The best pubs and bars in Budapest to watch football

What is it? Long-established, Irish-run Jack Doyle’s in the heart of town brings sports fans, music lovers and the genially thirsty of Budapest to a historic location occupied by a large, lived-in corner pub.

Why we love it On its night the best of the Irish pubs, JD’s feels authentic yet doesn’t forget it’s in Budapest. The décor showcases the pub fronts that the landlord left behind to come here, as well as the work of famed local illustrator Marcus Goldson, while the bar counter is propped up by red-faced regulars and Hungarians curious to sample the range of whiskeys.

Time Out tip: Read up on your history before you come – this is the revered site of the Pilvax café where firebrand revolutionaries met before heading to the National Museum to spark the Hungarian Uprising of 1848.

Address: Pilvax köz 1-3, 1052 Budapest

Opening hours: Tue-Thur 5pm-11.30pm, Fri 2pm-1am, Sat 12.30pm-1am, Sun 2pm-11pm. Closed Mon

Expect to pay: Guinness Ft 2,750 (€7), Jameson whiskey Ft 2,200 (€5.60), fish & chips Ft 5,950 (€15.15)

What is it? Now at a downtown location, friendly Irish pub Davy Byrne’s has managed to keep its loyal clientele while attracting considerable footfall from first-time visitors. Live music three nights a week, plentiful televised sport and a quality kitchen remain the cornerstones of this home-from-home local.

Why we love it Authentic without alienating its significant Hungarian customer base – note the tap of Guinness and basket brimming with Tayto crisps – Davy Byrne’s buzzes with an amiable bonhomie day and night.

Time Out tip: Recently introduced weekend opening times of 10am mean you can launch into a hearty breakfast here before your hangover kicks in.

Address: Sörház utca 4, 1056 Budapest

Opening hours: Mon-Fri noon-midnight, Sat-Sun 10am-midnight

Expect to pay: Guinness Ft 2,400 (€6.10), Hop House lager Ft 2,200 (€5.60), Davy Byrne’s Irish breakfast Ft 5,500 (€14)

What is it? A cellar sports bar in the city centre whose key attraction is its huge range of TV channels. Followers of less prestigious clubs from the UK tend to come here to watch their team in action, which doesn’t mean to say that you can’t watch the Liverpools and Arsenals of this world.

Why we love it In place for decades, Champs has long been catering to Brits on the lash – but you can find you own little alcove, keep the beers coming and watch the game of your choice unbothered. Take a gander, too, at the line drawings lining the entrance (mind your head and the steep staircase!) – it’s a gallery of Hungarian Olympians, from the first gold medallist, Alfréd Hajós, in 1896.

Time Out tip: From late spring, Champs opens a popular open-air bar on Margaret Island, Champs Sziget, where huge screens beam sport beside the Danube in Budapest’s key green zone.

Address: Dohány utca 20, 1074 Budapest

Opening hours: Tue-Sun noon-11.30pm. Closed Mon

Expect to pay: Champs house lager Ft 1,520 (€3.90), Guinness Ft 2,750 (€7), loaded beef nachos to share Ft 5,390 (€13.70)

What is it? One of the oldest football bars in Europe, let alone Budapest, 6:3 is not only named after the scoreline of the famous match in the 1953 between Hungary and England, it was once owned by the player who scored a hat-trick in that game more than 70 years ago, Nándor Hidegkuti.

Why we love it Taken over in recent years by a small group of expats, the incoming owners have thankfully seen fit to maintain the bar’s original character, adding to the rare memorabilia on the walls and keep prices affordable.

Time Out tip: Every November 25, the bar screens the original film of the 6:3 match, its grainy footage and legendary Hungarian radio commentary by György Szepesi taking the gathered following back to 1953. Candlelight enhances the experience.

Address: Lónyay utca 62, 1093 Budapest

Opening hours: Mon-Thur 4pm-11pm, Fri-Sat 4pm-midnight. Closed Sun

Expect to pay: Primátor Antonín draught Czech lager Ft 1,200 (€3), St András 6:3 craft Porter (bottle) Ft 1,400 (€3.60), Szer-elem Csillagfogó white Rizling from Badacsony per dl Ft 1,000 (€2.50)

What is it? Themed after Bayern Munich – bajor means ‘Bavarian’ – this smart corner bar serves pints of foaming Paulaner and beer pretzels to a football-focused customer base on the Buda side of town.

Why we love it Rather than put up a few photos and framed shirts, Bajor has gone the whole hog and fashioned their bar counter in the shape of Bayern’s Allianz Arena stadium, covered their walls in tasteful murals of star players and upped the ante in the kitchen. All in all, it’s a pleasant place for a post-work pint with colleagues and an evening of match-watching.

Time Out tip: If you’re here with younger ones, you’ll find a PlayStation console and table-football table to keep them entertained.

Address: Margit körút 73, 1024 Budapest

Opening hours: Tue-Thur 2pm-11pm, Fri 2pm-1am, Sat 10am-1am, Sun 10am-11pm. Closed Mon

Expect to pay: Paulaner Bavarian lager Ft 1,690 (€4.30), HB wheat beer Ft 1,490 (€3.80), sausage platter with Bavarian pretzels Ft 2,990 (€7.60)

What is it? Opened by three expats with long experience in hospitality here in Budapest, James Joyce sits conveniently by the Arany János utca metro station near the Basilica. It has also benefitted from the re-landscaping of this pleasant square, allowing the pub expand its pavement tables towards a public fountain in summer.

Why we love it Serving one of the best fried breakfasts in town, this cosy spot does far more than just show several football matches on a daily basis. James Joyce is a real home from home, with a solid group of regulars who keep the place buzzing whoever happens to be on the screen that afternoon.

Time Out tip: If you can’t face a hefty Irish breakfast, there are plenty of less onerous options, down to a humble bacon butty and sausage sandwich, even beans on toast or a bowl of porridge.

Address: Podmaniczky Frigyes tér 4, 1054 Budapest

Opening hours: Mon-Thur noon-midnight, Fri-Sun 9am-midnight

Expect to pay: Guinness Ft 2,500 (€6.40), James Joyce house IPA Ft 2,300 (€5.85), full Irish breakfast Ft 5,950 (€15.15)

What is it? The most prominent of this five-venue chain of US-style sports bars dominates a particular stretch of the Nagykörút ring road mainly given over to affordable late-night drinking. With the 24-hour tram 6 gliding to its stop at Wesselényi utca outside, Stifler welcomes a constant traffic of customers 16 hours a day.

Why we love it Operating until 5am on a nightly basis in a part of town patrolled by gaggles of drinkers, Stifler feels orderly and civilised, with plenty of room between tables. Sport is beamed from 19 large TVs with the sound turned up, focusing people’s attention, while signature deep burgers keep customers satisfied. A separate area is dedicated to pinball, pool and darts.

Time Out tip: If there’s a small group of you keen on watching a certain game, reserve a private box for a more intimate match-watching experience.

Address: Erzsébet körút 19, 1073 Budapest

Opening hours: Daily 1pm-5am

Expect to pay: Draught Dreher Tanksör Ft 1,190 (€3), Guinness Ft 2,590 (€6.60), BBQ burger Ft 3,690 (€9.40)

What is it? Established on the leafy, pedestrianised square of Liszt Ferenc tér for more than a decade, Becketts was Budapest’s original anything-goes pub in the Wild East days of the 1990s before it moved to this location nearby. Now more sedate, it’s a two-floor hostelry given over to multi-screened sport-watching, including the Premier League, Champions League and major summer tournaments.

Why we love it Run by Dublin Southsider Declan O’Callaghan for decades, Becketts has long been the expat go-to for match-watching. A terrace overlooking the coming and going of tourist-friendly Liszt Ferenc tér, beneath the watchful eye of national poet Endre Ady in statue form, beckons couples to find a table outside and let the world go by.

Time Out tip: Don’t mess with Becketts’ signature hulking beef & Guinness pie, the meat slow-cooked and moreish, ideal for late mornings after – although there are classic Irish breakfasts, too.

Address: Liszt Ferenc tér 11, 1061 Budapest

Opening hours: Mon-Wed 11.30am-midnight, Thur 11.30am-1am, Fri-Sat 11.30am-2am, Sun noon-1am

Expect to pay: Guinness Ft 2,950 (€7.50), Hungarian draught Borsodi Ft 1,650 (€4.20), beef & Guinness pie Ft 5,890 (€15)

What is it? Just off this bar-lined stretch of the Nagykörút, Score! attracts a younger, international, student crowd with its bright interior, quiz nights and 15 screens ranged around a narrow cellar. At the back, pool tables and dartboards see serious action in the run-up to kick-off or after the final whistle has sounded.

Why we love it Busy on Champions League and international nights, inclusive Score! differs from its numerous nearby rivals thanks to its clientele, who enjoy the game whether Bayern lose or Real win, rather than the tribal, Brit-centric experience in more pub-like establishments.

Time Out tip: If you’re staying in town for any length of time, the regular free quiz nights are hugely popular and a great way to meet people.

Address: Dob utca 65, 1074 Budapest

Opening hours: Tue-Thur, Sun 4pm-midnight, Fri-Sat 4pm-2am. Closed Mon

Expect to pay: Draught Hungarian Borsodi Ft 1,500 (€3.80), Hoegaarden wheat beer Ft 2,300 (€5.90), beefburger Ft 3,900 (€10)

What is it? Recently moved from its prime spot on the Nagykörút, Ziccer! still attracts a significant, football-savvy clientele thanks to its links to the TrollFoci platform for Hungarian-language discourse on all matters relating to the beautiful game.

Why we love it For a local experience watching football rather than a expat or tourist one, Ziccer! is the place. It’s very in-the-know, which is why an ex-player might drop in and be fêted by staff and regulars. Its name is taken from a Hungarian word you wish we had in English – ‘chance’ doesn’t do justice to any straightforward translation, it means someone being put through on goal, and its very mention by any commentator has fans rushing back from the bathroom to watch. As its motto says, ‘Be kell rúgni’, a play on words meaning that the player has to score or you have to get drunk. Speaking of which, as the clientele is 90% Hungarian, it’s practically half the price of the average Brit-focused Budapest pub.

Time Out tip: Best visited for matches involving Ferencváros in Europe or Liverpool if Dominik Szoboszlai is playing attacking midfield rather than right-back.

Address: Ó utca 66, 1066 Budapest

Opening hours: Daily 4pm-midnight