Pubs Near Emirates Stadium: The Arsenal Matchday Guide
There are 14 Arsenal pubs within walking distance of the Emirates, scattered across Holloway Road, Blackstock Road, Finsbury Park, and Highbury. Every single one shows every match with full sound. Most serve food. None of them will be empty on matchday. This guide is written from actual matchday experience — which pubs fill up first, where to eat, how to get there, and what to expect if you've never done a matchday in N5 before. I've been going to pubs around the Emirates for years — Twelve Pins, Drayton Park, Tollington Arms. The cluster between Holloway Road and Finsbury Park stations is one of the best pre-match stretches in London. This guide is what I'd text you if you asked me where to go.
What are the best pubs near Emirates Stadium?
The Tollington on Hornsey Road is the one everyone knows. It fills two hours before kickoff and the atmosphere is as close to being inside the ground as you'll get without a ticket. The Drayton Park Tavern is literally in the shadow of the Emirates — you can see the stadium from the windows. The Gunners Pub on Blackstock Road has walls covered in decades of memorabilia, and Brook Gate — barely 150 metres from the ground — is the closest pub to the stadium. For something with more space, Phibbers on Seven Sisters Road is a reliable pre-match favourite with room to breathe. Each has its own character: The Tollington is the atmosphere pub, the Drayton Park is the view pub, The Gunners is the history pub, and Brook Gate is the convenience pub. My favourite is the Twelve Pins. Irish pub, 10-minute walk from the Emirates, just off Seven Sisters Road near Finsbury Park station. One of the best pre-match pubs in the area. It fills up early — be there at least an hour before a 3pm kickoff. The Guinness is good (obviously), the food's decent, and the atmosphere ramps up properly once the teams are announced. Not the closest to the stadium, but the walk there is part of the ritual.
How early should I get to a pub before an Arsenal match?
For a standard 3pm Saturday, The Tollington starts filling by 1pm. Brook Gate and The Gunners Pub on Blackstock Road follow by 1:30. For big matches — NLD, Champions League nights, title run-ins — make it two hours minimum. Derby days are a different animal: The Tollington will be standing room only by noon, and even quieter spots like The Plimsoll and The Highbury Barn Tavern fill up. Midweek evening kickoffs are slightly more forgiving. You can usually walk into most pubs 45–60 minutes before an 8pm start. But "usually" does not apply to European nights.
Can you drink near Emirates Stadium on matchday?
Yes, but there's a matchday drinking restriction zone around the Emirates where you can't drink on the street. The pubs inside the zone are all fine — you drink inside. The key thing to know: buy your pints before the rush, because bar queues at the closest pubs (Brook Gate, The Gunners) get serious 60–90 minutes before kickoff. The stadium itself serves alcohol at the concourse bars if you have a ticket. Most fans have a pint or two at a pub, walk to the ground, then another at half-time inside.
Which pubs near the Emirates have big screens and sound?
Every London Arsenal pub in the GoonerPubs directory has match audio — it's basically a requirement to be listed. For atmosphere, The Tollington and Phibbers are the loudest. You'll hear every goal before you see it on screen because the roar hits first. The Drayton Park Tavern and The George (reopened in 2025, three minutes from the ground) both have multiple screens with good sightlines. If you want to actually see the match clearly rather than peer over heads, The Plimsoll near Finsbury Park or The Highbury Barn Tavern tend to be slightly less packed, with better screen-to-person ratios. The Twelve Pins by Finsbury Park station has proper craic and good screens too. The Drayton Park is right next to the stadium — you can see the Emirates from the window. You can hear the actual crowd when a goal goes in at home matches, which changes everything. Gets a massive pre-match crowd. It spills outside. Strict home fans only — don't bring your mate who supports Chelsea.
Where to eat near Emirates Stadium before a match?
Every Arsenal pub in London serves food. The question is what kind. The Plimsoll is the gastropub option — it does the food side better than most, with a proper kitchen. The Faltering Fullback is famous for its Thai food and three-level treehouse beer garden (yes, really). The Woodbine on Blackstock Road is an Irish pub where the Guinness and the kitchen are both solid. For pub grub, The George, The Tollington, and The Twelve Pins all serve standard match-day fare. A word of warning: kitchen service slows down dramatically in the 90 minutes before kickoff when staff are pulling pints flat out. Eat early or eat after.
How to get to Emirates Stadium pubs by Tube?
Three stations serve the Emirates area. Arsenal station (Piccadilly line) puts you right in the middle of things — The George, The Tollington, and The Drayton Park Tavern are all within a 3–5 minute walk. Holloway Road (Piccadilly line) is closest to The Hercules and Phibbers. Finsbury Park (Piccadilly and Victoria lines, plus National Rail) is the busiest station and serves the Blackstock Road pubs — The Gunners Pub, Brook Gate, The Woodbine — plus The Twelve Pins right by the station entrance, The Plimsoll, Worlds End, and The Faltering Fullback. Finsbury Park is the best arrival station if you want options, because you're a 10–15 minute walk to the ground with pubs along the entire route.
Best pubs near Emirates for away fans?
If you're an Arsenal fan visiting from abroad, every pub will welcome you. Wear your shirt, order a pint, you're home. If you genuinely support the opposition and want to watch the match nearby (respect), the pubs closest to the Emirates are firmly home territory — you'd be uncomfortable. Head towards Highbury & Islington: The Alwyne Castle and The Famous Cock Tavern are about a 20-minute walk from the ground and tend to be more mixed. They're still full of Gooners, but the atmosphere is less intense than Holloway Road. Be sensible on derby days.
Can I watch Arsenal at a pub without a ticket?
Absolutely — and honestly, it's one of the best matchday experiences going. The atmosphere inside The Tollington or Phibbers when a goal goes in is pure chaos. You get the roar, the beer flying, strangers hugging you. Some fans specifically choose the pub over the stadium for big matches because the collective experience of watching with 200 people all going through it together is something the ground can't always replicate. Get to your chosen pub 90+ minutes early for a seat (or 2+ hours for NLD). Bring cash for speed at the bar. Stay after the final whistle — the post-match analysis session is half the fun.
Champions League nights near the Emirates
For Champions League nights, the pubs near the Emirates have a different energy. Midweek European matches draw a crowd that's chosen to be here on a Tuesday — everyone's dialled in. If it's a home CL match, the Drayton Park has the added dimension of hearing the stadium crowd half a second after the pub erupts. The Tolly and Twelve Pins are both packed for CL too.