The best pubs in London for playing games

A proper old-school pub (it opened in 1826!) with wood panelling and a beer garden, serving real ales, cider and English wines. Don’t leave without playing a game of bar skittles. It’s like going bowling, but you can do it with a pint in one hand – score!

Board games? Darts? Ping pong? If you planned to meet your old school friend for a drink six months ago and, now the day has finally come, you’re dreading it, organise to meet at The Clapham Tap. There are so many games on offer here that you’ll have plenty of distractions should conversation dry up. 

Darts newbies should head along to Nolan’s on Wednesdays for a game. The Vauxhall pub draws a crowd of experts who might just pass on some bird’s eye tips. Take advantage and improve your skills – or just have some fun with the arrows. 

Pool? Thirsty work. Darts? Pretty much an upper-body workout. Luckily, the Adam and Eve has all the games (the pool table is L-shaped!) you need to keep you busy on a weekday evening and then big sofas to spread out on as you rebuild your strength post-activity with pints and tasty pub snacks. 

The Prince Of Wales is close enough to the Oval cricket ground that you might soak up some of the sporting buzz in the area on match days. Channel that into a game of pétanque with Cleaveer Square as your classy backdrop. Head into the pub and hire the equipment, then find a spot on the tree-lined patch out front, preferably with a pint in hand. 

If you prefer to get stuck into gameplay with your brain rather than your body, Bad Moon Café is for you. Here, you’ll find over 150 board games to while away the hours with – perfect for a rainy day or just some much-needed relaxation (depending on how competitive you get, anyway). Grab a pizza or sandwich, plus a drink from the bar and get gaming.

A wood-clad sports pub that's been pulling pints for Clapham locals for 150 years now. Book an oche, invite your mates and see if you can score a bullseye. If you can’t, there’s plenty of craft beers and delicious pizzas on the menu to console yourself with and, remember, there’s always next time.

If the phrase 'Let's play Seven Wonders' means more to you than a Fleetwood Mac-related DJ request, then you're going to be pretty darn excited at the prospect of Draughts, a bar and café with more than 1,000 board games available to play at customers' leisure. Entry varies per location and time of day but starts at £7.25 and buys you unlimited play and, crucially, the help of a 'game guru', who'll offer guidance on which will suit your group best and how the rules work. 

The Three Compasses serves food from a changing roster of street food purveyors alongside craft beers, including Five Points, Beavertown, Hackney Brewery, and 40ft. So, your palette will never get bored, no matter how many times you come down here and step up to the darts board.

This German-inspired beer hall does more than bring a taste of Bavaria to London. It also boasts a whole host of games for you to challenge your mates to over a drink. Have a go at shuffleboard, table football, pool and ping pong on your night out – loser buys the next round.

A Battersea bar and kitchen specialising in BBQ food and craft beer. Order up some loaded nachos and your choice of their rotating cast of craft beers and settle in for some time in front of one of the bar’s many dartboards. You’ll feel like you’re in an American movie throwing arrows at the boards under the light of the red neon signs – very cool.

There’s a lot going on at Shoreditch’s Bar Kick, but when you’re not watching the footie, chortling away at stand-up comedy or looking for love at a speed dating event, there’s the humble table football to provide you with entertainment. Just remember the golden rule – no spinning.

The Vine in Kentish Town boasts not one but two shuffleboard tables, where you and up to three pals can do (very gentle) battle. You won’t even need to leave the table to order refills on your drinks or food – full table service is available via a switch in the shuffleboard area. Ideal for a lazy-ish Sunday. 

The Horatia might be large, but it’s also remarkably cosy – all the better for holing up in and playing a round (or several) of the board games on offer here. It’s best to check the fixtures at nearby Emirates Stadium before you pop down, though – it’s a hotspot for Gooners on match day so it gets pretty busy.

Got some time to kill while you’re waiting for a train from Liverpool St or before you head off into Shoreditch for a night out? Tank & Paddle will keep you busy with a shuffleboard table and a stack of board games to while away the minutes, plus pizza, mac’n’cheese and craft beer to keep hanger away.

Just down the road from The World’s End is the Emirates Stadium, home of the mighty Arsenal. Your own football skills might not be good enough to get you on the pitch there, but in this roomy pub, you’ll find a table football set that you can score plenty of goals on instead. Have a ‘kickabout’ during half time on match day or to settle disputes between mates the rest of the week.

Camden’s The Good Mixer is well known as a former hub of Britpop mayhem so when you’re cueing up your shot on the green of its pool table, take a moment to think about the musical greats who could have stood there before you. There’s often live music at the pub to this day so after you’re done, you could discover a fave new band too.