Where2WatchIt

Day 31 of 31 Bars in 31 Days 🍻
Stop #59 in the search for Sydney’s Best Sports Bar: The Flynn, Sydney CBD

And just like that… 31 bars in 31 days is DONE. 🫡

Finishing up at The Flynn — a solid CBD option that feels particularly suited to knocking off work and catching some sport.

⭐ Sports Bar Score: 19/25

📺 Screens & Sightlines: 5/5
🔊 Sound & Commentary: 4/5
🏉 Sports Coverage: 3/5
🍻 Vibes: 4/5
✨ Extras: 3/5

There are screens at either end of the main bar plus another in the restaurant area, so you’ve got plenty of good viewing spots.

I visited on a Monday night with no major live match on, so unsurprisingly there wasn’t commentary playing. I’d definitely like to come back on a Thursday or Friday when there’s a bit more going on.

Coverage looks geared towards NRL and AFL. I couldn’t find an upcoming sports schedule online and it doesn’t appear to have Stan, so no rugby union or Premier League.

Not somewhere I’d necessarily cross Sydney specifically to watch a match, but if you’re already in the CBD and want a post-work drink with the sport on? Solid option.

Reason to visit: KNOCK OFF + CATCH THE GAME 🍻📺

Day 30 of 31 Bars in 31 Days 🍻
Stop #58 in the search for Sydney’s Best Sports Bar: Churchills Sports Bar, Kingsford

We’re almost there. And for Day 30, we’ve got a proper sports bar. Same score as yesterday, very different bar.

⭐ Sports Bar Score: 23/25

📺 Screens & Sightlines: 5/5
🔊 Sound & Commentary: 5/5
🏉 Sports Coverage: 5/5
🍻 Vibes: 4/5
✨ Extras: 4/5

Churchills isn’t short on screens. There are TVs everywhere, plenty of sport to choose from and every time I’ve been past or popped in, there always seems to be a crowd.

It does lean pretty heavily into the TAB/racing side of the sports-bar spectrum, but if you’re there for the actual sport, the fundamentals are very solid.

The big advantage? It’s open 24 hours.

So when your team has been kind enough to schedule a match at some ridiculous hour in Sydney, Churchills is one of those places worth knowing about.

Full sports coverage, plenty of screens and no need to worry about whether they’ll still be open at kick-off.

Reason to visit: WHEN SPORT DOESN’T RESPECT BEDTIME 🌙📺

One more day. One more bar. Then you have officially survived this slightly unhinged August idea. 😂

Day 30 of 31 Bars in 31 Days 🍻
Stop #58 in the search for Sydney’s Best Sports Bar: Churchills Sports Bar, Kingsford

We’re almost there. And for Day 30, we’ve got a proper sports bar. Same score as yesterday but completely different vibe.

⭐ Sports Bar Score: 23/25

📺 Screens & Sightlines: 5/5
🔊 Sound & Commentary: 5/5
🏉 Sports Coverage: 5/5
🍻 Vibes: 4/5
✨ Extras: 4/5

Churchills isn’t short on screens. There are TVs everywhere, plenty of sport to choose from and every time I’ve been past or popped in, there always seems to be a crowd.

It does lean pretty heavily into the TAB/racing side of the sports-bar spectrum, but if you’re there for the actual sport, the fundamentals are very solid.

The big advantage? It’s open 24 hours.

So when your team has been kind enough to schedule a match at some ridiculous hour in Sydney, Churchills is one of those places worth knowing about.

Full sports coverage, plenty of screens and no need to worry about whether they’ll still be open at kick-off.

Reason to visit: WHEN SPORT DOESN’T RESPECT BEDTIME 🌙📺

One more day. One more bar. Then you have officially survived this slightly unhinged August idea. 😂

Day 29 of 31 Bars in 31 Days 🍻
Stop #57 in the search for Sydney’s Best Sports Bar: The Office Hotel, Sydney CBD

This one was completely unplanned. I was walking past, thought why not? and wandered in.

Turns out — The Office is sneakily a very good sports bar.

⭐ Sports Bar Score: 23/25

📺 Screens & Sightlines: 5/5
🔊 Sound & Commentary: 5/5
🏉 Sports Coverage: 5/5
🍻 Vibes: 4/5
✨ Extras: 4/5

I was expecting a fairly standard CBD pub with a few TVs dotted around. Instead, downstairs has a proper sports bar setup with loads of big screens and a pool table.

Upstairs feels more like your regular pub/bar, but there are still plenty of screens around if you want something a little less sports-bar-y.

And importantly — they have Stan. 🙌 So rugby union is covered, plus they show some of the earlier Premier League games alongside all the usual Fox Sports options.

Definitely one of the bigger surprises of the search so far.

I liked it. I’ll be back.

Reason to visit: A SNEAKILY GOOD SPORTS BAR

Day 28 of 31 Bars in 31 Days 🍻
Stop #56 in the search for Sydney’s Best Sports Bar: The Bristol

Well… they absolutely have the screens.

⭐ Sports Bar Score: 17/25

The sports bar is tucked away downstairs and the actual viewing setup is excellent — loads of screens, good sightlines and commentary on. On the basics of physically watching a game, it does the job very well.

The rest of the experience wasn’t really for me.

It was VERY TAB-heavy downstairs and there was a strong smell of cigarette smoke. I couldn’t quite work out whether there’d been a TAB event earlier or that’s the usual setup.

The other odd one: while I was there, staff switched all the screens over to different sports — including screens people appeared to already be watching. 😬

I also couldn’t find an upcoming sports schedule online and it appears there’s no Stan, so no rugby union or Premier League.

Would I choose it for a big match? Probably not.

Could you walk in and find a screen showing sport? Absolutely.

Reason to visit: YOU WON’T STRUGGLE TO FIND A SCREEN 📺

Day 27 of 31 Bars in 31 Days 🍻
Stop #54 in the search for Sydney’s Best Sports Bar: The Royal George, Sydney CBD

Firstly, mildly confusing naming situation here. This is Merivale’s Royal George, not to be confused with The Royal. Sydney apparently had a shortage of pub names.

⭐ Sports Bar Score: 17/25

📺 Screens & Sightlines: 4/5
🔊 Sound & Commentary: 3/5
🏉 Sports Coverage: 3/5
🍻 Vibes: 3/5
✨ Extras: 4/5

I’ve been here a few times and it’s a decent CBD pub. Good food, screens dotted around the venue and a handy location right by the Wynyard light rail stop.

Sports-wise, it’s a Fox Sports setup, so you’re covered for AFL, NRL, NFL etc. No Stan though, which rules out rugby union and Premier League.

This is definitely more pub that has sport than pub you seek out specifically to watch sport. Perfectly good if you’re already there having a few and want to keep an eye on the game.

Speaking of having a few — the bathrooms are down a decent set of stairs, so you’ll also get some cardio in. 😂

Reason to visit: SPORT WITH YOUR AFTER-WORK DRINKS

Day 24 of 31 Bars in 31 Days 🍻
Stop #52 in the search for Sydney’s Best Sports Bar: Hotel Mosman

This one sits firmly in the restaurant with sport category rather than sports bar.

⭐ Sports Bar Score: 17/25

📺 Screens & Sightlines: 4/5
🔊 Sound & Commentary: 4/5
🏉 Sports Coverage: 3/5
🍻 Vibes: 3/5
✨ Extras: 3/5

There’s a small alcove on the ground floor with a bunch of screens, while the main restaurant has some bigger screens dotted around if you want to keep an eye on a game over lunch or dinner.

Coverage is mostly Fox Sports — so you’re good for the likes of NRL, AFL and NFL — but no Stan means no rugby union or Premier League.

The crowd skews a little older and you’re not getting that packed sports-bar atmosphere here. But that’s also not really what Hotel Mosman is trying to be.

If I wanted a nice meal and happened to want the game on in the background? Yep.

If I wanted somewhere specifically to watch a big match? I’d probably head elsewhere.

Reason to visit: DINNER WITH THE GAME ON 🍽️📺

Day 23 of 31 Bars in 31 Days 🍻
Stop #51 in the search for Sydney’s Best Sports Bar: Mosman Club

I have a bit of a soft spot for this one. Mosman Club was my local during the Covid “you must remain seated” era — importantly, it showed the rugby. 😂

⭐ Sports Bar Score: 21/25

📺 Screens & Sightlines: 5/5
🔊 Sound & Commentary: 4/5
🏉 Sports Coverage: 5/5
🍻 Vibes: 3/5
✨ Extras: 4/5

I’ve watched just about everything here over the years — Rugby World Cups, Bledisloes, Bathurst and plenty more.

The massive screen is the star of the show, the food is genuinely excellent and there are a few locals who I’m fairly sure spend more time here than some of the staff.

I’ve marked it down slightly on vibes. It can be pretty quiet depending on when you visit and definitely attracts an older local crowd — but when there’s a big match on, that screen is excellent.

And once the sport is done, head upstairs. There’s a rooftop bar with some great views if a post-match cocktail sounds better than another schooner.

Reason to visit: Reliable for rugby union. 🏉

Day 22 of 31 Bars in 31 Days 🍻
AND STOP #50 in the search for Sydney’s Best Sports Bar! 🎉

Halfway to 100, so it feels appropriate that #50 is somewhere I’ve already found myself watching sport at some fairly questionable hours.

📍 The Madison Hotel, Central

⭐ Sports Bar Score: 23/25

📺 Screens & Sightlines: 5/5
🔊 Sound & Commentary: 5/5
🏉 Sports Coverage: 5/5
🍻 Vibes: 4/5
✨ Extras: 4/5

The big selling point? It’s open 24 hours.

And when you’re trying to watch Premier League, Rugby World Cups or any other sport determined to ruin an Australian sleep schedule, that’s a pretty bloody useful feature.

I’ve been here for pre-match drinks before heading to Allianz, early morning beers during the 2023 Rugby World Cup and now the Premier League.

Downstairs is SPORTS. Screens everywhere, immediately. Upstairs feels a little more separated, with screens dotted around so different groups can settle in for different matches, plus pool tables.

And location-wise, it’s hard to beat. Right by Central for trains, Metro and light rail.

Reason to visit: SPORT. ANY TIME. 24/7.

50 down. Plenty more pubs to go. 🍻

Day 21 of 31 Bars in 31 Days 🍻
Stop #49 in the search for Sydney’s Best Sports Bar: Hyde Park House

I’ve been here plenty of times for work functions, but never really looked at it through the “would I come here to watch sport?” lens.

Turns out — not bad.

⭐ Sports Bar Score: 19/25

📺 Screens & Sightlines: 5/5
🔊 Sound & Commentary: 3/5
🏉 Sports Coverage: 3/5
🍻 Vibes: 4/5
✨ Extras: 4/5

There are good screens across the ground floor and Level 1, although I didn’t hear any commentary while I was there.

And that probably sums Hyde Park House up pretty well. It feels more like a pub/function venue that keeps the sport on than somewhere built around watching it — which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

The ground-floor bar is my pick. Nice old-school pub feel, exposed brick and plenty of screens without the whole place screaming SPORTS BAR at you.

I couldn’t find an upcoming sports schedule online, but it looks to lean towards AFL, NRL and UFC.

Why visit? Good for a group that isn’t all there for the sport.