Best Bars to Watch the Game in Cologne

The small Irish pub off Kleine Budengasse goes big on televised sport, carrying Premier League, Bundesliga, Champions League and international football with the sound on for the headline game. Late hours past 3am make it the last stop on many a Cologne crawl, and the crowd is genuinely international, so English commentary is the norm rather than the exception.

Game day tip: Come for an evening Champions League kickoff, when the Old Town crowd packs in and stays late.

This Alter Markt brewhouse combines tradition with serious match watching, with an upstairs viewing area hung with signed, framed Koln shirts and a gallery of club heroes. A sign inside jokes that it Is Not Anfield, which tells you they take the football seriously enough to enjoy it. Kolsch, Bitburger and Paulaner pour fast at the bar.

Game day tip: Head upstairs for FC Koln games, where the viewing room and the partisan crowd are.

The oldest and most popular of Cologne's Gaelic pubs, on the main Alter Markt since the summer of Italia 90, with a prominent terrace and a full schedule of televised matches written up by hand every week. It carries football and rugby across the calendar and draws a steady crowd of visiting and local fans.

Game day tip: Check the hand-written board on the door for the week's fixtures before you settle in.

Right by the Heumarkt square that hosts Cologne's tournament fan zone, this four floor brewhouse pairs hearty cooking and house Kolsch with a big screen for the headline match. The historic brickwork and the two terraces give you room to spread out, and the location makes it a natural meeting point on a big match day.

Game day tip: Book a table on a tournament night, when the big-screen room fills fast.

Point One leans hard into football, with the stated aim of showing as many matches as it can, from 1. FC Koln and the Germany national team to the Champions League and the second division. The crowd is local and football first, so the sound goes on for Koln and the room follows every kick.

Game day tip: The reliable pick when you want a Bundesliga or second division game few other bars are showing.

A traditional Kolsch tavern named for the widow who ran it for decades, on the edge of the Old Town with home cooked food, fresh Kolsch and football screening that covers tournament and in season Koln games. It keeps the local snacks and the family feel, so it suits a relaxed seated watch rather than a loud crowd.

Game day tip: It does not open on Sundays, so plan around that for weekend fixtures.

The Hallowed Turf anchors a corner near Koln West station in the trendy Belgian Quarter, with pitch green terrace tables, plentiful screened sport and serious table football. Two decades in, it draws a devoted regular crowd that comes for beer, music and football in equal measure, and the cyclists outside give away its neighborhood credentials.

Game day tip: Get a seat early on a big match night, then claim the table football table at half time.

On the old Roman road of Eigelstein, this cult music bar shows big match action on a large screen that shares the spotlight with occasional live sets. Franziskaner, Becks and Leffe sit along the taps, and a quality kitchen means you can eat properly through a long afternoon of football. The alternative crowd keeps it interesting.

Game day tip: Good for a relaxed afternoon kickoff with proper food, north of the Old Town.

This music focused corner pub in bohemian Sudstadt goes overboard on match nights, with screened games and a crowd that remembers every Cologne derby. The football connection runs deep, down to a founder who once played for Fortuna Dusseldorf, whose ground is close by, so the rivalry talk is real.

Game day tip: The room for derby days, when the Sudstadt regulars have stories and strong opinions.

Opposite the Town Hall, Kulisse switches from live football screening to full party mode, with 4am closing on the busiest nights and self-pour beer kegs delivered to the table for a thirsty group. It runs hectic at carnival time, and that fancy dress energy carries into the big match nights all year.

Game day tip: Best when your group wants the game first and a late night after, not a quiet watch.