Photo: Bat & Ball
Bat & Ball: Darts & Ping Pong & Shuffleboard in Covent Garden, London
Bat & Ball is a competitive socialising bar on Earlham Street, a couple of minutes from Covent Garden station. You come here to hit a ball about with friends, not to watch sport quietly in the corner. The main draw is the ping pong, played on championship-sized tables, but there is also interactive darts, pool, shuffleboard, beer and prosecco pong, and private karaoke rooms. It suits after-work groups, birthdays and casual dates who want food and drinks within reach of the table. Booking is charged per table with a minimum of 55 minutes of game time, and groups of up to 20 share a single ping pong table. Tables get busy in the evenings and at weekends, so it pays to book a slot rather than turn up and hope.
Contact
- Address 50 Earlham Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2H 9LJ
Opening hours
- Mon 12:00-23:00
- Tue 12:00-23:00
- Wed 12:00-23:00
- Thu 12:00-00:00
- Fri 12:00-01:00
- Sat 11:00-01:00
- Sun 11:00-22:30
Good to know
- Ping pong
- Darts
- Shuffleboard
- Pool table
- Beer pong
- Karaoke
- Cocktails
- Kitchen
The ping pong setup
Ping pong is the headline game here, played on full championship-sized tables in a loud, party-leaning room. A booking gives you a minimum of 55 minutes of game time, and the exact length depends on group size. Groups of up to 20 guests are allocated one table, so larger parties rotate players in and out rather than spreading across several tables. If ping pong palls, the same venue has interactive darts, pool, shuffleboard, and beer and prosecco pong, plus karaoke rooms you can book separately. It is built for taking turns and talking rather than serious competition.
Good to know
Tables are paid and bookable, with prices charged per table rather than per person, and drinks are extra. Per-game rates are not published online, so check the website or message the venue for current pricing. Food and a full bar are on site, so you can make an evening of it. Opening is from midday Monday to Friday, late on Thursday through Saturday, and earlier 11am starts at the weekend. Evenings and weekends fill up, so book ahead. The nearest station is Covent Garden, with Leicester Square and Tottenham Court Road also close.
Common questions
- What is Bat & Ball Covent Garden?
- It is a competitive socialising bar on Earlham Street in Covent Garden where you book a table to play, with food and a bar alongside. Ping pong is the main draw, but there is plenty more to play.
- What can you play besides ping pong?
- Alongside the championship-sized ping pong tables there is interactive darts, pool, shuffleboard, and beer and prosecco pong, plus private karaoke rooms. The games are the main event here rather than a sideline.
- How much does it cost and is anything free?
- Nothing is free. Table hire is paid and bookable, charged per table with a minimum of 55 minutes of game time, and drinks and food are extra. Per-game prices are not published online and private space hire starts from around 500 pounds, so check the website for current rates.
- Do I need to book or can I walk in?
- You can book a table in advance, which is wise for evenings and weekends when it gets busy. Walking in is possible but a table is not guaranteed, and groups of up to 20 share a single ping pong table.
- What is the nearest station?
- Covent Garden is the closest Underground station, with Leicester Square and Tottenham Court Road also within walking distance.
Other darts bars nearby
- Flight Club Bloomsbury Bloomsbury
- Rocket Room Leicester Square Leicester Square
- Oche The Strand The Strand
- The Exiles Chiswick / Acton
- Nordic Bar Fitzrovia Fitzrovia
- Cock Tavern (Soho) Soho, W1