A month of Euro football fever wraps up this Sunday, July 10, with the UEFA Euro 2016 Finals match-up between Portugal and the tournament host team, France. So if you haven't scored one of the 80,000 seats in the famed Stade de France, where are the best places to watch in and around the City of Light?
1. Eiffel Tower Fan Zone
Paris' official fan zone for up to 90,000 spectators (beat that, Stade de France!) offers live broadcasting with a colossal 420 sq meter screen plus 8 other screens peppered throughout the fan zone. The massive zone located on the Champs de Mars also features entertainment such as football tournaments, concerts, places to eat, a relaxation area with hammocks and face painting and so much more. And you can't beat the Eiffel Tower backdrop.
2 Allée Adrienne Lecouvreur, 75007 Paris, France
2. Saint-Denis Fan Zone
If you're itching to be closer to stadium, the Saint-Denis Fan Zone, located in the Parc de la Légion d'Honneur, is your best bet. Holding up to 10,000 people and live streaming the match on a giant screen, the fan zone also offers concerts, a children's village, refreshment bars, food stalls and sports activities. Zumba, anyone? You're less than 2 kilometers from the stadium so the energy should be palpable.
Avenue Paul Vaillant Couturier, 93200 Saint-Denis, France
3. Bar du Bristol
If the idea of being shoulder-to-shoulder with tens of thousands of spectators gives you the heebie-jeebies, perhaps a more refined setting suits you best. On the complete opposite end of the spectrum from a fan zone is the Bar du Bristol, located in the renowned and swanky Le Bristol Hotel. A cozy, and elegant setting, the bar offers up signature cocktails and a special menu for the tournament. Oh, and it will be showing the match on a giant mirrored screen. The bar is offering chances to win a complimentary cocktail if your predictions come true, such as number of goals scored and other results.
112 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, 75008 Paris, France
4. Buddha-Bar
Another swanky bar, but less pretentious (and slightly less expensive), is this Pacific Rim inspired establishment. Offering a unique setting sought after by the hip and fashionable crowd, Buddha-Bar features Japanese cuisine, fancy cocktails and DJs spinning the latest tunes. Their Japanese Bar will broadcast the finals and offer drink specials such as Kirin draft beer for 7€.
8-12, Rue Boissy d'Anglas, 75008 Paris, France
5. The Bernadette Residence
If your ideal setting for watching the match is in a private luxury apartment in the center of Paris, with air conditioning, a bottle of wine, gourmet cheese, and a comfy couch, then the Bernadette Residence is perfect for you. You'll have the best seat in the house, err...apartment, won't miss a word of the commentary, and won't need to wait on a queue for the bathroom during halftime. And, if France wins, you can join the fans in the streets and local bars to celebrate as I am sure there will be plenty of that going on.
Rue des Francs Bourgeois, 75004 Paris, France