Rush Bar

Bastille / Oberkampf - 11eme, Paris –

Painted red like one of its favorite team’s colors, Rush Bar brings out a crowd of fanatical European soccer seekers, but is also known for having a high-quality and budget-friendly daytime menu that is worlds away from the average sports bar.

In fact, unless there’s a big game, the early hours are rather quiet, whether the place is busy with unpretentious locals and expats enjoying a leisurely lunch or groups of hip students crowded around the dilapidated tables for French-fusion cuisine like goat cheese with chutney, duck breasts, or specialty spiced burgers layered in grated cheddar.

If there’s a match on, however, the place will likely be packed with piss-drunk fans slurring their way through throaty renditions of team songs, which can also include the official Bundesliga hymn since this is one of the few spots in town to carry German league soccer.

Planted along worn wooden benches and beneath the myriad country flags hung from the ceiling, happy expats sling UK favorites like John Smith’s Bitter and Guinness and yell at the TVs, though when their guffaws approach the same ear-piercing register as baby cries and poodle yips, less committed fans can escape downstairs to the stone beer cellar and play a little pool.

Much like the Liverpool Reds’ anthem ensures “You Will Never Walk Alone,” Rush Bar can be perfect for rowdy packs of diehard fans, as well as hungry kids with no team affiliation who just want a solid lunch.