The best bars to watch NBA games share a quality that's harder to find than you'd expect: they take basketball seriously. Not just as a background activity, but as the reason people are in the room. We've tracked down the best NBA viewing bars in New York and Chicago — two cities with deep basketball cultures and enough sports venues that the bad ones get exposed quickly. These are the ones that make the cut.
Best NBA Bars in New York: Knicks Country
New York's NBA bar culture is built around the Knicks, which means the good sports bars in the city have been handling passionate basketball crowds for decades. These venues understand what game night looks like — and they deliver it consistently across the 82-game regular season.
01
Bar None
East Village$Knicks Bar / Neighbourhood
The East Village's most committed Knicks bar — on game nights, the crowd is loud, invested, and exactly as opinionated about the coach's rotations as you'd expect from a New York basketball crowd. Bar None keeps it simple with cheap drinks, multiple screens at the right angles, and zero pretension about what kind of venue this is. The energy on a playoff game night is difficult to replicate anywhere else in the city.
Order: Draft beer — cheap, fast, and appropriate for the pace of a basketball game
02
The Gaf West
Upper West Side$$Neighbourhood Sports Bar / Multiple Games
Upper West Side's practical sports bar that handles the NBA schedule with the same serious approach as the NFL and NHL seasons. Every game is on, the sound is managed well, and the kitchen stays open through late West Coast games. For residents of the neighbourhood who want to watch Knicks games without a cab ride downtown, the Gaf West has been the answer for years.
Order: Their wings and a Stella on draft — the combination has been consistent here for as long as we've been visiting
03
Standings Bar
East Village$$Fantasy Sports / Multi-Screen
A serious sports bar that draws a crowd of fantasy sports players and basketball analytics enthusiasts alongside the traditional game-watchers. Every screen shows a different game, the staff know which games are on which channels before you ask, and the atmosphere rewards engagement with the sport rather than treating it as an ambient backdrop. For the NBA watcher who tracks box scores in real time, Standings is the correct venue.
Order: The nachos and a craft draft — both are better than the setting suggests
New York sports bars: the complete guide
Our full New York sports bar guide covers every venue worth knowing for every sport on the calendar — not just NBA game days.
Chicago's relationship with basketball was defined by six championships in eight years, which means the standard for how an NBA game should feel in a Chicago bar was set by a crowd that watched Jordan, Pippen, and Rodman from these same barstools. The venues that have survived are the ones that maintain that standard.
04
Galway Arms
Lincoln Park$$Irish Pub / Bulls Games
The Lincoln Park Irish pub that has been the local choice for Bulls game nights for two decades. The multiple screens are positioned for proper viewing rather than background decoration, the crowd is knowledgeable without being hostile to casual fans, and the Guinness is poured properly. For a neighbourhood Bulls game night that feels like a genuine community event, the Galway Arms is consistently the right answer.
Order: Guinness and the fish and chips — the Irish pub standard, delivered correctly here
05
Murphy's Bleachers
Wrigleyville$Chicago Sports Institution
The Wrigleyville institution that covers every Chicago sports team with equal commitment — which means Bulls game nights here have the same neighbourhood-gathering quality as Cubs afternoons. The outdoor section is closed for winter NBA games but the interior holds enough screens and capacity that it works year-round. Pricing is honest, the crowd is Chicago rather than tourist, and the sports knowledge in the room is genuine.
Order: Old Style or a Goose Island IPA — Chicago's most appropriate game-night options
06
The Barrelhouse Flat
Lincoln Park$$$Cocktail Bar / Crossover
The cocktail bar that screens NBA games without compromising its drink program. For the basketball fan who also wants a properly made Manhattan or Negroni alongside the game, the Barrelhouse Flat manages to be both things simultaneously. The screens are positioned tastefully rather than dominating the room, which means the atmosphere stays bar-like even during playoff games. Not for hardcore viewing, but correct for a smarter casual game night.
Order: Their house Manhattan — one of the better ones in Chicago at this price point
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NBA Playoffs Bars: Where to Watch the Games That Matter
Playoff NBA in a good bar is one of the best sports viewing experiences the country offers. The games are longer, the quarters matter more, and the crowd in a proper basketball bar becomes its own entertainment. These venues handle playoff crowds well — which is a different management challenge from the regular season.
07
Full Circle Bar
Williamsburg, NYC$$Neighbourhood / Late Games
The Williamsburg bar that treats late West Coast NBA games — 10pm tip-offs that most city bars treat as an afterthought — as a genuine draw. Screens are on until close, the bar stays properly stocked through to the final buzzer, and the crowd that shows up for these games is exactly the kind of company you want for a close fourth quarter. Particularly strong for games featuring LA teams when the East Coast crowd has reason to stay up.
Order: Their rotating craft draft selection or a whisky neat — both hold up for late game-watching
08
Houndstooth Pub
Streeterville, Chicago$$Downtown Chicago / Playoff Venue
A downtown Chicago sports bar that has developed a reputation for running exceptional playoff watch parties — reserved seating sections, food packages, and a crowd management approach that keeps service consistent even when the room fills to capacity. During Bulls playoff runs, getting here early is not optional. The regular season setup is good; the playoff format is genuinely impressive.
Order: Pre-book the watch party package for playoff games — it includes food and drink minimums that are worth meeting
Chicago sports bars: the full guide
Our Chicago sports bar guide covers every venue worth knowing for the full NBA season and every other sport in the city.
NBA game nights in a good sports bar have a rhythm that's different from football — faster, more continuous, with the game shifting decisively in the final five minutes in a way that rewards staying engaged throughout. The best NBA bars are the ones where the crowd is invested enough that those final minutes feel communal. Walk-ins work fine for regular season games; for playoffs, book in advance or show up forty-five minutes early. The venues on this list are worth the planning.
Best bars for watching NFL games
When the basketball season overlaps with football, our NFL viewing bar guide covers the venues that handle both properly.
