Where to watch football in the pub in Vienna

Austrian beer and English football: a great combination (and, frankly, better than the other way around). So where can you watch the Premier League or Champions League when you’re in Vienna?

There are dozens of pubs across the city showing English, European, and international football
My personal choices: Shebeen, Flanagans, and Shamrock
See also: What to do in Vienna | S tadium football

Football in bars

Vienna is home to coffee, culture, classical music, and…an unfeasibly large number of British and Irish pubs.

You can be wandering past a historic theatre showing Nestroy’s Der Talisman when up pops somewhere offering fish & chips and a full English breakfast.

The pub is an imported phenomenon. Most “native” places to drink in Vienna are bars or restaurants (or a hybrid of the two) and not usually geared up for big-screen football. Fortunately, many of the pubs are there to fill that particular hole.

So you’re likely not more than a short walk from anywhere showing some Premier League, Primera Liga, international matches, and European competitions.

The exception is during the World Cup and European Championships, when many bars and restaurants dust off their giant TVs or throw up huge screens as tournament fever hits. The city also has public viewing areas for such occasions – there’s nearly always one on the Rathausplatz, the square in front of city hall.

If you want some specific recommendations for Champions League nights or English league football, then try these…

My Vienna pub suggestions

I don’t go down the pub as often as before for the football, because I’m not a spring chicken and we have Sky/DAZN and a fridge at home. But here are my usual haunts.

(All can get busy, especially when we’re in the final rounds of big competitions.)

Shebeen

Ah, Shebeen! Ever a place in my heart since December 8, 2004, when Gerrard’s late goal against Olympiakos set Liverpool on the path to Istanbul and the Champions League.

The pub is packed with screens big and small, typically offering a choice of games. Strong selection of beer and decent food. Staff are friendly and English is the Lingua Franca.

A few years back, Shebeen was full of ex-pats and immigrants like me, but it’s become quite popular with locals, now. It’s also started moving into comedy nights and concerts, too. So not just a “football bar” anymore.

Address: Lerchenfelderstraße 45, 1070 Vienna | Website

Flanagans

Big and popular, Flanagans sits near the centre, just a short walk from some of the famous tourist sites. It’s two streets down from the State Opera House, for example.

Flanagans has plenty of screens, good food and proper beers. This is also the place for watching rugby (e.g. The Six Nations) and football outside the Premier League (e.g. The Championship).

Address: Schwarzenberg Strasse 1-3, 1010 Vienna | Website

Shamrock

Not an obvious choice, as it’s relatively small and doesn’t serve much in the way of food. You can get crisps, though, which is all you need for a decent meal in my book.

Shamrock’s long and thin, so has that dark, intimate feel. There are a couple of big screens, along with smaller TVs. Friendly bar staff, good beer.

This pub is very convenient if you’ve been spending money on Mariahilfer Straße (Vienna’s main shopping street), as it’s a few yards down a side road. Check the opening hours, though.

Address: Kirchengasse 3, 1070 Vienna | Website

And…Champions

I’ve not been here myself, but my son goes regularly with his mates. Champions is an American-style sports bar, attached to the Marriott Hotel in the centre, with American cuisine (burgers, nachos, ribs, wings, etc.).

A number of screens show various sports, but the big football matches from around the European leagues are usually on.

Address: Parkring 12a, 1010 Vienna | Website