London’s best pub quizzes

Formerly organised by record label Rough Trade, The Lexington Pop Quiz is for Londoners with towering vinyl collections and an intimate knowledge of the city’s sticky-floored gig venues. But despite testing you on hardcore music trivia, it’s far from serious stuff. A Vic Reeves-style host leads you through rounds with the help of a chintzy keyboard and lists the answers in reverse to ‘Top of the Pops’ countdown music. Win and you’ll bag a sweet £60 in cash. But the most coveted prize of the night is a bag of crisps for the best team name.

Every Monday. £2 per person, maximum six per team

Tucked down an alley in the West End, small indie bar Retro is worth seeking out for its eccentric taste in quizzes. The weekly Carry on Quizzing packs in as much bawdy charm as its namesake. Hosted by DJ and queen of the cult London scene Princess Julia, expect drag star cameos, drawing competitions, prizes ranging from wads of cash to bric-à-brac from a ‘box of shit’, and tunes played on the kazoo by the bar’s resident DJ Heidi Heelz.

Every Tuesday. £2 per person, maximum four 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.

Every Monday. £1 per person, maximum five per team.

Put your thinking cap on, but cast off your inhibitions for the Star of Bethnal Green’s Super Star Quiz where your ability to down hard 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, sambuca challenges and bonus contests that have previously included showing off your best air guitar skills and Elvis impersonation.

Every Tuesday. £2 per person, maximum eight per team.

Football and pubs go hand in hand. In fact, you’ll struggle to hold a conversation in one on any given Saturday if it isn’t about Solskjær’s tactics or Luton Town’s 28-game unbeaten streak. But, a whole Football Quiz? That’s a little more rare. Expect tough rounds that’ll leave even the most avid watcher of ‘Match of the Day’ scratching their head, along with the occasional table-hammering breakout chant.

£2 per person, maximum six per team.

From the brains behind the legendary celebrity gossip newsletter, the Popbitch Quiz is for celeb Instagram stalkers and lovers of A-list (and Z-list) scandal. Get grilled by comedian and host Tom Webb, who’ll dish out questions on music trivia, salacious gossip and pop lore from the popular – and very bitchy – website. It’s surprisingly tricky, but you might pick up cash prizes, theatre tickets and even a sex toy. Forgot to pick up Heat this week? For those less well versed in popular tittle-tattle, there are also music rounds and arts and crafts challenges – all with a side of smut.

Two Tuesdays a month. £5.50 per person, maximum six per team.

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.

Every Monday. £2 per person, maximum six per team.