As any football fan will tell you, there are few aspects of the matchday experience more satisfying than having a drink in close proximity to the ground.

No need to rush your pre-match pint, no need to walk miles to grab one after the final whistle. As ideal a prospect as it is removed from reality, as bars and pubs around the ground tend to be scarce in Italy.

Como, however, bucks the trend on that front courtesy of Bar Pino. An institution in the city by the lake, if this iconic watering hole was any closer to the Stadio Sinigaglia it would be on the concourse.

Nestled in the north-west corner of the ground, behind the Curva Como and beside the Aero Club, the bar has been around for almost two decades and it has evolved from being a modest kiosk in the 1970s to the current structure, which includes a small conservatory backing onto the main road.

Since its opening, Bar Pino has been the go-to spot for Como fans before a match. In recent years even the club’s president has been known to swing by.

What was once used to be the meeting point for the most fervent supporters in the curva, now continues to be a place to gather by the waterfront for a beer (€5-6) and a chat with old and new friends, all while taking in the stunning views of the lake before kick-off.

Inside, Bar Pino is a mecca for those who live and breathe football culture through stickers, which cover almost every surface of the venue. But most fans congregate outside, all under owner Paolo Scanziani’s watchful eye.

Paolo has been running the bar since his father, Giuseppe Pino, passed away four years ago. It was him who took over the kiosk in 1989 and made it into the iconic meeting point that it is for Como fans today and it is he who the bar takes its name from.

Just like his dad, Paolo knows everyone who enters the bar on match day and during the week. He has watched fans go from being children holding their fathers’ hands to becoming adults who still come by for a drink before and after watching the Lariani in action.

Like their passion for Como, Bar Pino has survived the test of time.

Address: Viale Massenzio Masia, 48

Opening Times: Sunday to Friday, 8am to 8pm; Saturday, 9am to 8pm