Activity bars in London

Ping Pong in London

Two ways to play in London: book a table at a ping pong bar like Bounce or Bat & Ball, or grab a free public table at spots like Coal Drops Yard and Merchant Square. Here is where to go, what it costs and how to skip the queue.

63 venues, 40 free

KaraokePing Pong

Bat & Ball Stratford

Stratford

Bounce (Old Street)

Old Street

Bounce (Battersea Power Station)

Battersea

BrewDog Waterloo

Waterloo

FunHouse Croydon

Croydon

BOXPARK Wembley

Wembley

Table Tennis Fight Club (King's Cross)

King's Cross

Table Tennis Fight Club (Bermondsey)

Bermondsey

Fusion Table Tennis Club South Bermondsey

South Bermondsey

NET Table Tennis Centre Ealing

Ealing

Moberly Table Tennis Club Kilburn

Kilburn

Moberly Table Tennis Club Queen's Park

Queen's Park

Ping! London (Table Tennis England pop-up tables) various

various

King's Cross / Coal Drops Yard outdoor tables

King's Cross

The Miller London Bridge

London Bridge

The King's Head (Islington)

Islington

Baranis Covent Garden

Covent Garden

Baranis Holborn

Holborn

Baranis Chancery Lane

Chancery Lane

Hackney Ping Pong Society

Hackney

Axe ThrowingPing PongShuffleboard

The Bermondsey Bierkeller London Bridge

London Bridge

Ping PongShuffleboard

The Wapping Tavern

Wapping

The Crossing, Granary Building (Kings Cross)

King's Cross

Coal Drops Yard (viaduct level, outside UNIQLO)

King's Cross

Merchant Square (canalside, Waterside House)

Paddington

Whittington Park

Upper Holloway / Archway

Burgess Park

Camberwell / Walworth

Brockwell Park (by Brockwell Lido)

Herne Hill

Parliament Hill, Hampstead Heath (T3 round table)

Gospel Oak / Hampstead Heath

Soho Square Gardens

Soho

Clapham Common

Clapham

Victoria Park

Hackney / Bethnal Green

London Fields

Hackney

Haggerston Park

Hackney / Haggerston

Shoreditch Park

Hoxton / Shoreditch

Finsbury Park

Finsbury Park / Haringey

Southwark Park

Bermondsey / Rotherhithe

Paternoster Square

City of London / St Paul's

Whitehall Gardens (Victoria Embankment)

Westminster

Fred Perry Hyde Park (Will to Win Sports Centre)

Hyde Park / Bayswater

Arundel Square

Islington / Barnsbury

Barnard Park

Islington

Caledonian Park

Islington / Caledonian Road

Highbury Fields

Islington / Highbury

Paradise Park

Islington

Rosemary Gardens

Islington / De Beauvoir

Tufnell Park Playing Fields

Islington / Tufnell Park

Wray Crescent Open Space

Islington / Stroud Green

Cornwallis Park (Cornwallis Square)

Islington / Archway

The Miller

London Bridge / Southwark

The Doodle Bar

Bermondsey / Tower Bridge

The Crooked Billet

Clapton / Hackney

The Heathcote & Star

Leyton / Leytonstone

Players Social

Spitalfields

Queen of Hoxton

Shoreditch

King's Head

Islington (Angel, Upper Street)

Free DartsPing PongShuffleboard

Bermondsey Bierkeller

London Bridge

DartsPing PongShuffleboard

Bat & Ball

Covent Garden

Mile End Park (Ping! outdoor table)

Mile End / Tower Hamlets

Millwall Park (Ping! outdoor table)

Isle of Dogs / Tower Hamlets

Valetta Grove (Ping! outdoor table)

Plaistow / Newham

Hill Court Estate (Ping! outdoor table)

Stoke Newington / Hackney

People's Corner (Ping! outdoor table)

Tower Hamlets

Where to play ping pong in London

London splits neatly into two camps: social ping pong bars where the table is part of a night out, and free public tables you just walk up to. On the paid side, Bounce is the obvious starting point, with venues at Old Street and Farringdon built around bookable tables, cocktails and food. Bat & Ball is the other big social-play name, a buzzy bar setup where the table tennis sits alongside drinks and a proper night-out atmosphere.

If you want to play without paying a penny, London has a surprisingly good spread of free outdoor and public tables. Coal Drops Yard at King's Cross has tables on the viaduct level (you borrow the bats and balls from the UNIQLO nearby), Merchant Square in Paddington keeps several tables out with no booking needed, and park tables at Whittington Park and Burgess Park are open whenever you turn up.

Use the map and venue cards above to see what is closest to you right now and whether it is a paid bar or a free table. The list below is the short version of what is actually worth your time.

What it costs and how booking works

At the bar venues, you pay for the table by the slot rather than per game. Bounce starts from around 6 pounds per person and runs sessions in 30 and 60 minute blocks, with prices stepping up in the evenings and at weekends when demand is highest. Bat & Ball works on a similar table-hire model.

Booking is the safe move for both. Walk-ins are welcome at Bounce, but on busy evenings you can be waiting a while for a table to free up, and Bat & Ball gets packed enough that turning up unbooked on a Friday or Saturday is a gamble. If you have a fixed time or a group, reserve ahead. Midweek and daytime are far easier for walking straight in.

The free tables cost nothing and never need booking. They run on a first-come basis, so popular spots like Coal Drops Yard can have a short queue on a sunny weekend, but you are never paying or reserving.

Free ping pong: the public and outdoor tables

London's free tables are mostly part of the Ping! scheme that puts permanent outdoor tables in parks and public squares. Coal Drops Yard is the standout for a central, all-weather option, with covered tables in the Granary area and bats and balls lent out by the neighbouring shop. Merchant Square in Paddington keeps multiple tables out with bats available and no booking, which makes it an easy lunchtime or after-work spot.

For park play, Whittington Park has tables that are reasonably sheltered from the wind and sit near a water fountain and toilets, while Burgess Park's tables are over by the tennis courts close to the Camberwell Road entrance amid its 56 acres of green space.

One thing to plan for: outdoor tables can be wet after rain and the concrete-style surfaces play differently from an indoor bar table. Bring your own bats and balls if you can, since shared kit is not guaranteed at every site.

Best for groups, dates and work dos

For birthdays, work socials and bigger groups, the bar venues earn their fee. Bounce is geared for it, with the capacity and the drinks-and-food package that keeps a group entertained for a couple of hours, and Bat & Ball brings the louder, later, DJ-on-the-weekend energy that suits a team night out. Both take group bookings, which is the only sane way to guarantee tables for more than a few people.

For a date or a casual catch-up, the free tables are honestly hard to beat. Coal Drops Yard pairs ping pong with cafes and bars right there, and Merchant Square gives you a relaxed waterside game with zero pressure and zero cost. They are low-stakes, easy to bail from, and you can move on to food or drinks straight after.

A note on age limits at the bar venues: Bounce welcomes under-18s before 6pm Monday to Saturday and all day Sunday, with any under-18 needing an adult over 21 with them. If you are bringing kids, aim for a daytime slot. The free public tables have no age restriction at all.

Getting around by area

Central and east London cover most of the social-play options. Bounce Old Street sits right by Old Street station in the Shoreditch fringe, and Bounce Farringdon is a short walk from Farringdon on the Elizabeth line and Thameslink, making both easy to reach for an after-work game. Bat & Ball lands you in the buzzier bar territory for a full night out.

For free tables, King's Cross is your central hub: Coal Drops Yard is a couple of minutes from King's Cross St Pancras. Merchant Square sits just behind Paddington station, handy if you are coming in from the west or off the Heathrow line. South of the river, Burgess Park is the pick around Camberwell and Walworth, while Whittington Park serves the Archway and Holloway side of north London.

Filter the map above by area to see only what is near you, and check the venue cards for whether each spot is a paid booking or a free walk-up before you head out.

Frequently asked questions

Where can I play ping pong in London?

You can play at social ping pong bars like Bounce (Old Street and Farringdon) and Bat & Ball, or for free at public tables including Coal Drops Yard at King's Cross, Merchant Square in Paddington, Whittington Park and Burgess Park. The bars are paid and bookable; the public tables are free and walk-up. Use the map above to find the closest to you.

Where can I play ping pong in London for free?

There are free outdoor and public tables across London, mostly run through the Ping! scheme. The best central options are Coal Drops Yard at King's Cross (borrow bats and balls from the UNIQLO there) and Merchant Square in Paddington, which keeps several tables out with no booking. For park play, try Whittington Park or Burgess Park near the Camberwell Road entrance. All are free and need no reservation.

How much does it cost to play ping pong at Bounce?

Bounce charges by the table slot, starting from around 6 pounds per person, with sessions sold in 30 and 60 minute blocks. Prices step up in the evenings and at weekends when it is busiest, so a peak Friday-night table costs more than a quiet weekday afternoon. The free public tables around London, by contrast, cost nothing.

Do you have to book to play ping pong, or can you walk in?

Walk-ins are welcome at Bounce, but at peak times you may wait a while for a free table, so booking ahead is recommended. Bat & Ball gets very busy too and booking is suggested, especially on weekend evenings. Daytime and midweek are the easiest times to walk straight in. The free public tables at Coal Drops Yard, Merchant Square and the parks never need a booking.

Is there an age limit for ping pong bars in London?

Bounce welcomes under-18s before 6pm Monday to Saturday and all day Sunday, and every under-18 must be with an adult over 21. After 6pm on weekdays it shifts to an adult crowd. If you are bringing children, aim for a daytime slot. The free public and park tables have no age restriction at all.

Where is the best place to play ping pong for a group or work do?

For groups, birthdays and work socials, the bar venues are the move. Bounce is built for it with the capacity, drinks and food to keep a group going, and Bat & Ball brings a louder, later night-out feel with weekend DJs. Both take group bookings, which is the only reliable way to hold tables for more than a few people, so reserve ahead rather than risking a walk-in.

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Popular ping pong venues

Bat & Ball Stratford · Bounce (Old Street) · Bounce (Battersea Power Station) · BrewDog Waterloo · FunHouse Croydon · BOXPARK Wembley · Table Tennis Fight Club (King's Cross) · Table Tennis Fight Club (Bermondsey)

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