The best sports bars in Brooklyn

Located in Williamsburg, just across the bridge from Manhattan, Roebling Sports Bar brings you everything you’d need on game day, without compromising on a laid-back atmosphere and utilitarian aesthetic. The dim lighting and booth seating make it a perfect spot for a casual and lively night out.

The beer menu is extensive, with a range of local guest beers alongside your typical line-up of nationally available beverages. There are several house cocktails on the menu, as well as classic bar food favorites like burgers, wings, and nachos. Multiple screens on every wall ensure you won’t be able to miss the game (even if you wanted to – looking at you, Jets fans.)

The backroom is available for private parties, accommodating around 40 guests. It’s a great option for game day (or any other day) with friends and colleagues.

Over in Prospect Heights, Finn’s Corner is a sports bar that will elevate your game day experience. During warmer months, the eponymous corner becomes one of the bar’s main features, with patrons spilling out onto the streets to enjoy warm evenings outside whilst watching sports through Finn’s large windows. This uniquely relaxed atmosphere is somewhere between a bar, a cookout and a tailgate, and is well worth checking out. In winter months, the venue is large enough to enjoy watching the Jets lose in the comforting embrace of artificially heated air. The venue also features a pool table, several dartboards, and a jukebox to ensure a night of varied revelry.

Finn’s Corner offers a large beer menu alongside some signature Irish “spiked hot drinks”. Hotdogs and pretzels are available to order, but the venue extends its relaxed feel to the food and encourages customers to get local eats delivered to the bar instead.

You can contact Finn’s Bar by phone to arrange a reservation or private viewing experience, although the bar can accommodate all but the largest groups on a walk-in basis.

Turkey’s Nest Tavern – self-described as a “sports/dive bar” – is a notable anachronism in gentrified Williamsburg. Founded in the 1980s, its goal is “to give customers a taste of how Williamsburg used to be”. This place is no novelty, however: you can feel its sincerity in this mission immediately as you enter. It’s got that Aaron Rodgers on Pat McAfee feel to it – and no, I don’t mean aging has-beens blaming everyone but themselves after another L – but an authentic, down-to-earth, weather-beaten charm that cuts against the grain.

The drinks menu is unpretentious, serving you all the killer with none of the filler. The shots are massive, and eight large-screen TVs show a medley of sporting events from the UFC to the Premier League. You won't need a booking here: just roll up with a group of friends and enjoy the night.

O’Keefe’s Bar & Grill in Brooklyn is a classic neighborhood pub with a laid-back, old-school vibe, and it’s served the Brooklyn Heights community for over 45 years. This popular local haunt has the feel of a cozy tavern with its wooden upholstery, complemented by the more modern addition of 14 large HD screens showing the best New York has to offer in sports. They also screen the Jets.

With a range of drinks including several signature cocktails, O’Keefe’s also stands out for the sheer size and scope of its food menu, where you can order everything from mac n’ cheese to mussels.

Flexibility is key for O’Keefe’s when it comes to private booking. They accommodate various party options, and you can contact them directly to discuss what would work best for your group.

Another option located in Brooklyn’s Williamsburg, Banter shows pretty much any soccer game happening anywhere, anytime. Banter Bar was named as a nod towards the U.K., where the term ‘banter’ has had a renaissance, particularly as part of soccer (fine, football) and pub culture. Staffed by soccer lovers and adorned with scarves from all around the world, the bar has an intimate feeling, but there’s plenty of seating everywhere, all with excellent lines of sight to one of Banter’s many large screens. And no, you literally can’t watch the Jets here, a notable feature for those looking to preserve their sanity.

The beer menu regularly rotates local and international craft beers across 24 taps, with American staples complemented by European favorites that give the bar a real tournament feel. The food also adds a distinctly Central European twist, with bratwurst-style sausages, pretzels, and a range of Bavarian-inspired sandwiches.

Banter Bar offers a range of booking options, including open bars and a large projection screen for private viewings..