Gone are the days when watching women play sport meant huddling around a mate’s laptop or frantically checking whether your local pub might be showing the game.
Since moving to the big city last year, I have fallen head over heels for women’s sport, and luckily for me, London is one of the best places to watch it.
I have watched the Women’s Euros at the Tate Modern, the women’s tennis final on the big screen in the centre of Wimbledon town, and even took myself on a solo trip to a WSL watch party last season.
Needless to say, over the years London has upped the game. Whether you are here for the WSL, the Red Roses or even the women’s ice hockey at Ally Pally, there are now plenty of places that actually give these occasions the space they deserve.
So before you decide where to head this season, I thought I would put together a list of 10 of London’s bars and pubs where you can watch your favourite women’s sport. In no particular order… drum roll please
The Volley
@thevolleylondon
thevolleylondon.com
Neighbourhood: Shoreditch
The vibe: Inclusive, football-focused
Wallet damage: £
Don’t miss: The women’s watch parties
Known for its cool, football-focused feel, The Volley shows almost every match. The place steps it up for bigger games and gets absolutely packed with people who really just want to sit and enjoy the game as enthusiasts. Oh, and the best part? They do not take bookings. No one is arriving 10 minutes before kick-off to tell you “Ummm… I’ve actually reserved this table.”
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It is a good old-fashioned move-your-feet, lose-your-seat situation.
Café Kick
@cafe_kick
cafekick.co.uk
Neighbourhood: Clerkenwell (Exmouth Market)
The vibe: European football bar meets laid-back London
Wallet damage: ££
Don’t miss: A game of table football before kick-off
Café Kick has been a favourite for years, tucked away on Exmouth Market with vintage football memorabilia collected over its almost 30-year history, craft beers and table football tables. It is a top spot to catch the football, with regular screenings of the WSL, Champions League and major international tournaments.
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The 411
@the411london
the411london.co.uk
Neighbourhood: Angel
The vibe: Intimate, football-first and full of people who know their WSL from their UWCL
Wallet damage: ££
Don’t miss: Their big screen showings
If your ideal weekend revolves around WSL fixtures, The 411 should seriously be on your radar. Unlike venues that add women’s football to the schedule when there is space, this is a bar that champions it. Expect a welcoming crowd, plenty of football chat and the kind of atmosphere where every goal gets the reaction it deserves.
Pub on the Park
@pubonthepark
pubonthepark.com
Neighbourhood: London Fields
The vibe: East London sunshine, cold pints and lots of screens
Wallet damage: £
Don’t miss: The beer garden when there is a major tournament on
Sitting right on the edge of London Fields, Pub on the Park is one of those places that somehow nails every occasion. Lazy Sunday? Great. Catching up with mates? Even better. Watching the Lionesses, Red Roses or a big WSL clash? That is where it really shines.
With big screens showing everything from women’s football and rugby to cricket and tennis, you will never be short of sport to watch. The best part? You can book ahead for specific matches, whether you are after women’s football, rugby or even motorsport, so you can lock your spot in beforehand.
Dalston Superstore
@dsuperstore
dalstonsuperstore.com
Neighbourhood: Dalston
The vibe: Fun, colourful and very much not your average sports scene
Wallet damage: ££
Don’t miss: The DJ sets and after-parties
Dalston Superstore offers something different. It is a fun, super-inclusive venue where the atmosphere feels more like a night out than a trip to the local to watch the match. It mainly shows the bigger fixtures, having previously screened the women’s Euros, so it is a good shout when there is a game everyone wants to see.
And the best bit? There is always an after-party.
The Marian Anderson
@themarianandersonpub
themariananderson.com
Neighbourhood: Farringdon
The vibe: All fun, no fuss
Wallet damage: £
Don’t miss: The cheap pints
If your main priorities for watching women’s sport are a screen, a pint and not absolutely rinsing your bank account, The Marian Anderson near Farringdon is worth knowing about.
With live sport on all day, every day and famously wallet-friendly pints, it is one of the cheaper options on this list. It is not trying to be a glossy sports bar or a fancy watch-party destination, and honestly, that is part of the appeal.
Grab a pint, find a spot in front of the screen and settle in. Sometimes you really do not need much more than that.
The Cabbage Patch
@cabbagepatchpub
cabbagepatch.co.uk
Neighbourhood: Twickenham
The vibe: Proper rugby pub, right in the thick of it
Wallet damage: ££
Don’t miss: A match day
You really cannot get much more convenient than The Cabbage Patch. It is right next to the stadium, so on match day the rugby atmosphere starts before you have got anywhere near your seat.
The pub shows live sport and, unsurprisingly, really comes into its own when there is a big rugby fixture on. Expect packed tables, plenty of rugby chat and that unmistakable feeling that the entire neighbourhood is gearing up for the same thing.
The Stag’s Head
@stagsheadpub
stagsheadhoxton.com
Neighbourhood: Hoxton
The vibe: Big screens, game atmosphere and a pinch of history
Wallet damage: ££
Don’t miss: The women’s sport watch parties
One of London’s oldest pubs, The Stag’s Head is a proper bit of Hoxton history, but it is just as good for a game. With big screens and a heated beer garden, it regularly hosts women’s sport watch parties and takeovers from communities like @baller_fc. It has also had its own moment on screen, featuring in Legend and Baby Reindeer, so if you are a film or TV lover, this one is a good shout for you too.
Set Piece Social
@setpiece_social
setpiecesocial.com
Neighbourhood: Across London
The vibe: Women’s sport, community and good vibes
Wallet damage: ££
Don’t miss: Their watch parties and pop-ups
Set Piece Social is not specifically a pub or bar. It is an organisation that pops up across London to make women’s and non-binary sport the main event, always. All you need to know is that if you spot a Set Piece Social takeover, you are in the right place. Keep your eyes peeled.
Signature Brew
@signaturebrew | @signaturebrewbh
signaturebrew.co.uk
Neighbourhood: Blackhorse Road (plus Haggerston and Walthamstow Central)
The vibe: Music-loving brewery-taproom energy, huge outdoor screens
Wallet damage: ££
Don’t miss: Their Baller FC collabs
These music-obsessed brewers have turned their Blackhorse Beer Mile home into one of East London’s best big-game venues, with a huge outdoor screen, DJs keeping the party going and a yard that gets properly buzzing. They have got form for women’s sport too, having screened the Euros and the Lionesses across their bars, and they regularly team up with the brilliant @baller_fc, so you know the women’s game is genuinely part of the furniture here rather than an afterthought.
It is also a five-minute stroll from Big Penny Social (below), so the two make an easy Walthamstow double-header if there is a big fixture on.
Big Penny Social
@bigpennysocial
bigpennysocial.co.uk
Neighbourhood: Blackhorse Road (Walthamstow)
The vibe: The UK’s biggest beer hall, giant-screen atmosphere
Wallet damage: ££
Don’t miss: The women’s football on the big screen
If you like your watch parties enormous, Big Penny Social is the one. Billed as the UK’s largest beer hall, this Walthamstow giant screens big international games on a properly massive screen, and it went all in for the Women’s Euros with pre- and post-match sets from all-female brass band Sassy Brass. Add table football, table tennis, one of East London’s biggest beer gardens and over 100 taps, and you have got a place built for making a whole day of it.
Bigger England games are usually ticketed, so it is worth booking ahead when there is a marquee fixture on.
Crossbar, Brighton
@crossbarbrighton
crossbarbrighton.com
Neighbourhood: Brighton
The vibe: A dedicated women’s-sport space, front and centre
Wallet damage: ££
Don’t miss: The sports memorabilia throughout
Okay, so Brighton is technically not London. But Crossbar deserves a mention because it is a great example of what a dedicated women’s-sport space can look like. Crossbar puts it front and centre, creating a proper space for fans to watch, hang out and make a day of it. The venue itself is worth a look too, with seriously cool sports memorabilia throughout.
So maybe not one for the London top 10, but it is well worth bookmarking if you are heading down to the coast.
So whether you are after a proper football crowd, a rugby-heavy match day or somewhere a little more unexpected, London has seriously stepped up its women’s sport offering.
All that is left to do is pick your spot, grab your mates and get there before kick-off.
And you never know, I might just see you there. 😉
Liv x
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Olivia is a London-based journalist who loves writing about entertainment, lifestyle, and relationships, with a soft spot for dating, sex, and modern womanhood.
