Nightlife
If you find yourself getting a bit restless on a night out, these bars are the perfect places to keep you active – while still making sure you’ve got your favourite drink on hand.
Everyone has their favourite pub – whether you're a regular at your local stop on the corner, or if you would rather spend your night in the bigger, busier bars in the city centre – but sometimes heading to the same place every weekend can get a bit boring. Luckily, London is full of opportunities to switch things up.
We’ve found the best London bars to keep you on your toes – literally and figuratively – from mini golf with a difference to the biggest collection of board games you’ve ever seen. And if you play your cards right, you might even win yourself a free drink (or two).
London Shuffle
This bar proudly describes itself as the UK's first floor-based shuffleboard club – don’t worry, we’d never heard of shuffleboard before either. Featuring the sport described as “a mash-up between ten pin bowling and curling”, London Shuffle is the perfect place to discover a newfound love (and maybe even talent). Plus, it gets even better, because the game is served with pizza, beer and cocktails.
4 Ebor St, E1 6AW | MAP
The Bletchley
If you’ve ever fancied yourself a bit of a Sherlock Holmes, this is the bar for you. Designed to test your deduction and problem-solving skills, The Bletchley calls on you crack codes, using WW2 Enigma machines and protocols, in order to unlock different cocktails.
459 King's Rd, SW10 0LJ | MAP
The Aeronaut
While our last bar took you back in time, the Aeronaut takes you into the future. This bar lets you and your friends battle aliens, destroy spaceships and save the Universe, all thanks to Virtual Reality headsets. Best of all, you can celebrate your hero status with a pint afterwards – cheers!
264 High St, W3 9BH | MAP
Ballie Ballerson
We can all get a bit tired of being an adult all week long, and Ballie Ballerson promises to let your inner kid come out. The famous ball pit bar boasts one million balls – alongside top-notch food and drinks. Plus, since you’re enjoying the chance to be a child again, they even offer a bunch of retro sweetie-themed cocktails.
97-113 Curtain Rd, EC2A 3BS | MAP
Bounce
Fast-paced sports, alcohol and socialising all go together hand-in-hand, which is why Bounce’s ping-pong themed bar is the perfect place to let off some steam at the end of the week – whether you’re a seasoned pro, or it’s your first time holding a bat.
241 Old St, EC1V 9EY | MAP
121 Holborn, EC1N 2TD | MAP
The Four Quarters
As London’s first arcade bar, The Four Quarters takes us back to the good old days of arcade cabs, retro consoles and pinball. They host a number of themed parties and often have live DJs, and there’s a hidden basement cocktail bar and club space, so you can hone your old-school dancing skills as well as your gaming ones.
187 Rye Ln, SE15 4TP | MAP
8 Canalside, E20 3BS | MAP
Junkyard Golf Club
Junkyard Golf Club – the clue is in the name – is a bar centred around mini golf. Only it’s much more exciting than that. Featuring UV lights, music, and a number of different weird-and-wonderful obstacles, you can make your way through four different courses. And if that’s not enough of a challenge for you, you can always indulge on some of their cocktails first before testing your aim...
Old Truman Brewery, 91 Brick Ln, E1 6QL | MAP
Draughts London
If you’re looking for a slightly quieter way to stay entertained, but you’re still up for a challenge, you’ll want to head over to Draughts London. With over 800 board games and counting you definitely won’t run out of things to do, letting you challenge your friends at anything from ‘Articulate’ and ‘Battleship’ to the more obscure ‘Billionaire Banshee’ or ‘Zooloretto’.
337 Acton Mews, E8 4EA | MAP
16 Leake St, SE1 7NN | MAP
Flight Club
It’s not a new concept to see a darts board in a pub, but Flight Club are determined to turn the niche two-player game into a multi-player experience for anyone. Video-game scoring and new technology make the game more fun and interactive, as well as allowing up to 400 players to take part. Think you know that many people to take along?
2A Worship St, EC2A 2AH | MAP
55 New Oxford St, WC1A 1BS | MAP
All Star Lanes
Bowling is a classic staple of a great night out, and All Star Lanes have made it even better, combining top-quality lanes with cocktails in your hand and all-American eats. To top it all off, their venues have a bunch of events running over summer, so you can combine your strike with some live music, a film, or even a gin tasting.
95 Brick Ln, E1 6QL | MAP
Victoria House, Bloomsbury Place, WC1B 4DA| MAP
Olympic Park, Stratford E20 1ET | MAP
Explore London further at RedBull.co.uk/keystoyourcitylondon