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The 5 Best Board Game Bars in London

The 5 best board game bars in London, from Draughts in Waterloo to Loading in Stoke Newington, with games libraries, session prices and what to drink.

Sofia Reeves

Updated 2026-06-30 5 ranked bars

The short answer

Our editors' №1 is Draughts Waterloo.

5 ranked rooms follow. How we picked is at the end of this guide.

Best overallDraughts Waterloo

Runner-upLoading Bar

Third pickDraughts Stratford

London has a proper board-game bar scene now, built around a handful of venues that stack hundreds of games next to a real drinks list. This is a short, honest list of five that we would actually send a friend to, ordered by how well they combine the library, the room and the value.

We left off arcade and ping-pong venues that lean on screens rather than tabletop, and we cut Draughts Hackney, which has closed. What is left runs from a dedicated games bar under a railway arch to a much-loved neighbourhood pub with a weekly games night.

We drew on each venue's own listings, Time Out and Londonist's London guides, and pattern-read Google Maps reviews, and we cross-checked prices, hours and addresses before publishing.

The 5 best board game bars in London

Editor's №1

Draughts Waterloo

Arch 16, Leake Street, SE1 7NNBoard-game bar1,000+ games

The original London board-game bar, hidden in Leake Street's graffiti tunnel.

The roomDraughts opened London's first dedicated board-game bar, and the Waterloo branch sits inside a railway arch off Leake Street, the pedestrian graffiti tunnel under the station. The shelves hold more than 1,000 games and resident staff will teach you anything from Catan to Root, which makes it the easiest entry point for people who do not already own a hobby-games shelf. Time Out lists it among the best places to play in the city.

Order thisGames access runs £7.50 off-peak or £9.50 peak for a three-hour session, and the kitchen goes well past crisps, with tacos, cheeseburgers and Korean fried chicken alongside cocktails and craft beer. Book ahead at weekends; the arch fills fast.

Loading Bar

129 Stoke Newington High Street, N16 0PHGaming and board-game barSince 2014

Hundreds of board games, retro arcade cabinets and cocktails named after them.

The roomLoading is the drinker's pick of the group, an independent Stoke Newington bar stacked with hundreds of board games plus vintage arcade machines and pinball. The pull is the game-themed cocktail list, with pours such as the Jurassic Park Safari, and no timed session or cover charge to use the shelves. Google Maps regulars praise the unpretentious, no-rush feel.

Order thisA game-inspired cocktail and a table near the shelves. It runs later than the cafe-style venues, so it suits an evening rather than an afternoon. Weeknights are the quietest time to grab a booth.

Draughts Stratford

5 Aquatics Walk, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, E20 2ASBoard-game kitchen and bar1,000+ games

Draughts' biggest, brightest room, beside the Olympic Park pool.

The roomThe Stratford branch is Draughts' newest and largest, a board-game kitchen and lounge on the East Bank next to the London Aquatics Centre. It carries the same 1,000-plus library and teaching staff as Waterloo but with more space and daylight, which makes it the better choice for larger groups and families with kids in tow.

Order thisThe same £7.50 off-peak or £9.50 peak three-hour sessions, with a full food menu. Pair it with a walk around the park; it is a few minutes from Stratford station.

The Ludoquist

63-67 High Street, Croydon CR0 1QEBoard-game cafe-bar1,400 games

The deepest library on this list, and the best value of the lot.

The roomThe Ludoquist in central Croydon holds around 1,400 games, the largest collection here, and charges just £7 for a three-hour play session. Free snack bowls land on the table and you can order pizzas and paninis while you play, which is why it draws serious hobby gamers rather than the after-work crowd. Time Out flags the size of its collection.

Order thisThe £7 session, a stone-baked pizza and whatever the staff recommend for your group size. It is a genuine trek from the centre in south London, so save it for a dedicated gaming afternoon.

Prince of Peckham

1 Clayton Road, SE15 5JANeighbourhood pub with games nightsPeckham

A proper pub first, with a board-game night and a chess brunch.

The roomThe Prince of Peckham is not a games venue by design but a well-loved independent Peckham pub that programmes tabletop nights, including a Monday board-game session and a weekend chess brunch. Choose it when you want a normal pub atmosphere, a good beer list and a Sunday roast rather than a full hobby-games library and a timer.

Order thisA pint and a seat at the Monday games night, or the chess brunch if you want boards with your eggs. Check the events calendar first; the games are scheduled, not always out.

How we picked

We rank on the size and quality of the games library, how easy it is to get a table and learn a game, the drinks list, and value for the session price. We weight dedicated board-game venues above pubs that only host a games night.

We mark down anywhere with a hard time limit that rushes a long game, and we leave off venues that lean arcade or ping-pong rather than tabletop. Where a venue has closed, such as Draughts Hackney, we cut it rather than carry a dead listing.

Last reviewed 2026-06-30 · The editors recheck hours and closures against current local coverage.