The Best Sports Bars in Mumbai to Watch Cricket and Football

Watching a big match at home in Mumbai has its comforts, but it will never beat a room full of strangers groaning at the same dropped catch or leaping up at the same last-minute goal. The city takes its cricket seriously and its football later into the night, and over the years a solid roster of bars has learned exactly how to do a match day: the projector tested before toss, the sound turned up over the music, the draught flowing two-for-one, and the kitchen braced for a half-time rush. This guide runs through the places that actually get it right for IPL evenings, World Cup cricket and Premier League nights, with a sense of who each one suits and how to bag a decent seat.

What separates a real sports bar from a bar with a telly

Plenty of places switch on a screen when India are batting. A proper match venue is a different thing. You want a genuine big screen or projector as the centrepiece, backed up by enough HD panels around the room that your view does not depend on where the host seats you. You want the commentary audible, not drowned by a DJ. And you want the crowd energy, because half the reason you left the sofa is to be around people who care. Match-day deals matter too: most Mumbai bars run two-plus-one on draught, beer buckets and pitchers, and snack platters through the big tournaments, which is what keeps a long evening affordable. The venues below clear that bar.

The reliable big-screen all-rounders

The Irish House (BKC, Andheri, Malad and more)

If you only remember one name, make it this one. The Irish House is Mumbai’s default sports pub, with outlets across the city and a format that works everywhere: a large drop-down projector as the hero screen, several HD panels ringing the bar, and a wall of beers and finger food to see you through a long innings. The BKC outlet in G Block draws the after-office crowd for IPL, while Andheri Lokhandwala leans into the full sports-bar feel. Hours typically run to around 1.30am, so it covers late European kick-offs too. Reckon on roughly Rs 2,500 for two. Tip: for MI or CSK fixtures the BKC branch takes reservations over WhatsApp — use it, because walk-ins are hopeless by 7pm.

Social (Colaba and Carter Road)

Social has quietly become one of the most dependable places to watch cricket with a crowd. During the IPL it runs its cricket-themed promotions and a special match menu, and the big screens plus the young, loud room make for a proper pitch-side party without the stadium queues. Carter Road brings a breezy, beachy energy; Colaba’s Apollo Bunder outlet has the buzz of south Mumbai. Around Rs 1,500 for two, with the usual towers and buckets. Tip: the long communal tables are the best seats in the house for a group — grab one early rather than a cramped booth.

Toit, Lower Parel

Toit’s Mumbai taproom, tucked into the Mathuradas Mills compound off Senapati Bapat Marg, is first a craft brewery and second a match venue — but on big nights it does both well. The draught is the real draw here (the house brews are worth the trip on their own), the wood-fired pizzas hold up, and the room fills with a Lower Parel after-work crowd on India games. Expect roughly Rs 1,800 to 2,000 for two once you have had a couple of the in-house beers. Tip: it is reservations-only and books out fast on marquee fixtures, so lock a table online days ahead.

For the football faithful

Zouk Restro Bar, Andheri East

This is the one to know for football. A roomy lounge near Andheri station, Zouk is home base for the official Chelsea and Liverpool supporters’ clubs in Mumbai, with two big screens and a handful of smaller ones so no seat is a bad seat. On match nights it turns into a wall of scarves and chants, which is exactly the atmosphere you cannot manufacture at home. Pricing is on the affordable side. Tip: for a marquee Premier League game, check the fan group’s page — screenings are sometimes ticketed, and buying in advance guarantees entry and a seat.

3 Wise Monkeys, Khar West

Set inside The Unicontinental near Khar station, 3 Wise Monkeys has televisions everywhere and a loyal Manchester United following, though it fills up for cricket just as readily. The seating is genuinely built around the screens, the beer is good and the food is easy on the wallet — around Rs 2,000 for two. It doubles neatly as a weeknight sports pub when there is nothing marquee on. Tip: big football nights here can carry a small cover charge; it usually comes back to you against food and drink, so it is less of a sting than it sounds.

The pubs with fan clubs

A quick word for the football tribes: Link Room on Linking Road, Bandra, is the Arsenal crowd’s spot, spacious and famously cheap on drinks; it and the fan-group screenings often run a nominal entry fee. Between Zouk, 3 Wise Monkeys and Link Room you can find your club’s people for almost any big fixture.

South Mumbai and the heritage crowd

Cafe Mondegar and Leopold, Colaba

If you are in town and want atmosphere over a giant screen, the Colaba Causeway old guard delivers. Cafe Mondegar, going since 1932, puts on the cricket across its wall-mounted screens and is about the friendliest price in south Mumbai — a pitcher for well under a thousand rupees and roughly Rs 1,300 for two. A few doors down, Leopold gets loud and joyous on India match days, with beer towers doing the rounds. Tip: neither takes bookings in the usual sense, so treat these as arrive-early-and-hold-the-table venues rather than a plan for six people at 8pm.

Proper sports bars with the trimmings

Studs Sports Bar & Grill, Sakinaka

For the full sports-bar experience — pool table, football-pitch flooring, screens angled at every seat — Studs on the Andheri-Kurla Road is a dependable pick for the eastern suburbs and airport-side crowd. It runs one-plus-one earlier in the day and two-plus-one in the evenings during tournaments, which keeps a long session sensible. Around Rs 1,900 for two. Tip: the evening two-plus-one on draught kicks in around 7pm, perfectly timed for a 7.30 IPL start.

Smaaash, R City Mall, Ghatkopar

Smaaash is the option if you are bringing people who are only half-interested in the game. A big LED video wall handles the match while cricket simulators, bowling and arcade games fill the gaps between innings, so it works for families and mixed groups. Central-suburbs friendly and easy to reach off LBS Marg. Tip: book a table near the main video wall specifically — some seating is set back among the games and you will feel detached from the match.

The Bar Stock Exchange, Dadar

Central, well-connected and a bit of fun, the Dadar outlet on Veer Savarkar Road runs HD TVs around the room and its signature gimmick where drink prices rise and fall like a stock market through the night. Around Rs 1,600 for two. Tip: the “prices” dip when demand is low, so the quiet stretch before a big chase is when the draught is cheapest — order ahead of the death overs.

Match-day tips that actually help

Arrive earlier than feels necessary. For a 7.30pm IPL start, be seated by 6, and for a headline India game or a big derby, earlier still. Reserve wherever the venue allows it — Irish House, Toit and Social all take bookings and all sell out. Go for the shared draught deals: buckets and pitchers are far better value than rounds of pints across a four-hour game. And keep an eye on entry fees for the big football screenings; they are common for marquee fixtures and usually redeemable against your bill, so they are not the rip-off they first appear.

FAQ

Where can I watch Premier League football in Mumbai? Zouk in Andheri East (Chelsea and Liverpool fan clubs), 3 Wise Monkeys in Khar (Manchester United) and Link Room in Bandra (Arsenal) are the fan-group hubs. All keep late hours to cover European kick-off times.

Which sports bars are best for IPL? The Irish House, Social, Toit and Studs are the safe bets for a big-screen IPL night. All run match-day drink and food deals through the tournament.

How much does a match-day evening cost for two? Broadly Rs 1,300 to 2,500 for two depending on the venue, before you get carried away with towers. Cafe Mondegar and The Bar Stock Exchange sit at the cheaper end; Irish House and Leopold at the higher.

Do I need to book in advance? For marquee fixtures, yes. Irish House, Toit and Social take reservations and fill up; the Colaba heritage cafes do not really book, so arrive early instead.

Are there sports bars good for families or mixed groups? Smaaash at R City Mall, Ghatkopar, is the pick — the match plays on a big LED wall while the gaming and simulators keep less-interested guests occupied between innings.

What are the typical match-day deals? Two-plus-one on draught in the evenings, beer buckets and pitchers, and snack platters are standard across most venues during major tournaments.

The bottom line

Mumbai does not lack places with a television, but it does have a genuine short-list of bars that treat a match like an event. For a guaranteed big screen and after-office energy, start with The Irish House or Social. For craft beer with your cricket, Toit. For football with people who bleed the same colours, Zouk, 3 Wise Monkeys or Link Room. And for cheap-and-cheerful south Mumbai charm, the Colaba old guard. Book where you can, arrive before you think you need to, and let the room do the rest.