Stuttgart’s finest sports bars, Irish pubs and traditional Swabian hostelries
People work hard and play hard in Stuttgart, and though it’s hard to define any particular bar quarter, the streets either side of the ring road near transport hub Stadtmitte are a good place to start.
Across the main junction of Fritz-Elsas-Straße and Theodor-Heuss-Straße lies the city’s main late-night vortex of party spots and DJ clubs.
The stadium is way down in Bad Cannstatt, a recreational getaway of relaxing greenery, terrace bars and a man-made beach by the Neckar river.
For the lowdown on the best football bars in all ten cities in Germany this summer, see our comprehensive Guide to Euro 2024.
biddy earlys
The most central of Stuttgart’s Irish pubs sits within the central ring road and close to Stadtmitte station, a short stagger to the nightspots around Theodor-Heuss-Straße. Named after a strange herb-dispensing woman of legend, Biddy Earlys mixes up its draught selection to offer snakebite, black and tan, and poor man’s black velvet, extremely potent all, but you can take things slowly with a pint of Guinness or O’Hara’s.
Domestic Dinkelacker, dating back to 1888 and still brewed by the same family in Stuttgart, features among the German beers, along with Sanwald Hefeweizen from the same stable. Scots whiskies – Glendronach, Glenkinichie, Lagavulin – complement their Irish counterparts Connemara, Tullamore Dew and Tyrconnell.
Don’t expect hulking breakfasts and Irish stews, that’s not what you’re here for, but if hunger strikes, there’s toasted sandwiches and crisps, nothing too interruptive. It’s a surprisingly large space, large enough for a pool table, dartboard, a stage for live music/karaoke on Saturdays, three big flat screens and a mega one for big events such as the Euros.
Biddy Earlys, Marienstraße 28, 70178 Stuttgart. Open Mon-Tue 6pm-midnight, Wed-Thur 6pm-1am, Fri-Sat 6pm-2am, Sun 2pm-11pm.
GaststÄTTE Pfiff
Bars surround the recreational zone of Bad Cannstatt, a 10min walk from Stuttgart’s football stadium. Close to the station serving the city resort, the Gaststätte Pfiff (‘Whistle’) has been a popular pre- and post-match drinking and dining spot since it opened back in 1995.
The beer is local Schwaben Bräu, brewed in Swabia since 1878 and affordable, too, while the food is hearty fare from southern Germany. TV screens abound, including one facing out onto the terrace, tables at a premium on match days.
Gaststätte Pfiff, Bahnhofstraße 14, 70372 Stuttgart. Open daily 9am-1am..
karlseck
Towards the stadium on Daimlerstraße, the VfB bar is Karlseck, on the corner of Reichenbachstraße, lined with Cannstatter Kurve scarves, a giant image of Jens Lehmann and Old Warriors iconography.
Here, wonderfully unfashionable men in cut-off denim jackets covered in sew-on patches convene on match days, beneath a ceiling of football scarves and surrounded by upturned beer barrels in signature Stuttgart red. It’s a ritual that should still hold true during the Euros and most definitely for VfB’s first foray in Europe for over a decade in 2024-25.
The remaining detail pales into insignificance amid the frilly pennants and framed photos – they sell beer, regulars much prefer it by the bottle.
Karlseck, Daimlerstraße 125, 70372 Stuttgart. Open daily 11am-midnight.
O'Reilly's
Over in west Stuttgart, , just off Rotebühlstraße, long-established Irish pub O’Reilly’s celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2024. It’s a long, narrow space that might feel out of place in rural (or, indeed, urban) Ireland.
But when it fills, which is often, it feels lively and lived-in, and the leafy courtyard beer garden is a bonus. Sport here means sponsoring the local hurling and rugby teams as well as screening matches.
In 2019, they opened Next Door next door to appeal to a more discerning customer, offered a wider choice of brews and classy spirits showcased in the illuminated back bar. Note the €10 minimum on card payments.
O’Reilly’s, Reuchlinstraße 27-29, 70176 Stuttgart. Open Tue-Fri 4pm-midnight, Sat 2pm-midnight, Sun 1pm-9pm.
pils-pub Alt stuttgart
Beside the Hotel Royal in the heart of town, the Pils-Pub Alt Stuttgart feels like many such bars in urban Germany, entirely functional inside, its character provided by the many regulars who gather here to sink Distelhäuser, watch the match and smoke like beagles. If you had forgotten what a smoky bar feels like, this place should remind you pretty quickly.
For those of a healthier disposition, there’s a pavement terrace. Mid-morning opening means it welcomes its fair share of shoppers, passing postmen and nearby workers, lending it a communal feel.
For a change of beer, a daily discounted one is advertised outside, and for a change of scene, Biddy Earlys Irish pub (see above) is right next door.
Pils-Pub Alt Stuttgart, Sophienstraße 33, 70178 Stuttgart. Open Mon-Thur & Sun 10am-2am, Fri-Sat 10am-3am.
police sports club
Behind Stuttgart stadium’s home Untertürkeimer Kurve, this cabin bar with the promising Stuttgarter Hofbräu beer sign houses the local Police Sports Club. Painted and porcelain images of Greece (it’s another of Stuttgart’s Greek-run venues) mingle with VfB match pennants (including Napoli ’89) and an impressive trophy cabinet.
It’s here to serve the local constabulary, of course, who will have swum, fenced and or gone bowling on their day off before settling down to a hefty German or healthier Hellenic dish here but that shouldn’t deter you from popping in for a quiet beer of a match day or after your stadium tour next door.
Police Sports Club, Fritz-Walter-Weg 10, 70732 Stuttgart. Open Mon-Fri 11am-2.30pm, 5pm-11pm, Sat 11am-5pm, Sun 11am-8pm.
seekneiple
Run by Greeks, frequented by football fans, Seekneiple has character in spades, serving local Dinkelacker to soccer-obsessed regulars. A must on VfB days, ‘the Little Lakeside Pub’ overlooks the uninspiring concrete of Rotebühlstraße, obviously approaching life with a sense of humour – it even puts chairs and tables outside.
Beyond, however, stretches a rare patch of green in downtown Stuttgart, the leafy oasis of Feuersee towered over by a Gothic church, Johanneskirche. There’s an equally communal feel around the bar, open till late seven nights a week.
Seekneiple, Rotebühlstraße 89, 70178 Stuttgart. Open Mon-Thur 1pm-2am, Fri 2.30pm-2am, Sat 1pm-2am, Sun 4pm-midnight.
sophie's brauhaus
A local landmark, Sophie’s Brauhaus operates as a sturdy, honest pub with food the focus and a maxiscreen installed for tournament summers. In place near Stadtmitte station since 1993, this rustically inspired hostelry is a showcase for its house beer, sold elsewhere around town, particularly at SB’s equally rustic Bad Cannstatt branch (Felgergasse 7) a ten-minute walk from the stadium. Said beer comes in light and dark varieties, while the menu doesn’t waver too far from Swabia.
Sophie’s Brauhaus, Marienstraße 28, 70178 Stuttgart. Open Mon-Thur 11.30am-midnight, Fri-Sat 11.30am-2am, Sun 11.30am-11pm.
sportcafé carambolage
Opened in time to celebrate Germany’s triumph at Euro 96, the Sportcafé Carambolage encourages you to linger with its 13 Brunswick pool tables, eight dart machines, nine tournament-level table-football tables and TV screens aplenty.
Beer is provided by Schönbuch, based in nearby Böblingen for the last 200 years, and if billiards or darts aren’t your thing, you can find a spot on a terrace table. Usually operating evenings only during the week, and in time for halb vier on Bundesliga Saturdays, the bar has special opening hours during the Euros – see the website for details.
Sportcafé Carambolage, Rotebühlstraße 81, 70178 Stuttgart. Open Tue-Thur 5pm-midnight, Fri 5pm-2.30am, Sat 3pm-2.30am, Sun 3pm-midnight.
Vfb clubrestaurant
Right by Stuttgart’s stadium, the excellent VfB Clubrestaurant requires reservations on match days but this policy may change during the Euros. They’ve jazzed up the décor, so you can play guess-the-club as you take in the wall of pennants around the bar, special moments in club history now illustrated by a series of soundbite quotes.
If you’re here of a non-match weekday, the daily menu comes in at under €10, Swabian specialities (VfB grillsteaks, local spätzle noodles) the norm, while Stuttgarter Hofbräu beer and a pleasant terrace are regular features.
VfB Clubrestaurant, Mercedesstraße 109, 70372 Stuttgart. Open Mon-Fri 11.30am-4pm, match days 2hrs before kick-off, reservations required.
