2006 FIFA World Cup™
See Also: 
London Football
The English Team Places to Watch the Matches The MatchesWatching the Matches
1. Bars and Pubs2. Outdoors Viewings
3. Dine and Watch the World Cup
Bars and Pubs
Finding the right place to watch a football match can be really tricky, especially for foreigners... So here is a selection of great places where you can watch the matches and support your team freely:Multinational
F3KWest Kensington tube station
171-173 North End Road, W1
3 Giant screens, 2 plasma screens, 8 TVs, 2 monitors
Up to 16 different games, with sound zoned into six different areas, can be shown simultaneously. Networks include: 3 Sky systems, 3 ITV digital systems, Stream (Italian), Via digital (Spanish), NTV (Russian), Czech Sat. (Czech Republic), TPS & AB Sat. (France), and Nova (Greece). Three additional networks have been added in the past year to cover Portugal, USA, and Holland. Three video players provide the capacity to show previously recorded matches. Expect it to be packed, but also expect good value for your money. F3k's over 35,000 channels ensure that 'the game will be on.'
Click here for more on this bar.
The Queen's Head
Turnpike Lane tube station
677 Green Lanes, N8
2 giant screens, 19 TVs
This large bar boasts 8 satellites and four video players. On Saturday nights, 2 Italian football games are shown with Italian commentary. Bar staff are dressed like baseball umpires and one satellite is solely devoted to USA sports. Just ask the staff and they will do their best to televise your team. Expect crowds for major events, but a cover will never be charged.
Click here for more on this bar.
Africa
Obe Lende SuyaLiverpool St. tube station
523 Kingsland Road, E8
NOT A REUGULAR SPORTS VENUE
A 'shrine to Nigeria,' this restaurant packs a huge crowd for the country's major football matches. Its unique layout features a huge open plan kitchen and barbeque in the middle of the room. A giant screen is brought out for special events and commentary is interspersed with Nigerian music. Occasionally, boxing and tennis may be shown as well.
Click here for more on this bar.
Australia, South Africa, New Zealand
The Phoenix (Used to be Bar Oz)Bayswater tube station
51 Moscow Road, W2
1 Giant screen, 4 TVs
A large pub where the atmosphere is charged. A great place to go for a good shout at the referee. As for during the Rugby World Cup - Atmosphere brilliant, and we are England supporters. We could not have found a better place to watch the game (except Australia).
Click here for more on this bar.
Springbok Bar
Leicester Square tube station
20 Bedford Street, WC2
2 Large screens, 3 TVs
This basement bar is a popular venue for any South African game. The bar's odd shape can make screen visibility difficult, so make sure to get there early if South Africa is involved.
Click here for more on this bar.
Canada, USA
Hard Rock CaféHyde Park Corner tube station
150 Old Park Lane, W1
NOT A NORMAL SPORTS BAR
Although this is not a normal sports bar, it's a good place to watch the Super Bowl. Tickets for this event are £7-£10, compared to £20 (plus extra for a table) at the Sports Café. Six large TVs and 12 small TVs in the basement make for prime viewing opportunities.
Click here for more on this bar.
The Maple Leaf
Covent Garden tube station
41 Maiden Lane, WC2
6 TVs
This place is just about as Canadian as it comes in London. Canadian food is served until 10 and they even have Molson on draft! Football coverage is advertised outside, but people come here for the Hockey. Tuesday and most Monday nights are dedicated to Hockey, and any other night they will broadcast taped coverage if requested. Whenever coverage is split between football and hockey, the latter will always have the sound.
Click here for more on this bar.
Europe
Bar ItaliaTottenham Court Road tube station
22 Frith Street, W1
NOT A PUB
1 Giant screen, 1 TV
Readers should note that this is a café, not a pub, and is therefore unlicensed. But because it is open 24hrs there are some events that can be seen here and nowhere else. Get there early for major Italian Internationals, or you may find yourself in a queue stretching halfway down the street.
Click here for more on this bar.
Bar Estrela
Stockwell tube station
111-115 South Lambeth Road, SW 8
2 TVs
This small café is a lively, authentic Portuguese bar, frequented by mainly Portuguese clientele. Portuguese sports are shown most nights. Tables and chairs set up on the street make Bar Estrela an ideal destination during warm weather.
Click here for more on this bar.
Bar Lorca
Stoke Newington station
175 Stoke Newington High Street, N16
1 Giant screen, 1 TV
A large restaurant-bar where Spanish football comes complete with Spanish commentary. UEFA, Spanish Cup, and Champions League matches are shown. Spanish La Liga matches are shown Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon. Londoners wishing to practice their language skills can watch British premiership games broadcast in Spanish here. A UKP4.00 cover charge is required after ten on Friday and Saturday nights.
Click here for more on this bar.
Le Bar des Magis
Clapham Junction station
7-9 Battersea Rise, SW1
3 TVs
A genuine French Bar, from the staff to the draft Kronenbourg 1664, Le Bar des Magis broadcasts live French games via satellite every Sunday evening. The crowd becomes quite raucous for French internationals, and downright mad during the World Cup.
Click here for more on this bar.
De Hems
Leicester Square tube station
11 Macclesfield Street, W1
NOT A NORMAL SPORTS VENUE
Although 'London's only Dutch bar' does not show sports regularly, it provides a great atmosphere for major Holland matches. High ceilings and large wooden tables decorate this unique pub where Dutch writing is ubiquitous. A wide selection of 'weird' beers also makes De Hems worth checking out.
Click here for more on this bar.
Polish White Eagles Club
Balham station
211 Balham High Street, SW1
NOT A NORMAL PUB
Not exactly a pub, rather an old Victorian building called Hamilton House with licensed bar facilities. Home of the White Eagles club, the bar has been a monument to Polish sports teams for over thirty years. Netball and basketball are shown along with football. Expect the atmosphere to become very emotional during Poland's international matches, no doubt a result of the fine selection of local Polish beers.
Click here for more on this bar.
Vasco de Gama Pub
Vauxhall tube station
152 Old South Lambeth Road, SW8
1 Giant screen, 1 TV
This medium-sized venue is an interesting combination of an English pub and Portuguese bar. It broadcasts three Portuguese channels, one of which is a sports channel, with Portuguese commentary. A great atmosphere (they still talk about Portugal's victory over Turkey in Euro 200), this pub will also occasionally show Spanish and Italian games as well.
Click here for more on this bar.
Outdoor Viewings
Canada Square Park, Canary Wharf
From 9th June to 9th July, the World Cup will be shown free on a huge screen in Canada
Square Park, Canary Wharf. The 30 square metre screen will also be showing British F1 Grand Prix and
Wimbledon. The BBC is providing the coverage as well as BBC News 24 and children
and daytime programmes, when no sporting events are taking place.
A full schedule of events and screenings will soon be available on www.mycanarywharf.com
and the coverage schedule will also be previewed daily from the Canada Square Park screen.
If you like football:
- Giant screen football:
A giant screen will be showing all live games during the centre's opening hours.
If you don't like football:
- Free make-overs and skin pampering
Top beauty companies from John Lewis will be offering free make-overs and skin pampering
every Thursday to Saturday of the World Cup (8-10 June, 15-17 June, 22-24 June, 28 - 30 June).
In collaboration with Magic FM, Brent Cross will be offering beauty treatments from
special "football locker rooms." Massage tables in this area will offer non-stop
pampering from Thursday to Saturday.
For the kids:
- Children's entertainment
Every Saturday during the World Cup, Brent Cross will host activities for kids including
'Design your Own Football Shirt', 'Bend it Like Beckham penalty shoot out' (with the chance
to win football lessons at Wembley) and 'World Cup flag face painting.'
For more information, go to: www.brentcross.co.uk
