Where to watch FIFA World Cup in central Minsk
Euroradio checks the opening hours and prices at Minsk pubs during the world football championships in Brazil.
Since the 2014 FIFA World Cup is hosted by Brazil, it means that due to the time zone difference, some matches kick off at 2300 or even midnight Belarus time. Euroradio talked to pubs in central Minsk that specialize in sports screenings. It has turned out that many of them are not ready to service visitors in the night.
“We screen only the matches that fit out restaurant's opening hours," this Euroradio reporter is told by the management of Gambrinus gastro pub (2 Svabody Sq). "On Sundays-Wednsdays, we screen everything what is on till midnight and till 0200 on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays."
The same applies to the beer restaurant Gaststätte (16 Revalucyjnaja St). As for drinks and food, the two joints charges similar prices: Br30-70 for beer and Br100K+ for snacks ($3-7 and $10, correspondingly).
“We do have the schedule and screen all the matches," I can smell the proud in the voice of administrators at Pivnoj priboj beer pub (20 Maskouskaja St). "We are open till 0200m but if the game is played into extra time, we naturally are open till it is over. The average price for beer is Br25K and snacks go from Br50K.”
Bar Tarantino (5 Kastrycnickaja St) also screens all matches as it is normally open till 0600, so late screenings are not a problem at all. But on days when live concerts are staged (Fridays-Saturdays 2200-0300), live sound and the band overrides football. The average bill per person is around Br250-300K ($25-30).
“We offer daily football screenings from Brazil," we are told at Vobla pub (25 Janki Kupaly St). "We are open till six in the morning and we have many plasma TV screens and an overhead projector. Foreign beers sell at Br 50K, Belarusian brands at Br30K, while the average food bill excluding alcohol is around Br200K."
The outside terrace at Graffiti pub-club (16 Kalinina Lane) also invites visitors to cheer their favorite football sides. Draft beer is Br39-40K, snacks go for Br60-70K. The problem is again at night as the matches played beyond the club's opening hours are not screened.
Football fans are welcome at Shaka bar (6A Skryhanava St), Clever (5 Hikala St), Spletni (17 Janki Kupaly St), Bristle (10 Alseuskaha St), Boston (13 Very Charuzaj St), and others. Just make sure to check their rules and conditions with administrators before you set out.
No admission fees at all of the above mentioned pubs. Just order at least something, while games are screened with sound via NTV+ in most cases.
