You can watch football matches at home on TV or on a computer screen via online streaming. But it's much more enjoyable to do this in the company of fellow fans at a bar or pub, where you can celebrate your favorite team's victory or drown the sorrows of defeat. In Voronezh, this is especially interesting on days when "Fakel" plays: ever since they have been holding their ground in the Russian Premier League for the second year, it's impossible not to be interested in football in this city.
Sports Bars and Pubs
In principle, during interesting matches, broadcasts can be turned on anywhere – in cafes, restaurants, cinema foyers, etc. But for the true atmosphere of a football celebration, it's worth visiting places that specialize in serving fans. And these are primarily bars and pubs, where they do not chase after exclusive cuisine but instead turn on a projector or LCD screen and pour drinks to celebrate the victory of the favorite team for everyone who wishes.
Sports Bar "1982"
Address: Komissarzhevskaya St., 7.
Menu Features
- Extensive beer menu
- Wide assortment of cocktails
- Snacks, steaks cooked medium or well-done
- Handmade dumplings
- Borscht
- Country-style potatoes, etc.
You can have a light snack, a full lunch, or dinner.
About the Bar
Although the bar welcomes all visitors and rents out spaces for parties or events, "1982" is the main gathering place for football fans in Voronezh. As "Fakel" fans themselves say: "If there's 1982, then there's no need to go anywhere else!"
Primarily, matches featuring FC "Fakel" are broadcast on a big screen here, but upon visitors' request, broadcasts or recordings of other Russian league games can be shown. The list of planned broadcasts can be found in the sports bar's community on VK.
Interior
The bar's interior is decorated with photos of athletes, "Fakel" symbols, and elements of the most famous players' uniforms.
The Irish Pub
Address: Pushkinskaya St., 4 (through the arch from Koltsovsky Square).
Menu Features
Primarily, it's a beer bar with snacks. People come here specifically to drink and relax. A full lunch or dinner is not offered here, although business lunches are of good quality and moderately priced. However, there are no problems with beer, which is the main "dish." The assortment includes many options, including purely Irish and English varieties such as Harp, Newcastle, Kilkenny, and others.
Sports Broadcasts
The pub does not specialize in football broadcasts, but if "Fakel" is playing, the screen will be turned on. The broadcast schedule should be clarified with the administration.
Atmosphere and Style
The establishment itself is very atmospheric, styled after Ireland. Unobtrusive Celtic music, green colors in the interior design... It's easy to imagine that you're somewhere in Kilkenny or on the outskirts of Dublin.
Don't Confuse with Other Establishments
It's important not to confuse: there is also "O'Hara Irish Pub" on Kholzunova St. in Voronezh. But there's no point for a football fan to go there, as this establishment, although Irish-styled, specializes more in musical performances (similar to the "Liter" bar on Revolution Avenue).
Bar "Pivasy"
Address: Karl Marx St., 68.
General Description
If "1982" is "Our Everything" for "Fakel" fans (almost like Pushkin), then "Pivasy" is "Our Everything Else." If there are no spots in "1982," it's worth going there. This bar doesn't specialize in football – but when "Fakel" plays, they always turn on the broadcast... and for every goal scored by the Voronezh team, a visitor can get a shot of the signature tincture on the house.
Menu and Drinks
As the name suggests, the bar primarily offers its visitors beer. And the selection is quite extensive: draft (Czech, German, and local craft), bottled, cider, ales, stouts, lagers, porters... The bar menu's list of brands takes up three pages.
Sports Event Broadcasts
For broadcasting matches, a projector is used in the "main wing" (the pub consists of two parts connected by a small room with a bar counter). The screen covers the entire wall, allowing all visitors of the wing to watch the broadcast.
Booking and Event Hosting
The bar is available for booking by entire companies, but it's important to remember: if you want to celebrate in your atmosphere – don't forget to pay for the bar's work entirely and specify in the application that you don't want other visitors. Otherwise, it might be inconvenient if other clients don't share your passion for football. By default, "Pivasy" administration reserves only as many places as specified in the application.
Restaurants with Football Broadcasts
Bars are great, but sometimes you want not only to drink but also to eat – and generally enjoy the match in a comfortable setting, savoring well-prepared dishes and chatting calmly. For such clients, restaurants in Voronezh offer football broadcasts.
Restaurant "Biscuit"
Address: Revolution Avenue, 48 (if you stand facing the White Bim sculpture with it on your left hand – then about a hundred meters forward on the same side of the street).
Cuisine Features
- Italian, Russian, and "conditionally European" cuisine dishes
- Separate children's menu
- Lenten menu for the religious
A special zone for watching football is not designated, but during important matches, the administration organizes viewing on screens inside the premises.
Main Drawback
Lack of parking: unfortunately, there are very few parking spaces on the avenue, so it's best to use public transport or order a taxi to and from the restaurant.
Restaurant "Czech Pitnica (Pitniča)"
Address: Moskovsky Avenue, 85, Olek Dundich St., 7B.
Czech Cuisine
If you want to try "roasted pork knuckle," stewed sauerkraut, braised beef, fried sausages made from pork mince in natural casing – this is the place for you. The restaurant also offers other dishes, including salmon soup with cream, grilled prawns with garlic, mussels in cream sauce, and many others. Authenticity is extremely high thanks to the invitation of chefs from the Czech Republic.
Beer Variety
One of the "highlights" of this restaurant chain is the ability to order a tasting set of ten small containers (about 100 ml) with different types of beer, from traditional Czech light lagers to dark varieties made from caramelized malt and even super-strong porters. You can order your favorite drink in a half-liter mug for an additional fee.
Football Broadcasts
The restaurant does not specialize in serving football fans, but during important matches (especially involving Voronezh "Fakel"), broadcasts are organized in the hall. Similar to "Pivasy," sometimes special offers are provided for fans, such as a free glass of beer for each "Fakel" goal.
Notable Events
Although "Pitnica" is not a sports restaurant, the famous clip for the performance of "Kolhozny Punk" by "Sektor Gaza" (the unofficial anthem of "Fakel") was shot against the background of one of these restaurants with the owners' consent.
Cafes with Large Screens
If you don't want to sit in a restaurant, but sports bars and pubs don't appeal to you – well, in Voronezh, you can watch football matches in regular cafes as well.
Cafe "Gvozdi"
Addresses: Leninsky Avenue, 159; Moskovsky Avenue, 7e.
Very peculiar places where the "atmosphere of the 90s" is still carefully maintained. Nevertheless, the cuisine is decent, and the selection of drinks is also good.
Football broadcasts are not conducted specifically – but when "Fakel" plays, this cafe chain participates in hosting fans – and the ongoing matches are shown on the monitors (they are usually mounted to a longitudinal beam in the hall so that all visitors can see the image).
The cuisine is not distinguished by special delicacies: three or four types of beer, snacks, and an "average European" set of dishes. Nevertheless, Italian (various pasta) and Russian (borscht, dumplings, cutlets) cuisine dishes deserve attention.
Hookah Lounges with Football Viewing
Finally, there are the hookah lounges. There's no point in talking about cuisine or drinks here – people come to smoke hookah.
Unfortunately, there are no specialized hookah lounges for football fans in Voronezh: in any establishment of this type, a match broadcast will be turned on at the visitors' request, but there are no specialized places. The hookah lounge "Smoky Offside," which existed for some time, is no longer operational.
Practical Tips: How to Choose the Perfect Place to Watch Football
If you're going to watch a match in a bar, restaurant, pub, or hookah lounge – you first need to find out:
- What is the capacity of the establishment: so you don't have to be a lonely visitor or, on the contrary, don't have to jostle in a crowd of fans.
- How is the broadcast conducted: A projector may be turned on in the hall, or numerous small screens may be working from the ceiling.
- What does the establishment offer: A true fan needs nothing but a view of the stadium – but it wouldn't hurt to drink or eat something along the way.
- Who is the establishment aimed at: It would be disappointing to come somewhere with your wife and children – and find out that there are only beer-heated fans of a football team around.
Conclusion
In conclusion, we can say the following: Voronezh is a large city with a population of about a million residents, and there are many cafes, restaurants, pubs, and bars for fans to suit any taste. Some of them are already time-tested (like the famous "1982"), but many are little-known. So if you are a football fan, live in Voronezh, and regularly visit cafes and bars – write where, in your opinion, is the best place to hang out to eat deliciously, drink sweetly, and enjoy watching the match!
