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Whether it's rugby or football, Wimbledon or the Ryder Cup, if you're a sports fan then a friendly pub with good TVs showing all the sports are an essential venue to have on your radar wherever you happen to be in London.
So that you never need worry about where to watch the sports, we've rounded up the best South Bank pubs and bars known for being lively places to watch the big match.
Where better to find a spot to cheer on your team than at the biggest bar in the UK?! Opened in summer 2022, BrewDog Waterloo is massive. In addition to a whopping 17 TV screens, there are also many other attractions that include duckpin bowling lanes, a microbrewery, a secret cocktail bar (look for a phone box and place a call to find your way in) and the famous BrewDog slide.
The Sidings, Waterloo Station (entrances on York Road / Leake Street) > Find out more
For a classic pub experience right on the river, Doggett's Coat and Badge next to Blackfriars Bridge is the place. The name is a tribute to Thomas Doggett, the organiser of the London Bridge to Chelsea rowing race. First held in 1715, it is said to be the oldest continuous sporting event in the UK. A Nicholson's Pub, Doggett's has a fantastic range of cask ales on tap and a classic pub food menu.
1 Blackfriars Bridge (corner Upper Ground and Queen's Walk) > Find out more
Located on Stamford Street, a short walk from the Oxo Tower and Blackfriars Station, The Thirsty Bear is a friendly, high-tech sports pub with eight TVs and a large projector showing all the big sporting events. In 2017 The Thirsty Bear was even nominated for Best UK Sports Pub in the national Great British Pub Awards. If you can't miss a minute of the game, the pub also has a handy ordering system with iPads installed on the tables so you can place an order from your seat.
62 Stamford Street > Find out more
Opened in 1947 in a railway arch opposite the entrance to Waterloo Station, the Hole in The Wall is a Waterloo institution. A firmly independent pub, they offer one of the most interesting selections of cask ales from across the UK with regularly changing guest ales. Combined with its old-fashioned decor that has barely changed since it opened, it all adds up to a quirky, cosy spot with a charming dive bar feel. If you are a rugby fan you'll find good company here, as this is one of the best-known rugby pubs in the area and a popular pit stop on the way to or from Twickenham.
5 Mepham Street (also has an entrance on Cab Street, opposite Waterloo Station) > Find out more
Situated just behind Gabriel's Wharf and a stone's throw from the river, this colourful local pub is known for its proper British roast lunches served on Sundays with the fluffiest yorkies, crispy roasties and of course lashings of proper gravy. Mulberry Bush is a Young's pub and behind the bar is a choice selection of Young’s cask and local ales. This is also a dog friendly pub, so bring your pooch along with you to watch the big match.
89 Upper Ground (behind Gabriel's Wharf) > Find out more
Enjoy the relaxed vibe and frank and friendly service of this all-American Philly dive bar, located inside one of the atmospheric Victorian arches just off the Leake Street graffiti tunnel. Passyunk Avenue is a popular venue for American expats, and fans of American sports from elsewhere in the world, to come together and guzzle down some all-American beers and wings while watching all the biggest sports from the US – especially NFL, college football, basketball and baseball.
Leake Street (just off York Road) > Find out more
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