may just be the place to draw in those looking to cheer and take in the scene in a fun atmosphere. Whatever the case, you won’t have to travel far to find somewhere that fits your needs.
The Bronx
Bronx Drafthouse
884 Gerard Ave., Concourse, Bronx
This sports bar has 30 beers on tap and another 20 in cans or bottles, with an emphasis on local breweries. The subway-tiled, two-room interior regularly packs out with soccer crowds when New York City FC plays at nearby Yankee Stadium.
Courtesy, Clinton Hall
Clinton Hall
601 E. 189th St., Belmont, Bronx
Home to the local Bronx chapter of the American Outlaws, Clinton Hall is directly next to Fordham University and historic Arthur Avenue. The space inside is enormous and high-ceilinged, and there’s lots of shareable food and draft beers—great for a big World Cup crowd.
The Punch Bowl
5820 Broadway, Kingsbridge, Bronx
This very old-school, no-frills Irish pub has a pool table and lots of televisions, so while it’s not a strictly soccer-focused bar, expect the World Cup to be showing.
Brooklyn
Banter
132 Havemeyer St., Williamsburg, Brooklyn
A pure soccer bar that’s been in Williamsburg for 15 years, Banter regularly shows matches from all the top leagues and competitions and has dozens of different craft beers on offer.
Black Forest
733 Fulton St., Fort Greene, Brooklyn
Prioritize this spot if you’re a fan of Germany; it specializes in sausage, schnitzel and the like. They’re offering reservations for Germany games inside while providing a TV outside for walk-in sidewalk viewing. They have a second location in Boerum Hill that will also be showing the games.
FancyFree
71 Lafayette Ave., Fort Greene, Brooklyn
This casual neighborhood pub near Barclays Center rose to prominence in recent years for drawing big crowds to watch Arsenal’s matches—Gooner fan Spike Lee, whose production company has an office around the corner, is a regular for games.
Iona
180 Grand St., Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Notable for their idyllic back patio and for their authentic baked meat pies, this Scottish and Irish bar opens early on weekends to air the English Premier League.
Courtesy, Kent Ale House
Kent Ale House
51 Kent Ave., Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Multiple sports are big at this spacious corner bar that has two dozen beers on tap and soccer regularly on television (rugby is another frequent topic). It’s located right near the water’s edge in Williamsburg, so you can step outside and get a great view of Manhattan across the East River.
Michelle’s Cocktail Lounge
2294 Bedford Ave., Flatbush, Brooklyn
This bar is an NYC institution among Panamanian Americans. It will be showing each of Panama’s group-stage games—and undoubtedly drawing crowds for each—while offering food like fried yuca, ceviche and chicharrónes.
Monro Pub. Photo: Lucía Vázquez
The Monro Pub
481 5th Ave., Park Slope, Brooklyn
The setting is intimate as the interior is of limited size, but it’s a spot for soccer enthusiasts above all, and is the Liverpool bar of Park Slope. There is a backyard with picnic tables, which comes in handy on nice summer days. Read our spotlight on the bar for more.
Soccer Tavern
6004 8th Ave., Sunset Park, Brooklyn
An Irish soccer bar with Nordic ties sounds unlikely in Sunset Park, though the neighborhood had early Irish residents and was once known as “Little Norway” due to its Scandinavian immigrant community. They still fly the flag of Norway outside the pub, which has been around in some form for almost a century; inside, find pints of Guinness and games on the television.
Manhattan
11th Street Bar
510 E .11th St., East Village, Manhattan
This casual, traditional Irish bar with long lists of beers and cocktails serves as a home base for fans of England’s Liverpool FC (the original NYC supporter’s club congregates for games here) when it’s not World Cup time. They don’t serve hot food, but they do offer snacks and allow you to bring in your own.
Carragher’s
17 John St., Financial District, Manhattan
Named for Jamie Carragher, the former Liverpool FC player turned commentator who is also a partner in the bar, this two-floor spot in Lower Manhattan is popular for its electric environment on match days and its food menu of traditional Irish pub classics.
Courtesy, Crossbar
Crossbar
250 W. 86th St., Upper West Side, Manhattan
Crossbar is a café that opens early but also serves alcohol and has lots of TVs set up for watching soccer. There’s plenty of soccer apparel on-site since it’s connected to Soccer Post, a sporting goods shop.
Félix. Photo: Marissa Alper
Félix
340 West Broadway, Soho, Manhattan
This bustling downtown bistro draws big crowds when France plays and has been doing so for years. They serve up the classics of French cuisine in a breezy, sometimes open-air setting, re-creating the vibe of Paris on a corner in Soho. Read our profile of the bar-restaurant here.
Football Factory at Legends
6 W. 33rd St., Koreatown, Manhattan
One of the City’s most widely known soccer-specific bars, this sizable space is split over three levels and full of soccer memorabilia. It was founded by Jack Keane, who helped popularize soccer viewing in NYC at the long-gone Nevada Smiths and has made Legends a regular game-day destination for fans from across the globe.
Courtesy, Harlem Tavern
Harlem Tavern
2153 Frederick Douglass Blvd., Harlem, Manhattan
Head to a neighborhood sports bar that offers food and drink specials while broadcasting every World Cup match across its 16 televisions. A large covered outdoor patio allows visitors to watch alfresco if they choose.
Jones Wood Foundry
401 E. 76th St., Upper East Side, Manhattan
This British gastropub lures you in with promises of fish and chips, cask ale and Sunday roasts, but it’s also a prime spot to catch The Three Lions (England’s national team) in action during the World Cup. They show Premier League matches on normal weekends and recently hosted one of England’s World Cup kit reveals.
McHale’s Bar & Grill
251 W. 51st St., Midtown, Manhattan
Timeless details like dark wood and stained-glass windows adorn the interior of this classic Irish pub in the heart of the Theatre District. Soccer memorabilia dot the walls of the two-story space, which has many TVs and a 100-inch projector screen.
One4One Sports Club & Lounge
141 Chrystie St., Lower East Side, Manhattan
Here’s a swanky, comfortable sports lounge that feels like entering someone’s living room or private movie theater, but it is still a sports bar. They plan to show all 104 World Cup matches while offering reservations for open bars and tables.
The Red Lion
151 Bleecker St., Greenwich Village, Manhattan
A traditional British pub that’s been around for over 40 years, the Red Lion is known for regularly hosting live music but also for showing soccer on its many TVs. They’re showing every World Cup fixture from the group stage through the final, and they accept reservations for the biggest matches.
Reichenbach Hall
5 W. 37th St., Midtown, Manhattan
This German beer hall hits Oktoberfest notes year-round, with ample seating and Bavarian classics that happen to pair well with soccer: sizable beer steins, soft pretzels and currywurst. Lots of TVs will be showing all the World Cup matches.
Courtesy, Smithfield Hall
Smithfield Hall
138 W. 25th St., Chelsea, Manhattan
One of the City’s better-known soccer bars, this spacious spot is divided into two rooms and is a staple for fans of European soccer—it’s home to eight such supporters’ clubs. With dozens of TVs inside and even some out front, this will be a popular destination for the World Cup’s biggest matches.
Queens
Bar 43. Photo: Mateo Ruiz Gonzalez
Bar 43
43-06 43rd St., Sunnyside, Queens
It’s a lot to live up to the goal of being the “home of soccer in Queens,” but this sizable bar gives it a go, with TVs aplenty, an expansive menu of food and drink, and matches broadcast from leagues across the globe. Given Sunnyside’s diverse population, large crowds assemble when the likes of Colombia, Ecuador and Brazil are playing.
Barzola
92-12 37th Ave., Jackson Heights, Queens
Come together with fellow Ecuador fans to watch the national team play. While there, dine on ceviches, humitas (steamed fresh corn cakes) and other specialties from the country’s culinary canon.
Beija Flor. Photo: José A. Alvarado Jr.
Beija Flor
38-02 29th St., Long Island City, Queens
Enjoy caipirinhas and authentic Brazilian food at this very popular spot for watching Brazil matches—league games included. Read our profile to get a sense of the place.
Boca Juniors Steakhouse
81-08 Queens Blvd., Elmhurst, Queens
As you might expect from the name, this place is dedicated to Brazil’s Club Atlético Boca Juniors. Soccer and steak are the backbones of the operation. Player posters, jerseys and other memorabilia from Boca Juniors teams and players of the past cover the walls, but they air soccer matches from around the world—it’s just more of a spectacle when Argentina’s on.
Dar Lbahja
47-12 30th Ave., Astoria, Queens
It’s an authentic Moroccan restaurant first and foremost, but Dar Lbahja also embraces the Moroccan national team and fills to capacity on their match days.
Fillmore’s Tavern
166-02 65th Ave., Fresh Meadows, Queens
A traditional American sports bar, Fillmore’s is a historic Prohibition-era building in a quiet suburban corner of Queens. It’s not strictly a soccer place, but it will be showing the games.
La Cancha Arena
45-01 Northern Blvd., Long Island City, Queens
This Colombia-oriented spot combines two connected things: a lounge for members of the community to watch soccer and a five-a-side soccer pitch on which to play the sport. There’s also a full bar, asado grill, extra seating, TV screens and a dressing room, so expect this to be a popular but somewhat under-the-radar option for watching a match.
Courtesy, Pig Beach BBQ
Pig Beach BBQ
35-37 36th St., Astoria, Queens
Pig Beach draws big soccer crowds in part because it can accommodate big crowds, thanks to a sprawling 28,000-square-foot venue with a backyard beer garden full of picnic tables and a giant projector screen. The Southern-style barbecue they serve is a consistent favorite.
Rivercrest
33-15 Ditmars Blvd., Astoria, Queens
Here’s a sports bar that’s a regular watch-party location for the Queens chapter of American Outlaws, the supporter group for the United States national teams, and for Queens-based fans of Tottenham Hotspur FC of England.
Courtesy, Zum Stammtisch
Zum Stammtisch
69-46 Myrtle Ave., Glendale, Queens
The Bavarian-style pub has been around in this tucked-away part of Queens since the 1970s. Go for the authentic German food and the European vibes rather than a true sports bar experience, though expect excitement when there’s a big game involving Germany.
Staten Island
The Kettle Black
415 Forest Ave., West Brighton, Staten Island
Acclaimed for their wings and their burgers, this sports bar is on a prime Forest Avenue stretch for eating and drinking, and draws a young, high-energy crowd.
Pier 76
76 Bay St., St. George, Staten Island
A red-tablecloth-clad Italian tavern, Pier 76 has a bar with live sports airing regularly. It’s directly across the street from the St. George Ferry Terminal and is well-regarded for its thin-crust pizza, a recipe handed down through the same family responsible for noted pizzerias Joe & Pat’s and Rubirosa.
Ralph’s Sports Bar
1571 Richmond Rd., Dongan Hills, Staten Island
This classic sports bar has quality bar food as well as Italian favorites like arancini and meatballs. While soccer is not their calling card, they are running a World Cup bracket contest with a $100 gift card on offer to anyone with a perfect bracket.
For more World Cup coverage, including more local venues, area match schedules, events and special offers, see our World Cup hub.