Austrian beer and English football: a great combination (and, if I’m honest, better than the other way around). So where can you watch the Premier League or Champions League when you’re in Vienna?
- Various pubs across the city show English, European, and international football
- My personal choices: Shebeen,
Flanagans , and Shamrock - Public viewing also popular during the World Cup & Euros
- See also: What to do in Vienna | Stadium football | Pub opening times
Football in bars
Vienna is home to coffee, culture, classical music, and…an unexpectedly 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, mind. 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, with some exceptions. Fortunately, the pubs tend to fill that particular hole.
(Purely anecdotally, it seems you have a better-than average chance of seeing football on a screen in Italian restaurants and pizza outlets here, too.)
All-in-all, then, you’re likely not more than a short walk from somewhere showing Premier League, Primera Liga, international matches, and European competitions.
Having said that, many bars and restaurants dust off their giant TVs or throw up huge screens during the World Cup and European Championships.
Public and private initiatives also set up public viewing areas for big international tournaments – the Rathausplatz (the large square in front of city hall) sometimes has one, for example. Or try the open-air bars along the Donaukanal river channel in summer.
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 now over 50 and we have
(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 win.
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 seems to have 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,
Irish-owned Flanagans has plenty of screens, good food and “proper” beers. This is also the place for watching rugby.
Address: Schwarzenberg Strasse 1-3, 1010 Vienna | Website
Shamrock
The Shamrock’s realtively small, long and thin, so has that dark, intimate feel, with a couple of big screens along with smaller TVs. Friendly bar staff, good beer.
This pub is particularly 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.
Traditionally, Shamrock didn’t serve much in the way of food. You could always get crisps, though, which is all you need for a decent meal in my book. However, their Facebook page indicates an expansion of the food options.
Address: Kirchengasse 3, 1070 Vienna | Website
And…others
Champions
I’ve not been myself, but my eldest son goes here 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
The Long Haul
I went here for a World Cup qualifier to meet a friend and can see myself going again. A new, slightly upmarket pub with multiple screens showing different matches. The main house beer (Kozel) happens to be a favourite of my apartment block, so more bonus points for that.
Located centrally close to the Rathaus.
Address: Florianigasse 2, 1080 Vienna | Website