Grid Iron Venues in the Capital

For American Football fans in London, whether tourists, expats or the odd Londoner who has fallen under the spell of the millions (in marketing cash) poured into making Britain care about touchdowns, yards and two point conversions. It may seem like indulging in this slow and gruesome yet wildly entertaining sport is more effort than it’s worth.

Between the time difference, copyright laws and spotty streaming services, the typical American Sunday spent drinking beer, eating fried food and watching a favourite team churn towards the end zone only to punt may seem fleeting at best. But fear not, sports fans, for there are pubs in London willing to put the “real football” on the back-burner for a bit so you can duck inside, escape from the world and indulge in a tradition you’d long since expected could only be found on the other side of the Atlantic. And while there are several pubs to crash out in, for the day, with the game on, what follows is going to be a brief roundup of some of the favourites, because while visiting London, you may be willing to settle for just about anywhere with a TV tuned to the right station, why should you have to?

One such place is The Dickens Tavern on London Street in Paddington, showing NFL games from 6pm every Sunday for the foreseeable future, or at least the Super Bowl (the current one concludes on February 5th. Staff here will even sport vintage team jersey or t-shirts and they really do make an effort to care about the game, even if they have one eye fixed on the premier league match that they keep on by the bar.

If you are looking for a slightly wilder atmosphere to get your NFL fix then head down to Belushi’s at the end of Shepherd’s Bush Road across from Hammersmith Station. This pub doubles as a hostel, has a younger clientele and will happily pump out the game at full blast on two wall sized screens, leaving any suggestion of a quiet drink for another day.
If you do not feel like wandering too far off the beaten track? Then head over to the Royal George at 14 Eversholt Street, just across the way from Euston Station. Much like The Dickens Tavern, The Royal George is also a Taylor Walker branded pub, a brand that often, (but not always, as you will learn the hard way) make a point of showing NFL games on Sundays.

The Royal George is full up? (which it often is.)Simply take yourself across the way to the Doric Arch. This slightly more modern railway pub will be showing the game most Sundays as well. This pub is usually only frequented by business travellers coming and going from Euston Station, as well as the ‘business day pint crowd’ working in the tower above, so Sundays here are fairly peaceful but at the same time, not very exciting.

Want to stay even more central? One Tun is the place to be, without a doubt. On Mortimer Street, just around the corner from the Goodge Street tube station, you will barely have to lift a finger. It is also, arguably, the most pleasant spot to tune in, if you are into the violence staying on the TV and your drink completely un-spilled.

And better still, you will find NFL games on here every single Sunday and Monday for the rest of the season. If you dare to ask the staff who is playing ahead of time, do not expect a very detailed answer. As a very kind, One Tun barmaid bluntly put it, “I know absolutely nothing about American Football…” And fair enough!

NFL games are often relegated to the very large, flat screen in the back, as the rest of the pub is reserved for the general, rather larger part of the population looking to tune in to rugby or the premier league. This has its advantages, as there’s usually more space and provides easy access to the dartboard, which comes in handy during the commercial breaks.

There you have it these are undoubtedly the best NFL ‘venue’ picks to be had around town.