High stakes, fluctuant emotions, and competition within community — these are brought to the table during football season. Emotional volatility and collective, playful rivalry to support their “faves” become one, when people get together to celebrate this riveting sport. Here are some places where you can do this:
Watson’s
Located in T Nagar, Watson’s, positioned as “your friendly neighbourhood bar”, has eight-ball and foosball tables, it also offers pocket-friendly prices. “We are the ones you can come to for friendly rates, a great atmosphere, the service too; that is why people keep coming back to Watson’s,” says Ashwin, head of marketing. They screen all kinds of sports from cricket to F1, depending on demand, and the football matches in the evening. “If there’s a footballer community that requests to play a match, we don’t deny it,” he says, considering it falls within the working hours of the place. It closes at 11.45 pm. “We are strict on closing times, as well”. While not offering many discounts, “We do partner with third-party vendors like EazyDiner and Swiggy, offering a maximum of 10% discount, depending on the platform,” he adds.
Cover charge: Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,000. Club rules apply.
Score - The Sports Bar
Football’s biggest tournament is filled with unforgettable moments. Score - The Sports Bar, situated in OMR, screens whatever they can of the matches, till closing time, 11 pm. The establishment offers a great ambience while strongly adhering to their closing times. “Whenever there is a special, interesting match, then, there would be a cover charge. We don’t have it all the time,” says Veerakumar, F&B manager. These particular events and other offers are updated online like Swiggy and Zomato.
Cover charges: Only for special matches
Lord Of The Drinks
From early goals to game equalisers, Lord of the Drinks (LOTD) has got the football fanatic covered! Located in Nungambakkam, this restobar exercises entry discretion for a comfortable and safe environment. Located in “the heart of Chennai”, Manikandan, manager of LOTD, believes the geographical location and 30,000 sqft space with an open area where people can converse, eat, and socialise, are the establishment’s strengths. “We have specialised music nights and guest DJs too”, he adds. Apart from two projector screens and TVs, they have a large LED wall. LOTD screens all matches according to the FIFA schedule, within their working hours. “Since most of them begin at 10.30 pm, sometimes we screen only the first half since we start wrapping up around 11.30 pm,” he says.
Cover charge: Nil. Club rules apply.
Origami
The highs, lows, and unforgettable twists of the World Cup deserve to be experienced alongside fellow fans. The ambience of the place, when paired with the spaciousness, is a great feature of the setting, the general manager Satheesh highlights. “This is one bar which doesn’t have any pillars in between. From the bar counter to the DJ, you can see straight,” he says. Matches are screened on a large LED TV, that everyone will be able to see, from whatever side they are seated on. They close at 11.30 pm.Touted to be one of the biggest restobars in ECR, they specialise in Pan-Asian cuisine and offer certain discounts on apps like Zomato and Swiggy.
Cover charge: Nil
Secret Story
Every match delivers its fair share of drama. Secret Story provides an environment that mirrors this sort of excitement. Situated in Nungambakkam, this restobar is a two-storey building, with an elevated DJ booth and genre-specific events. They screen the matches according to the cup schedule, on an LED wall and TVs. The matches that start at 10.30 pm, are usually on display for the first half of the game only, since the club adheres to a strict closing time policy. “We start wrapping up at 11.30 pm, and switch off the displays around 11.45 pm,” says Lokesh, manager of Secret Story. Patrons can book their slots on online platforms like Swiggy and Zomato, and avail discounts offered there.
Entry fee: Rs 500
Cover charge: Rs 1,000 (redeemable). Club rules of admission apply.
