London has quietly become the competitive-socialising capital: a few streets in Shoreditch or the City can offer darts, axe throwing, shuffleboard and crazy golf within a five-minute walk. This is the full picture, mapped and filterable, so you can pick a game, see what is near you, and book the right room rather than scroll a listicle. Below, where to play each one.

Jump to a game: Darts · Axe Throwing · Shuffleboard · Crazy Golf & Mini Golf · Ping Pong · Bowling · Karaoke · Pool & Snooker · Escape Rooms · Go Karting · Board Game Cafes · Climbing & Bouldering · Arcade Bars · Trampoline Parks

Axe throwing in London

Urban axe throwing has gone from novelty to one of London’s most booked group nights. You get coaching, a lane, and a couple of hours to find out who in your group is quietly competitive. Sessions are timed and almost always need booking, with most venues licensed so there is a bar alongside the targets.

Where to play: Boom Battle Bar Oxford Street, Rocket Room Leicester Square, Whistle Punks Urban Axe Throwing (Oxford Circus), Bad Axe Throwing - Croydon BoxPark, Axeperience Tower Hill, The Bermondsey Bierkeller London Bridge.

See all axe throwing venues in London

Darts bars in London

Social darts is the city’s breakout game: big screens, automatic scoring, and an oche you book by the hour for a group. No chalk, no maths, no need to actually be good. The bigger rooms get loud and busy at weekends, so book ahead; smaller spots and pubs with a board are the walk-in option.

Where to play: Flight Club Bloomsbury, Flight Club Shoreditch, Flight Club Victoria, Flight Club Islington, Oche The Strand, Boom Battle Bar Liverpool Street.

See all darts venues in London

Shuffleboard in London

Shuffleboard is the low-effort, high-fun end of competitive socialising: slide the puck, talk trash, repeat. Tables are hired by the hour, the rules take thirty seconds to learn, and most venues pair the boards with cocktails and food, which makes it an easy mixed-group or date night.

Where to play: Boom Battle Bar Oxford Street, Rocket Room Leicester Square, The Lucky Goat City of London, Pulse Bar London Bridge, Pulse Bar Southwark, Strike Wandsworth.

See all shuffleboard venues in London

Crazy golf and mini golf in London

Indoor crazy golf in London is rarely just golf: expect neon, themed holes, street food and a cocktail in hand. Courses are booked as timed tee slots, work for groups and dates alike, and several of the bigger venues lean fully immersive.

Where to play: Swingers West End, Puttshack Bank, Puttshack White City, Junkyard Golf Club Shoreditch, Junkyard Golf Club Camden, Plonk Crazy Golf Borough Market.

See all crazy golf & mini golf venues in London

Ping pong and table tennis bars

Ping pong bars turn a school-hall game into a proper night out: tables by the hour, bats and balls provided, music up and a bar in the room. They suit big groups and after-work crowds, and the casual ones take walk-ins early in the week.

Where to play: Bat & Ball Stratford, Bounce (Old Street), Bounce (Battersea Power Station), BrewDog Waterloo, FunHouse Croydon, BOXPARK Wembley.

See all ping pong venues in London

Bowling in London

London bowling has moved well beyond the retail-park alley: boutique lanes with cocktails, diner food and often other games under the same roof. Lanes are booked by the hour for up to a handful of players, and the central venues fill up fast on Friday and Saturday.

Where to play: Bloomsbury Bowling Lanes, Tenpin Acton, All Star Lanes Holborn Bloomsbury, All Star Lanes Brick Lane, All Star Lanes Stratford Westfield Stratford City, All Star Lanes White City.

See all bowling venues in London

Karaoke bars and private karaoke rooms in London

Private karaoke rooms are the city’s go-to for birthdays and work dos: your own booth, a songbook of thousands, and table service so nobody has to leave to get a round in. Rooms are booked by the hour and sized by group, from a few mates to a couple of dozen.

Where to play: Bat & Ball Stratford, Putt Putt & Karaoke Streatham, Lucky Voice Islington, Lucky Voice Holborn, Lucky Voice Liverpool Street, Lucky Voice Waterloo.

See all karaoke venues in London

Pool and snooker halls in London

For something more classic, London still has proper pool and snooker halls alongside the new wave of pool-table bars. Many are walk-in and pay-by-the-hour, open late, and spread right across the city, which makes them the easy answer to “somewhere to play near me”.

Where to play: Poolhouse Liverpool Street, Mile End American Pool & Snooker, London Snooker Tooting, EastEnders Snooker Lounge Stepney Green, EastEnders Snooker Lounge Mile End, EastEnders Snooker Lounge E1.

See all pool & snooker venues in London

Frequently asked questions

What is competitive socialising?

Competitive socialising is the catch-all for venues built around playing a game while you drink and eat: darts, axe throwing, shuffleboard, mini golf, ping pong, bowling, karaoke and more. The game is the social glue; the bar is what keeps it a night out rather than a sport.

Where can I play darts in London?

Social darts venues run across the city, from purpose-built oche rooms with automatic scoring to pubs with a board in the back. The bigger rooms need booking, especially at weekends; smaller spots take walk-ins. Use the map above to find the nearest.

How much do activity bars cost in London?

It varies by game: darts and shuffleboard tend to run roughly £10 to £15 per person per session, axe throwing more like £20 to £35, and bowling, mini golf and karaoke are usually priced per lane, course or room by the hour. Most are cheaper midweek.

What are the best activity bars for groups and work dos?

Look for venues that take larger bookings and combine several games, so a mixed group can drift between darts, shuffleboard and ping pong without leaving. Filter by activity above, and check the venue’s group capacity when you book.

Do you need to book or can you just turn up?

The big purpose-built venues (darts, axe throwing, bowling, karaoke rooms) almost always need booking, particularly Thursday to Saturday. Many pubs with a pool table, ping pong table or a board are walk-in. Each listing links straight to the venue.

Which activity pages should I start with?

The strongest London search clusters are crazy golf, karaoke, escape rooms, go karting, sports bars and activity bars. Start with the mapped guides above, then use the venue pages for prices, booking links and nearby alternatives.

What is there to do in London at night beyond bars and clubs?

Activity bars are the answer most Londoners reach for: you get the social side of a bar with something to actually do. They cluster in Shoreditch, the City, Soho and around the big transport hubs, and many run late.