When your side is playing at Wembley, there's one very important detail to check out: the pubs.
A pre-match drink is a staple of English football culture, but fans can only go in very specific pubs in and around the ground. Quite sensibly, the authorities allocate specific pubs to each team depending on which side of the stadium they will be sitting.
This year, Wembley Stadium is hosting the UEFA Champions League final, which means that fans of Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund will be travelling to England's capital to see the game.
Brent Council enforce a No Street Drinking Zone on Olympic Way and the surrounding areas, so the pubs and official fan zones are the only place to enjoy and alcoholic drink. Drinks are available to purchase inside the stadium, but the concourse is the only area where it is permitted to drink alcohol and it is not allowed to be taken to your seat.
Real Madrid have been allocated the West side of the stadium, while Borussia Dortmund fans will be on the East side.
Which pubs are on the west side of Wembley Stadium?
Contents
The west side of Wembley is full of great pubs. Arguably the best and most well-known pub in the surrounding area of Wembley is the Green Man which is half a mile west of Wembley Stadium. That isn't the only option on that side of the stadium, though, with plenty of other places being perfectly good options if the Green Man reaches capacity.
The full list of pubs available on the west side of Wembley is as follows:
- The Green Man, Dagmar Avenue HA9 8DF
- Crystals (Sports Bar & Aqua Lounge) 1 Popin Building, Southway, HA9 0HB
- The Arch, 324 Harrow Rd, Wembley , HA9 6LL
- Station 31, 299-303 Harrow Rd, Wembley, HA9 6BD
- The Liquor Station, 397A High Rd, Wembley, HA9 6AA
- JJ Moons, 397 High Rd, Wembley, HA9 6AA
- La Regina, St George's Hotel, 43-51 Wembley Hill Rd, Wembley, HA9 8AU
- Black Sheep, 2 Olympic Way, Wembley Park, HA9 0GU
- Sixty Six Bar & Grill, 3 South Way, Wembley, HA9 0JU
- The Corner House, 313 Harrow Road, HA9 6BA
- White Horse, 4 Wembley Park Blvd, Wembley Park, Wembley HA9 0HP
Which pubs are on the east side of Wembley Stadium?
The east side of Wembley is generally considered the worst of the two sides by fans who have visited the area. For starters, there are fewer pubs than there are on the west side and none of them are as big as the Green Man. The most popular pub on the east side is the Torch which is around 0.7 miles east of the stadium but this tends to fill up fast on matchday.
The full list of pubs on the east side of Wembley is as follows:
- The Blue Check, 12 -13 Empire Way, Wembley, HA9 0RQ
- Wembley Tavern, 121 Wembley Park Dr, Wembley Park, HA9 8HG
- Stadium Sports Bar, 125 Wembley Park Dr, Wembley Park, HA9 8HQ
- The Torch, 1-5 Bridge Rd, Wembley Park, HA9 9AB
- Crock of Gold, 23 Bridge Road, Wembley, HA9 9AB
Alternatives to pubs near Wembley Stadium
If it's a nice day when you visit Wembley, then the fan zones which organisers put on for the biggest events are usually a great option. Opening at 11am and closing 30 minutes before kick-off, the Fan Zone will serve food and drinks and will include a resident DJ for fans to enjoy.
Supporters must be in possession of a valid match ticket to enter, and the Wembley Stadium bag policy also applies to the Fan Zones. There are also a number of places to eat and drink at the London Designer outlet that are not allocated to a particular team that include Nando's, TGI Fridays, Pizza Express and Wagamama.
For those who would like to watch the game in London but do not have a ticket for the match, there will be a Fan Zone big enough to accommodate 30,000 people on Victoria Embankment and MOD gardens, with live music and entertainment before the game begins at 8pm.
Trafalgar Square will host 20,000 people for drinks and food, but a review into previous incidents of disorder means that the match itself will not be shown on big screens.
Inside the stadium
Wembley Stadium is now completely cashless, meaning that fans will need to make sure they have a card or contactless method of payment with them if they want to buy anything whilst inside.
Supporters will be able to take advantage of a new frictionless Tap Bar on level one at Wembley, allowing access to refreshments quicker and more conveniently. Fans will simply tap their card on entry, pick up what they have ordered and then walk away without the need to queue.
For those who have not visited recently, there are also some new additions to the food and drink offerings at Wembley.
These include TapHouse Social, Camden Town Brewery Bars and two new M&S Food stores, and can be found on the level two concourse.