Athens watches football in Irish pubs, and the James Joyce is the one travellers name first. LiberoGuide flags it as the gathering point for Liverpool supporters on European nights, and the terrace overlooking the old marketplace gives it a setting no sports room in the centre can match.
The room is a proper two-level Irish pub, dark wood inside and a stone terrace out front under the Acropolis side streets. Staff run the game across three screens and take requests for a specific match, per visitor accounts, so a midweek fixture you cannot find anywhere else in the city usually lands here.
What to order starts with the draught. The BrewDog Punk IPA stands out on a board that mixes international craft with the Irish standards, and the Guinness is the obvious anchor for a match. The kitchen runs pub food and breakfasts, so an afternoon kickoff can stretch into an early plate without leaving the terrace. Keep the round on draught, since the beer programme is the reason regulars rate it.
The crowd is travellers, expats and Athenian football fans, heaviest on Champions League nights and Premier League weekends. The terrace fills first for the view, the interior fills for the screens, and big European fixtures pack both. It leans international and English-speaking, which is why visitors find their feet here quickly.
Who is it for. Football and rugby fans who want a guaranteed screen near Monastiraki, Liverpool supporters looking for the away-day crowd, and travellers who want the game with the ruins in view. Skip it if you want a quiet Greek wine bar, since match nights run loud.
Best time to go is a European fixture evening, arriving early to claim a terrace table with a sightline to a screen before the crowd builds. Weekend Premier League afternoons are the other strong window. The pub sits two minutes from Monastiraki metro on the Blue and Green lines.
A practical note for big nights: the terrace tables go first and staff seat by arrival rather than reservation, so an early table is the difference between a clear screen and a standing spot. The pub also serves breakfast, which makes it a rare Athens room where a noon kickoff and a full plate share the same terrace.
For the wider field, our guide to the best sports bars in Athens sets this Monastiraki pub against the fan rooms uptown, and the city Athens bar guide maps where to drink around Thiseio. Match-day planners should read our pillar on the best bars for watching the game in Athens, and travellers can compare the dedicated screens at Athens Sports Bar in Koukaki.
Sources: James Joyce Irish Pub official site, jjoyceirishpubathens.com (2026); Greeka, James Joyce Irish Pub, Monastiraki; LiberoGuide, 5 best football bars in Athens; Dropt, guide to the best sports bars in Athens.
