The Como Hat-Trick: Three Bars Near the Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia

With European football kicking off in Como for the first time this season, more international visitors will be making their way to the shores of the lake.

Leipzig, Manchester United, AEK Athens and Champions League holders Paris Saint-Germain have been drawn to play at the Sinigaglia.

There is no shortage of bars in the city, but for a flying visit in midweek, here are three of our favourites near the stadium.

Il Birrivico – This is one you don’t want to miss when visiting Como. Sitting on Via Borgo Vico, it’s a short walk from San Giovanni train station and about a 10-minute stroll from the stadium. It’s a popular place among Como fans, before and after the match, and feels more like a ‘proper pub’ than the sleeker, more sophisticated tourist bars dotted throughout the city. 

There is a wide choice of craft beers and the food is worth hanging around for too.

Como fan Giordano, who featured in our My Town, My Team series, told us: “The staff are amazing, they have a great selection of beers, there’s food – fries and other things for an aperitivo before going to the match. If you stay longer or go later they do a great carbonara.

“It’s not a Como dish, but at Birrivico I’ve eaten carbonara that is better than carbonara I’ve had in Rome.”

Birrivico is once again part of Cheers4Como, a scheme in its fifth straight season where customers are offered a free drink when Como wins, as long as they are in the bar at the full-time whistle.

Ostello Bello is even closer to the stadium than Birrivico, just across the road from the Sinigaglia on Viale Fratelli Rosselli. It’s also less than 10 minutes on foot to San Giovanni station, the ferry terminal and the duomo. 

The bar attached to this hostel doesn’t look like much from the outside, but once through the dark, tunnel-like entrance, it opens up and leads to a garden at the back. Grab yourself a hazy IPA (€6.50) or take a look at the long list of drinks on offer – the Campari spritz is a popular choice among matchgoers. This is also the place to come if you fancy a quiz, karaoke, darts night or live music – just check the schedule nearer the time as there is usually something going on.

You can watch sport on the big screen and, like Birrivico, Ostello Bello is also signed up to Cheers4Como, so there’s a drink for everyone in the bar when the final whistle blows on a Lariani victory.

Bar Pino – We can’t talk about Como bars without giving Pino a mention. This place is as close as you can get to the stadium without being in it. Perched right behind the north-west corner of the Sinigaglia, next to the Aero Club, you will be able to hear the noise from the new Curva Como while sipping on a beer.

What started as a kiosk in the 1970s is now an institution. Owner Paolo, who took over from his father, knows almost everyone who comes in for beer (which will cost around €5). It’s the perfect place to soak up the pre-match buzz while watching the ultras march past. You can also watch the planes coming in to land on the lake.

Most days of the week there’s little difference between Pino and any neighbourhood cafe across the country – there’s espresso, sandwiches, beers – but when Como are at home it comes alive.