The 10 best Edinburgh pubs to watch Euro 2024
A list of great pubs showing the football this summer.
The Euros are here, and if you’re not lucky enough to be going to Germany this month, then at least find a decent place to watch a few matches on the TV. Here’s my list of some of the best Edinburgh pubs to watch the football in.
What have I missed out? Leave your recommendation in the comments.
As always, you will find these pubs - and all the other pubs I review - on one handy Google map.
Cask and Barrel
I’ve written before about how I take Broughton’s Cask and Barrel for granted. It has a good selection of beer, is welcoming and always has a lively atmosphere. It’s also a great place to watch football, with plenty of screens dotted around the place so you get a good view wherever you sit. The sister pub at Southside has a similar setup, if you’re closer to that side of town.
The Athletic Arms
I’m often asked what my favourite pub in Edinburgh is. I don’t have one answer, but this is surely in the top three. It’s beautiful inside, has a brilliant beer and whisky offering and offers unmatched prices. Plus, cheap snacks. And a good number of screens for the footy.
Dreadnought
On the shores of the Forth, this LGBT-friendly pub has a couple of tellies for the football, and a great selection of cask, keg and bottled beer. It also has its own cannery, which means you can take your favourite drop to continue enjoying at home.
The Percy
Right next to Leith Links lies this gem. Its classic Victorian decor, I later learned, was actually designed in the 1970s. But they did a great job on it. Make sure to try something off the Polish food menu while you catch a game or two.
Roseburn Bar
In the shadow of Murrayfield is another Victorian gem with a few different rooms and a long line of handpulls. This area is a bit of a desert when it comes to good pubs, making the Roseburn a beery oasis in which to watch the football.
Gladstones
This is one of the first pubs I ever went to in Leith. It’s not much to look at, but is really welcoming once you’re inside. No cask here but plenty of screens, along with a dart board and two pool tables. Decent prices, too.
Artisan Bar & Lounge
Like The Athletic Arms, this is another turn-of-the-century boozer with a lovely interior. It also has fantastic cask ale on at good prices. Read about its history - including an unlikely link to the temperance movement - in my full review.
Harp & Castle
A Hibs pub with plenty of memorabilia on its walls, this Leith Walk institution has a long football history, having once been owned been owned by His goalkeeper Tommy Younger. A real throwback boozer.
Newbarns Taproom
Newbarns never disappoints on the beer front, producing some of the best stuff in the city. So where better than to go straight to source and watch a game practically among the fermentation vessels? Newbarns doesn’t normally show sport, but sets up a projector for big events on terrestrial TV, such as the Six Nations or the Euros.
The Pear Tree
Look, I won’t pretend this is worth visiting outside of match days. But its outdoor screen is the size of a small cinema, and that garden gets a lovely bit of sun during the daytime.
Where will you be watching the football in the next month? Comment with your favourites.
Watching the Scotland - Germany match at the Neighbourgood Market in Comely Bank. Ticketed, outdoors but loads of good food and drink stalls - Innes & Gunn are the only "beer" provider.
Think they will be showing other matches as well.