Pub quizzes in London for every day of the week

Quiz hosts don’t come more high-octane than Amy Bee Sting. She calls the shots at A Very Vaultsy Pub Quiz – a challenge even more eccentric than the surreal decor at its home Vaulty Towers, where booths are shaped like clouds and treehouses. In between the trivia there are lip-sync battles, lunge-offs, treasure hunts and even a round where you can bribe the quiz master. Get caught cheating, though, and you can expect harsh punishments from Ms Sting. A past forfeit involved downing a cocktail of Baileys, ketchup and mustard. Gulp.

Day: Monday

Entry details: £2 per person, maximum six per team.

Eggheads will feel right at home on Mondays in unmodernised backstreet boozer The Pineapple. Not only are there roaring fires and plates of cheap, hearty Thai food keeping things cosy, the start of the week brings the pub’s notoriously difficult quiz. Prepare for brains to be racked and chins scratched as you puzzle over challenging questions on niche and unusual subjects with a prize – all the evening’s entry fees – worth striving for. If you and your pals are usually left lurking at the bottom of the league, not to worry. There are also jackpot and raffle rounds for every team to play for – no matter how hard you paid attention in GCSE geography.

Day: Monday

Entry details: £2 per person.

The Grapes in Limehouse is probably best known for being owned by Sir Ian McKellen, but after its associations with Gandalf, it’s famous for having a cracking pub quiz (Sir Ian has even been known to make the odd appearance at the night). First place gets a £60 bar tab, and the team in second to last wins a bottle of house wine. 

Day: Monday

Entry details: £2 per person, no team limit. 

Put your thinking cap on, but cast off your inhibitions for the Star of Bethnal Green’s drag queen-hosted pub quiz where your ability to down booze and impersonate pop stars is just as important as your talent at remembering niche facts. It may look like a bog-standard tavern trivia sesh, but don’t be fooled. General knowledge and picture rounds are mashed with dancing competitions, beer pong and bonus contests that have previously included showing off your best air guitar skills and Elvis impersonation.

Day: Tuesday

Entry details: £2 per person, maximum eight per team.

One of London’s rowdier pub quizzes, expect to be plied with free shots as the hosts guide you through a ‘mental maze of dodgy knowledge and general ridiculousness’ (their words). This probably isn’t one for the serious brainiacs, but it’s guaranteed to be a lot of fun.

Day: Tuesday

Entry details: £6 per person, up to eight people per team.

There’s a £150 bar tab up for grabs every Tuesday at the Hawk’s Nest in Shepherd’s Bush. Expect seasonal themes (on Valentine’s they hosted a kinky pub quiz) at this not-too-tricky trivia night, with questions spanning the pub quiz classics. 

Day: Tuesday

Entry details: £3 per person, no team limit. 

Expect silly trivia, beer prizes and delicious tacos by La Cumbia at this weekly quiz in Hackney Wick. Walk-ins are welcome but booking is encouraged to guarantee your spot. The top prize is a £50 beer tab. 

Day: Wednesday

Entry details: £2 per person, no team limit. 

Hosted by the Good Time Gals, we can only expect this pub quiz at the legendary boozer built on the site of an old nunnery is... a very good time. From 8pm every Thursday there are weekly jackpots to be won, bar tabs to be taken, and free shots to be drunk at this fun-filled trivia night. Expect plenty of pop-culture questions, and topical themes.

Night: Thursday

Entry details: £2 per person, no team limit.

The first Friday of every month is quiz night at the Southwark Brewing Company. This general knowledge game has two picture rounds and 50 questions on a whole range of subjects. The most exciting part is the jackpot round, where five people get the chance to answer one question for a cash prize. 

Night: Friday

Entry details: £2 per person, no team limit. 

After chowing down one of their excellent Sunday roasts, why not stay on for the weekly quiz at the Herne Tavern. There’s a £50 bar tab prize for the winning team, as well as a rollover jackpot that gets bigger every week. Proceedings kick off at 7pm. 

Day: Sunday 

Entry details: £2 per person, no team limit.