Top rugby bars

The Famous 3 Kings

171 North End Road, W14 (020-7603 6071). No arguments about what to watch: There are 16 screens in this vast, handsome West Kensington pub and, Six Nations aside, they take feeds from many international broadcasters to ensure that the most comprehensive programme of international sport is just the flick of a button away. As the Famous 3 Kings is also a famous Welsh hangout, there could be an interesting atmosphere this weekend when Italy take on Wales. Later in the tournament, when there might well be a clash of sporting fixtures, this pub has the ability to zone broadcasts to different parts of the pub.

Cafe Lilly

400 Kings Road, SW10, West London hangout: With practically every pub in town favouring the England team in this year's Six Nations rugby tournament (it's just about the only sport left we excel at), spare a thought for those who support the opposition. Poor Italy - bless 'em - have only chalked up one victory (against Scotland) since joining the upper echelons of the northern hemisphere in 2000. They start this year's campaign against Wales this weekend, with victory a distinct possibility. Italians who like to cruise the King's Road at weekends invariably end up in this fabulous little cafebar, which offers a truly authentic range of quality Italian food and drink. The plasma screen proves to be a big draw for all Italian sporting occasions.

Zilli Bar

40 Dean Street W1 (020-7734 1853). Never mind the score, join the party: Signor Aldo Zilli is the man behind this eponymous chain of London's eating and drinking emporia. His world-famous restaurant has been feeding visitors to Soho for the past 13 years or so. He acquired the next-door unit about four years ago and opened this rather fine bar, which attracts a loyal following of Soho media moguls and once-upon-atime television stars (Sr Zilli is big chums with Chris Evans, apparently), who help to create a party atmosphere in the evenings. When Italy are playing any sport, it's almost a carnival atmosphere. Drinks are not the cheapest in town, but you get what you pay for, and those who stay out as late as 1am don't seem to mind too much.

Bar Italia

22 Frith Street, W1 (020-7437 4520). The legend lives on: A Soho legend. Bar Italia is probably the unofficial headquarters of Soho's Italian community and no self-respecting Italian would give this place a miss on a visit to London. It's a comely, leisurely affair which only sleeps for an hour on Sunday and Monday mornings, and the rest of the day it is packed with irritatingly good looking, young-at-heart Italians admiring each other. But whenever Italy participate in any sport, the place gets packed with emotional fans clambering round the screen and cheering on their side - and woe betide anyone who supports the opposition.

The Sports Cafe

80 Haymarket, SW1 (020-7839 8300). Hard-to-miss action: With Italy playing Wales at 1.30pm on Saturday, and England not kicking off until 4pm, the Italians will have first shout at the Sports Cafe for the live coverage from Rome. Set over two floors, this American-style sports emporium has far too many screens scattered around the place to count. It's simply not possible to escape the action, and booking - particularly for the cosy booths with their own TV monitors - is always advisable. An American-style food menu should act as a reasonable soak to the endless amounts of lager that inevitably get swilled on these big sporting days.