Darts Nights in London: 13 events this week (24 Sept to 29 Sept)

Darts never left the pub, it just got a second life. A wave of dedicated venues has put oches back at the centre of a night out, alongside the pubs that have quietly run a board in the corner for decades.

Central London leans toward the flashier setups, oche bars in Shoreditch and the West End with scoring screens and a bit of theatre to the whole thing. Head further out and you find the older tradition, a battered board bolted to a wall in a Walthamstow or Peckham local, league night on a Tuesday, regulars who'll teach you the finer points if you ask.

Turning up solo is fine at most walk-up venues, you can usually book a board for a small group or just wait your turn if it's busy. League nights and tournaments are a different rhythm, better to watch first time and play once you've got a feel for the room.

Expect a low-key, sociable pace rather than a big production. It suits an early evening better than a late one, and it pairs naturally with a pub meal or a few pints without needing to plan much else around it.