Absolute spectating goals…

The Premier League, Champions League, World Cup, LaLiga, Bundesliga and more. There’s a lot of football coming up in the last quarter of the year. And we fully appreciate that if you’re not a fan of football, you probably feel like there’s always a lot of football on. You’d be right of course — all hail the beautiful game.

What are the best sports bars in Abu Dhabi..?

For those of you that do enjoy the odd 35 yard screamer, cursing VAR at the bar, or debating whether Mbappe could find it in his locker to ‘make the magic happen’ on a cold rainy night in Stoke — we have put together a round up featuring the happiest hours on comfiest couches; a collection of monster-sized screens; and peak fan atmosphere whether your team’s journey ends in cheers or tears.

And of course there’s the food. Sharing platters, pub snacks and wings by the bucketload — this list is absolute grub goals. It’s, all the best deals on drinks and dining along with exactly…

Where to watch the football in Abu Dhabi

49ers

49ers steakhouse is a legit Abu Dhabi institution with a proven pedigree for ‘big game atmosphere’, which makes it an ideal choice for catching the footie. Enjoy the beautiful game here with their hops bucket and nibbles combo packages (from Dhs129) and pints of authentic German frothy stuff from Dhs25.

Le Meridien, Tourist Club Area, midday to 3am. Tel: (02) 645 8000, 49ers.ae

Appaloosa

With all the calorie battering activities available at the famous sports resort just next door, it’s fair to say that Marriott Al Forsan has competition hardwired into its circuitry. A perfect place then to come and scream incoherent coaching direction at screens, whilst your team inexplicably fail to magically hear you. You can also sink stripes and spots on the pool table, roll the dice on a boardgame or two and make merry with daily happy hour deals. Weekday happy timings are midday to 7pm with an extended 10am to 7pm session on weekends.

Marriott Hotel Al Forsan. Tel: (02) 201 4131, @marriottalforsan

Belgian Café Yas Island

For a small patch of European heartland the Belgians have a disproportionately large say in the European continent’s F&B stakes. Chocolate, chips and mayonnaise, mussels and rustic bread, and hops, lots and lots of hops. They also have a pretty spicy ratio when it comes to world class football stars too. Stitching the two together we have Radisson Blu Yas Island’s Belgian Cafe which has a big screen TV, net busting midday to 7pm happy hours and a menu that runs the full gamut from Brussels brasserie to Ghent gastro pub.

Blu Sky Lounge & Grill

A sporty little number in Southern Sun Abu Dhabi, Blu Sky has a series of screens positioned specifically for uninterrupted viewing, so you wont miss a single catch or ball snatch in the match. There’s a daily happy hour (3pm till 9pm, except on Thursdays when it’s all day long) with special prices on draught hops. And new for this season — a Trackman golf simulator, the first of its kind in one of the capital’s bars giving you the opportunity to swing whilst you winning (or losing) from Dhs85 per hour (parties of up to four).

Southern Sun Abu Dhabi, Al Mina Street, Al Zahiya, Tourist Club Area. Tel: (02) 818 4888, tsogosun.com

Bridges Bar

Bridges Bar at Fairmont Bab Al Bahr may be relatively boutique in size, but its screens are still pretty massive and that’s important when it comes to choosing your spectating spot for a match. They also have a daily 4pm to 8pm happy hour (two-for-one on select drinks) and a pretty big Saturday and Sunday deal that will net you two pints of hops for just Dh1 when purchased with any main course. With the fact that also includes their giant burgers — we’ll mark that up as a cheeky hattrick of reasons to visit.

Bridges Bar, Fairmont Bab Al Bahr, Khor Al Maqta, 8pm to 11pm, Dhs99. Tel: (02) 654 3238, @bridgesbar.abudhabi

C.mondo Bar

Sprinting into the box with big screen TVs and some banging deals C.mondo is looking like a pundit’s top pick this season. There’s a daily 5pm to 9pm happy hour with select drinks at just Dhs20, combo deals, snack platter offers, as well as bargains on buckets and pitchers of hops. On paper this has to be a fan favourite for the golden pint glass.

Centro Capital Centre, Al Khaleej Al Arabi Street, near ADNEC, noon to 1am daily. Tel: (02) 409 6514

Captain’s Arms

Open once more after an extensive pitch expansion and refurb — this British pub flexes its thrifty tekkers every night of the week with a daily happy hour that’s more than just 90 minutes. Enjoy 12.30 to 8pm dramatic saves, with selected drinks just Dhs25 each.

Cooper’s

Cooper’s is a firm favourite (that’s unchanging favourite, not ‘The Old Firm’s favourite) for sports fans in the capital and it’s not hard to see why. It’s a handsome hang spot with large screens — making the referee a big enough target to hurl whatever life advice you might deem appropriate at. There’s also a Mon to Fri happy hour (6pm to 8pm) and the opportunity to make savings on a menu of pub grub fan favourites.

Park Rotana, Park Rotana Complex Road, near Khalifa Park, open midday to 2am. Tel: (02) 657 3317, @parkrotana

Hamilton’s

London-style sports bar Hamilton’s is found in Saadiyat Rotana, and because it’s also a gastropub, at half-time you can look forward to something a little more substantial than oranges cut into quarters. Pull up a seat in this art deco dude’s (and dudette) den, and score big discounts with a Tuesday to Friday 3pm to 7pm happy hour, and Sunday to Monday all day happy hour. There’s a pool table and nine massive screens replicating the perfect stadium atmosphere, match that against the hops combo deals and the weekend’s long lazy breakfasts (with free flow packages available) and it looks like Hamilton’s might just be headed for the final.

Saadiyat Rotana, Saadiyat Island, Fri to Sat 11am to 2am, Sun to Thu 4pm to 2am. Tel: (02) 697 0000, rotanatimes.com

Hemmingway’s

Who are ya? A bar named after an American writer actually — but don’t let its literary nomenclature put you off, this is a true bliue, red blooded sports bar, just with a more sophisticated sort of tearrace. Beyond match politics, you can dig into their Friday carvery (with three hours of unlimited house beverages for Dhs199), a massive daily 4pm to 10pm happy hour, pub game nights and unlimited wing sessionS available from Sunday to Thursday.

Hemingway’s, Radisson Blu Hotel & Resort, Abu Dhabi Corniche, Al Khubeirah. Tel: (02) 681 1900, radissonhotels.com

McGettigan’s

There’s always a big match atmosphere for back of the netties at Abu Dhabi’s McGetti’s. And at weekends (Fri to Sun) there’s a long lazy drunch (five beverages from Dhs125, Fri-Sat 2pm to 11pm, Sun midday to 11pm), lads nights on Wednesdays (three house beverages with a main meal), and a selection of daily deals on hops and combos.

Dusit Thani, 925 Sultan Bin Zayed The First Street (Al Muroor Road). @mcgettigansdusitauh

Offside Sports Lounge

Found at the stunning Jumeirah at Saadiyat resort, this homage to sports reportage is kicking off your Saturday session with a brunch. Between midday and 5pm there’s a range of grilled delights. Want to take the competitive spirit off-screen and in-house — there’s a dart board and pool tables to flex your skills (or lack of) over. The Tuesday to Friday happy hour kicks off ar 5pm with the final whistle at 7pm and on weekends it’s a game of 1pm to 7pm.

Jumeirah at Saadiyat, Saadiyat Island, soft package Dhs195, 1pm to 5pm. (02) 811 4342, jumeirah.com

Pj O’Reilly’s

There’s no surprise that this, one of the city’s best-loved Irish bars, also doubles as a natty little nook for watching the game of two halves. To supplement all sorts of sports viewing action, there’s a daily midday to 8pm happy hour, liquid lunch deals (Sunday to Friday) and their famous Hogfest brunch on Saturdays.

Pj O’Reilly’s, Le Royal Meridien Abu Dhabi, Khalifa Street Al Markaziyah Area. Tel: (02) 695 0515

Porters

As with most of the regional Brit pubs abroad, this venue is built around a classic 4-4-2 formation. In defence, there’s a raft of weekly offers slotting in behind a solid sport showcasing schedule in the middle of the park, whilst a classic partnership of pub snacks and draught beers make up the strike force up front.

Grand Millennium Al Wahda, next to Al Wahda Mall. Tel: (02) 495 3936, millenniumhotels.com

Tavern

Legit Brit rub-a-dub, Tavern presides over more than just a cosy atmosphere and frosty, frothy pints of amber nectar. For instance – you can wrap your chops around a Sunday roast with beverage accompaniment for Dhs150, there’s a Wednesday ladies night, a huge overtime happy hour available daily between midday and 10pm daily.

Tavern, Sheraton, Corniche road, Al Zahiyah, weekday 2pm to 2am, weekends midday to 2am. Tel: (02) 677 3333, @sheratonabudhabi

The Retreat

The 19th hole has always been a great leveller. It doesn’t matter whether you’re above or below par out on the greens, we’re all playing off scratch, digging out bogeys and getting rounds in after the round’s over in the clubhouse bar. And so it is at Westin Abu Dhabi Golf Resort and Spa — their sport spectating seat, The Retreat, has hosted its fair share of celebrations some from victories nearby — and others televised and beamed in from global tournaments. The happy hour here is a Mon to Fri affair and operates between the hours of 2pm and 8pm.

Westin Abu Dhabi Golf Resort and Spa, Sas Al Nakhl. Tel: (02) 616 9999, @westinabudhabi

The Sportsman’s Arms

Active lifestyle epicentre Zayed Sports City offers a balanced approach to living, valuing both hard work and hard play. After all that on court effort — there’s Bostonian craic available at the leisure hub’s American-Irish bar. And in addition to showing a wide variety of big match action (including soccer ball, which is what we presume they call it), there’s a multi-ball approach to sport snack promotions, like the Mon to Thu unlimited wings deal (Dhs99), pizza tuesdays (Dhs80 for a pizza and two house drinks), burger combo Wednesdays, steak and wine Thursdays, Friday and Saturday evening brunch, weekend roasts and a daily midday to 8pm happy hour with drinks starting at Dhs22.

Zayed Sports City, 8am to midnight. Tel: (02) 447 1066, @sportsmanszsc

Velocity

With a collection of 30 TV screens, you’re unlikely to miss crucial match talking points because of somebody’s massive head obstructing your view at Velocity. There is plenty of commotion from the promotion end of the stand though, including a Tuesday to Sunday, 4pm to 10pm super long happy hour, and beer and burger deal that scores you a signature burger and two pints of beer for Dhs99. And that’s a save that’s worth celebrating.

Located at the Hilton Capital Grand Abu Dhabi, Victor’s Pub is no last minute Irish Pub transfer, it’s been delivering absolute screamers into the top corner of the capital’s sports bar circuit for seasons. It’s earned its place in the squad, through years of premier league pub grub, big match atmosphere and skillful promotions (including lazy midday to 6pm Sunday breakfasts, unlimited wings nights, quiz nights, ladies nights and more). This is indeed, hallowed turf.

Victor’s Pub Abu Dhabi, Millennium Al Rawdah Hotel, 8am to 3am the following day, Tel: (02) 666 5508, @victorsabudhabi

Waves Bar & Outdoor Lounge

With alfresco and less-fresco (shh we’re claiming it) seating, a pub snacks menu that brings all the baos to the yard and a vibrant atmosphere — Waves would feature in our first 11 every time. Their daily two-for-one happy hour will be running throughout the tournament between the hours of 5pm and 8pm.

Waves Bar & Outdoor Lounge, Novotel Al Bustan – Airport Road, open daily until 1am. Tel: (02) 501 6088, novotel-abudhabi-albustan.com

Images: Provided