Remember those halcyon days of last June and July… when you memorized all six words to “I believe that we will win!” and fell head over heels for dreamy Colombian James Rodriguez?
What if I told you that you can feed that passion for soccer way more often than once every four years? This week happens to be a great week to become a soccer fan. The heroes you cheered for during the World Cup also ply their trade for professional club teams, and the most prestigious soccer leagues in Europe are about to reach the thrilling conclusion to their seasons.
Here are four great bars to see those matches. Consider visiting one this Tuesday or Wednesday to watch heavyweights like FC Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich compete in the European Champions League. Besides this week, you can usually catch a game on a weekend morning (given that Europe is at least eight hours ahead of LA) or a midweek match during a long lunch break from work.
To assist your hooky-playing, here are several great soccer bars around Los Angeles, where the pints of lager flow freely but hooliganism is thankfully kept to a minimum. Of course, if you love supporting the home team and catching a game live, the LA Galaxy's season is in full swing.
1. Ye Olde King’s Head. British ex-pats are drawn to SoCal’s beach cities—because they’re pretty much the polar opposite of Great Britain—therefore English-style pubs abound in these areas. Among them, Ye Olde King’s Head gets packed to the gills during big matches from the English Premier League. To further ease homesickness, adjacent is a small shop selling imported English products such as Cadbury chocolates and Walker’s Crisps (that’s "chips" to us Yanks).
2. The Fox and Hounds. 101-adjacent and just over the hill from Hollywood, The Fox and Hounds frequently appears on those “best of” lists for bars. Conveniently for soccer fans, the pub posts a weekly viewing schedule on its website, because there’s nothing worse than showing up at a bar early on a Sunday morning only to learn they won’t be showing your team’s game.
3. Lucky Baldwin’s. Our friends in the 626 laud this pub’s beer, wine and food selections, which includes a traditional full English breakfast. If you’ve never had one, prepare to ingest three days' worth of calories, fat and sodium in one sitting. There’s a second Lucky Baldwin’s in Sierra Madre.
4. Joxer Daly’s. Every good list of bars needs a token dive, and for our purposes, Joxer Daly’s in a not-yet-gentrified corner of Culver City is that establishment. With the flat screens behind the bar or large projector behind the stage, there’s not a bad viewing angle here. For those with World Cup patriotism still coursing through their veins, Joxer’s serves as a gathering spot for the American Outlaws, an official fan group of the U.S. National Team.
Do you love drinking and watching games? Check out the best sports bars in LA.