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England is playing on its home turf in London’s Allianz Stadium (formerly known as Twickenham) three times during the 2025 Six Nations Championship. These are highly anticipated matches that are sure to keep you on the edge of your seat if the 2024 matches are anything to go by.
From the best pubs to soak in the pre-match, post-match and in-match Six Nations action to the essential sites of London to enjoy in between the matches, we’ve got you sorted for everything you need to know to make sure you have a memorable Six Nations Rugby weekend in London.
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2025 matches
England vs France
Kick-off is at 4:45 pm GMT on Saturday, 8 February 2025. The match will end at approximately 6:20 pm.
England vs Scotland
Kick-off is at 4:45 pm GMT on Saturday, 22 February 2025. The match will end at approximately 6:20 pm.
England vs Italy
Kick-off is at 3 pm GMT on Sunday, 9 February 2025. The match will end at approximately 4:45 pm.
Where to stay in London for the Six Nations Rugby
For ease of travel to Allianz Stadium, we recommend that you stay close to the following stations: Waterloo, Vauxhall (at 69Grove) and Clapham Junction. This will allow you to take the South Western Railway Line directly to the Stadium.
Waterloo
This being London, you have a selection of the finest hotels in the world. To stay in the centre but enjoy direct access to Twickenham by train, we recommend the Park Plaza County Hall, Ruby Lucy Hotel, NOX Waterloo and Marlin Waterloo.
Clapham Junction
Clapham Junction is a very cool neighbourhood of London with plenty of bars and restaurants to keep you busy. There is also direct access to Twickenham by train for ease of access. There aren’t a great deal of hotels here, so we think the best thing to do is get a group of friends together and get a short-term let through Vrbo.
London airport guide
For those flying in for the weekend, we’ve got a handy guide on Heathrow airport, which is the closest (only six miles) and most convenient airport for Allianz Stadium.
If you’re flying into another airport and going directly to Allianz Stadium, you’ll need to leave a lot more time. Make sure you read our comprehensive guide on London’s five airports.
How to get to Allianz Stadium
By train
By far the best way to get to Allianz Stadium is by train. The closest station is Twickenham Rail Station at only about a ten-minute walk to the stadium gates. If you want to avoid the hassle of overcrowding and have an extra few minutes to spare, you can alight at Whitton Rail Station or St Margaret’s Rail Station. The walk should only be seven or eight minutes longer.
The closest underground/tube stops to Twickenham are Richmond and Hounslow, each of which are fairly from the stadium and will require you to get on a bus or a train. There will be extra buses on matchdays, but you’ll need to leave plenty of extra time (at least 45 minutes).
Train tickets to Twickenham sell out very quickly so we strongly suggest that you book your train ticket from London Waterloo to Twickenham well in advance. Trainline is the easiest and premier train booking service in the UK – you can get a ticket for as cheap as £7.70!
By car
Experience tells us that driving is really not the best way to get to Twickenham. The area around the stadium is always very congested on matchdays, and although you might be able to get a cab or private hire car to Allianz Stadium, it’s possible that you could be dropped off even further from the stadium than the train station.
Best pubs to watch the Six Nations matches
If you want to stay as close as possible to the action, Allianz Stadium will also be screening Italy vs Wales just before the England vs France match in Allianz Stadium’s British Airways Fan Village. The same will happen for the Wales vs Ireland match immediately before the England vs Scotland match.
Below, we’ve rounded up London’s best pubs to fully soak up all of the Six Nations action, whether for pre-match drinks or post-match drinks and partying, or to watch the other Six Nations games.
Map of all Six Nations pubs
We’ve put together all of the pubs putting on a show for the Six Nations in each of the host cities this season in one convenient map:
The Cabbage Patch
For the iconic watering hole in Twickenham, look no further than The Cabbage Patch. This is a huge venue boasting 26 screens and a massive outdoor marquee, but it is considered the most famous Rugby pub in the world, so be prepared to get cosy with fellow supporters.
The Cabbage Patch is named after Twickenham and has been family run for the last 45 years so there is a particular level of service and pride here that you really can’t find elsewhere.
On matchdays, The Cabbage Patch operates a barbecue at the back. They’ll almost be printing burgers given the quantity (literally thousands) so there’s room for everyone. If you’re looking for a hospitality space, The Cabbage Patch does have this but there’s currently a seven-year waiting list as at the time of writing (2031 Six Nations here we come).
The Barmy Arms
For a riverside drink surrounded by fans and locals, head straight to The Barmy Arms at the riverside in Twickenham. The Barmy Arms is a firm favourite of knowing Six Nations fans given its location within shouting distance from Twickenham.
This is a smaller institution as compared to the others with only two screens in the pub. There is a very sizeable outdoor area which is gorgeous with river views, but there aren’t any screens. The Barmy Arms makes up for this with a DJ outside.
The Barmy Arms is particularly well-known for pre- and post-match celebrations. Being right on the embankment, expect The Barmy Arms to get thousands of fans in a compact area.
Like a lot of pubs in the area, The Barmy Arms will have a barbecue of factory proportions on matchdays at Twickenham. If you’re going on Sunday, there is a full menu (including the all-important Sunday Roast which is a must-do (the roast sirloin is great)). And the Barmy Arms has mastered the sticky toffee pudding.
St Margaret’s Tavern Pub
St Margaret’s Tavern is a little further away from the crowds pre-match but offers a lovely walk to Twickenham (only 20 minutes). Recently refurbished, this is a real hidden gem and promises the quintessential Six Nations atmosphere pre- and post-match.
St Margaret’s boasts six screens inside and one outside, so it’s a smaller venue for those looking for cosier vibes. That also means you’ll need to book in advance for a space.
St Margaret’s delivers a special dish every week, and they’ll have just started their spring menu in March when you’re there for the game. The chicken kyiv and steak ale pies are the standout dishes here. And for dessert, it’s the pannacotta that steals the show.
The Crown
The Crown is primarily known for its excellent cuisine (pub grub would be an insulting phrase to use for The Crown). You’ll find plenty of Six Nations fans here before and after the match watching the games on The Crown’s two screens that are permanently up inside the pub.
It’s usually booked out (people know great food when they see it) but you might be able to get a table outside which is reserved for walk-ins. The menu is always changing but the standout dish is the liver and bacon with mash for a truly English experience. The apple crumble is also done very nicely.
The Eel Pie
Boasting four screens inside and a grand gazebo outside, The Eel Pie is a great venue that is busiest before a match. They take serious pride in their food, including their famous-among-fans steak pie and banoffee cheesecake. The Eel Pie doesn’t take bookings on rugby days so get there early.
The Scrummery
Run by the ever-famous Karen, the Scrummery is an excellent choice for breakfast, a pre-match lunch or a post-match drink. This is a smaller venue with only one screen but it’s known in the community for its outstanding service. In any case, the Scrummery is a very lively setting for fans to celebrate post-match. They even clear the tables up when fans are ready to dance.
Looking for the best Guinness outside Dublin?
You’ll have to go a little further from Twickenham, but you’ll be rewarded with the best Guinness outside London. The Devonshire in Balham boasts one of the best settings for drinking Guinness in London. They know they’re good, so make sure you book in advance.
And the other best place for Guinness in London is The Cow in Westbourne Park. They know they’re one of the best, so make sure you book in advance. Expect quite a few Welsh fans at this pub.
Best food around Allianz Stadium
There is no shortage of amazing food in London, and the same rings true of Twickenham. Here are the top restaurants in Twickenham, but if these are full then make your way down to Twickenham centre (just near The Barmy Arms) for plenty of food options.
Le Salon Privé
This is probably the most well-known French restaurant right in the heart of St Margaret’s, only a 20-minute walk from the Stadium. The quality of food and attention to detail at Le Salon Privé are felt in every dish they serve (particularly the very satisfying soufflé). We recommend you book well in advance for this one because locals know it’s one of the best.
Rice Mill Thai
Unassumingly delicious and with big portion sizes, this is a jewel in Twickenham’s local gastronomy scene that only locals know about. This is one of the better places to go if you don’t have a reservation elsewhere (Thai food is pretty quick and easy) so it’s the perfect place for a quick post-match dinner if you want something other than the usual assortment of burgers and fries. They’ve got everything right from the Pad Thai to the Thai milk tea.
Special mention: Q Verde
Just a ten-minute drive from Twickenham and within shouting distance to the stunning Kew Gardens, Q Verde is a local Italian restaurant that is the perfect choice for a pre-match lunch spot or post-match debrief venue. The hospitality feels more like you’re walking into somebody’s home than into a restaurant, and that means the food is delicious, fresh and made with palpable passion.
Best restaurants in West London
If you’re willing to travel a little bit further from Twickenham, there is a world of gastronomy on offer in London. You’ll have plenty of time in between matches so treat yourself to a meal at one of the best restaurants in London during your weekend. We’ve given you the local spots in West London, but, being London, there are so many more options than we could possibly list. Check out our guides for London for the best food in London.
Florentine Trattoria
If you’re staying around Waterloo, make sure to get a booking at this polished restaurant serving English breakfast but also excellent pasta. There’s always a chance that a restaurant doing too many types of food doesn’t get it right, but Florentine absolutely does. Make sure to reserve this one in advance because it’s one of the best restaurants around the Waterloo area that we suggest you stay in.
The Cow
The Cow gets a second mention on our list, but this time for the incredible oysters. The whole pub is decorated in the quintessential English style with all the character, warmth and intimacy that comes with it. You’ll get ingredients sourced from the English countryside for your meal, and a room filled with artworks from England’s classical and contemporary artists (including David Hockney).
The best things to do in London in between matches
There’s no getting around it: London is a huge city with hundreds of unmissable attractions. You’ve got at least a weekend in London, and you’ll have plenty of time in between games, so make sure you take advantage of the time and see some of the best of the city.
We’ve curated the best things to do for your weekend, but just know that there is so much more of London to explore (including East London, our favourite part of the city). And we’ve got you covered if you want more unusual experiences in London.
1. Thames River Speedboat
Get ready for a white-knuckle ride along the Thames River on a rigid inflatable boat. You’ll get to see so many of London’s iconic landmarks in a totally new way, like the Shard, the Tower of London, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Big Ben and Westminster.
This is an exhilarating ride along London’s famous river that is just pure fun and adrenaline. It’s getting more popular so book in advance!
2. Jack the Ripper tour
Get yourself over to Spitalfields for what is one of the best tours that London has to offer. For the uninitiated, Jack the Ripper was a notorious murderer who lived in East London. The tour we’re recommending let’s you see what the area would have looked like during the Ripper’s reign of terror with their handheld devices.
3. Take a bike ride through London’s iconic sites and to historic pubs
London has so many sights and pubs with hundreds of years of history. You probably couldn’t see them all in a lifetime, but you can see the best of them including Buckingham Palace and the Lamb & Flag pub. It will be starting to get warm around the time that you’ll be in London for the Six Nations, so a bike ride around London is an amazing way to spend a few hours before you sink into the Six Nations revelry.
And if you’re looking for a tour of some of the most historic pubs in London without the bike, the answer is that you need to go to Soho for this tour.
4. Visit London’s food markets
There are far too many amazing food markets in London, but no trip to London would be complete without visiting one of them. The quintessential market (which happens to be very close to where we suggest that you stay in Waterloo) is Borough Market which is filled with delicacies from the UK and around the world. Get a small group together and go on a food crawl for the true London experience.
And London also makes some of the best grilled cheese toasties in the world, so we really think you should include a grilled cheese toastie from our very curated list while you’re on your food expedition.
5. Harry Potter locations tour (for kids and adults)
London is home to many of the film locations for the Harry Potter films, many of which are very scenic and include some of London’s most exciting sights. If you’re a fan of the Harry Potter series, we can’t recommend this one enough. It’s also a great one to keep the kids entertained.
6. Kensington Palace and Royal High Tea
Nothing screams England more than Kensington Palace and afternoon tea, so why not combine the two for the ultimate London experience. Have the classic English experience nibbling on sandwiches and small cakes and the very English scones with jam (jam or cream first?) and stroll through the magnificent gardens of Kensington Palace with an excellent guide.
London by night
We firmly believe that London is one of the best cities in the world for nightlife. There is a huge diversity of events and venues to keep you entertained, from comedy nights to nightclubs, and from world-class bars to evening strolls in the city lights.
If you’re staying around Waterloo, it’s a 15-minute journey on the Bakerloo line into London’s premier nightlife spot, Soho. There’s not much point in recommending specific venues in Soho because there are far too many good ones, but 100 Wardour Street is a good place to start.
If you want something more edgy, take yourself to East London for the best of virtually everything London has to offer.
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