8 perfect places to play board games in London

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 starts at £7.25 per person and depends on what time you visit and which location, but that 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. A second location is based in Waterloo. 

Beautiful Norfolk Square Gardens, tucked just off the main road in front of Paddington Station boasts formal lawns, floral beds and ornamental shrubs. Also, a giant chess set. Will playing with rooks that come up to your knee help your strategy? Possibly not, but at least you’ll get a bit of fresh air out of it.

This Richmond games café has a selection of hundreds of games, with the stacks growing all the time, plus a bar serving everything from beers to absinthe. One session per person is £6.50 and there's a minimum spend of £15, but it's easy to hit that when there's so much choice of games to let yourself get lost in.

Loading Bar is one of London’s longer-running board game bars, having first opened its doors in 2010. Now, it boasts two locations in the capital – Stoke Newington and Peckham – and a Brighton outpost to boot. Come down to battle your way through board games and, then, if you fancy a change of pace, head to the arcade den, video game controllers or table football. There’s no entry fee so all a visit will set you back is the cost of the food and drink you consume while playing.

Escape Bar has all the classic board games you could hope for, and a whole host of more unusual options too. Come for Catan, Articulate and Operation; stay for Bucket Of Doom, Rhino Hero and many more.

Bad Moon Café’s games library might be a bit more modest in size compared to some other venues on this list, but its 150-plus collection is packed with gems. If you’re looking for something to take home and continue the hours of fun, they also have a selection of games for purchase too. Pop down weekday evenings for regular events based around different games – check the website for the schedule.

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.

Looking for people to play Magic The Gathering with IRL? Rogues Quarter hosts regular events focused on the game so come here to find your people. The Kentish Town café is also home to some massive gaming tables perfect for wargaming, while their extensive library has plenty to discover elsewhere. Rental of a game costs £6 per person for up to three hours, but comes with the caveat that you must purchase food and/or drink to access the library. The menu includes snacks, burgers, and tapas treats, so come hungry.