Where to Watch the World Cup in New York

We’ve been reading up on all the places in New York to watch World Cup matches. But, here’s the thing – to our utter surprise and amazement, not everyone in New York is a tourist or blogger at home in their pajamas. It appears people go to something called “an office” everyday!

What difference does that make? Well, unless you’ve been living under a vuvuzela-less rock you know that the World Cup is in South Africa, which means that the matches New Yorkers want to see are during the workday because of the time difference.

So, while it may seem like a wonderful idea to watch the World Cup at South African restaurant Madiba, not everyone can head out to Fort Greene at 10AM on a Tuesday.

With this in mind, here are the places where New Yorkers sneak out of the office and catch some of their favorite World Cup matches. Strange for a travel website, I know; but if you’re visiting New York, it’s totally valid to want to hit a bar where New Yorkers are shoveling in food and screaming at televisions in the middle of the day.

It’s quite a sight, I assure you.

Everywhere

ESPN Match Truck
Make the match come to you! Check out their website or Twitter for news on where the truck will be showing the match. They’ve been doing some great deals with food trucks nearby, so you can grab a bite while you watch the match.

Upper Midtown

Opia Restaurant and Lounge
130 E. 57th St., (212) 688-3939
They’re opened starting at 6AM, so you can schedule a “breakfast meeting” while the match is on.

Penn Station

Triple Crown
330 7th Ave (28th-29th) (212) 736-1575
They don’t open until 11AM, so you’re only going to catch the second half of those 10AM games. But their Happy Hour starts at 4PM, which means that you can sail right through a late lunch for the 2.30 matches and into boozy post-game debriefings.

Grand Central

McAnn’s Bar and Restaurant
3 W. 46th St. (212) 594-1374
They’re opening at 7.30AM every day for the World Cup. They have tons of TVs and the beer’s cheap.

Financial District