What is the Palm Tree in Mile End?

It is a Grade II listed traditional East End pub that sits on its own in Mile End Park, known for its unaltered 1930s interior and for keeping a rare London Fives dartboard in the back bar.

Is darts free at the Palm Tree?

Yes. The Fives board is a free pub board with no charge to play. Just note the pub is cash only at the bar, so bring cash for your drinks.

Do you need to book to play darts at the Palm Tree?

No booking. You just walk in. The board is in the second bar, which is not always open, so if you cannot see it you may need to ask the staff politely to open up that room.

What kind of dartboard does the Palm Tree have?

It has a London Fives board, the historic East End variant that predates the standard clock board. The numbers run in fives, the scoring differs, and the doubles are much smaller, so it plays harder than a normal board.

Is the Palm Tree cash only?

Yes. The pub still uses an old cash register and does not take cards, so bring cash for your drinks.

What is the nearest station to the Palm Tree?

Mile End station (Central, District and Hammersmith and City lines) is the closest, roughly a ten minute walk. Several buses also run along Grove Road and Mile End Road nearby.

Palm Tree, darts in Mile End (Tower Hamlets), E3

Photo: Ewan Munro

Palm Tree: Darts in Mile End, London

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The Palm Tree is a Grade II listed Truman's pub stranded on its own in the middle of Mile End Park, and it is one of the last places in London where you can throw at a proper East End "Fives" board. It suits anyone who wants darts the old way, in a genuinely unaltered 1930s interior rather than a booked booth with a screen. The single most useful thing to know: the board lives in the back bar, which is not always open, so you may have to ask politely for it to be unlocked. Bring cash too. There is no card machine, just an old till behind a bar that has barely changed in decades. Expect regulars, boxing photos on the walls, and live jazz at the weekend.

Contact

Address 127 Grove Road, Mile End, London, E3 5BH

Opening hours

Mon 12:30-00:00
Tue 12:30-00:00
Wed 12:30-00:00
Thu 12:30-00:00
Fri 12:30-00:00
Sat 12:30-02:00
Sun 12:00-00:00

The darts setup

This is a London Fives board, the East End variant that predates the familiar clock board you see everywhere else. There are no twenties here. The numbers run in fives and the scoring works differently, and the doubles are tiny, so even decent players find it humbling at first. The board is tucked away in the back bar alongside the boxing photographs, under a cover that may date back to the 1930s. There is no oche line painted on the floor and no automatic scoring, so you keep score by hand the way it was always done. It is a survivor: only a few dozen East London pubs still keep a Fives board going.

Good to know

Play is free, but the board sits in the second bar, which is not always open. If it is shut, ask the staff politely and they will usually sort you out. The pub is cash only, with a vintage till and no card reader, so come prepared. There is one changing real ale (often something from Mighty Oak) plus the usual pub range. No fruit machines and no food to speak of. There is a garden out the back for warmer days, and at weekends a live jazz band often plays, which makes it a livelier choice on a Friday or Saturday night than a quiet midweek visit.

Getting there

The Palm Tree sits at 127 Grove Road in Mile End Park, oddly alone after the buildings around it were cleared to make the park. The nearest Tube is Mile End (Central, District and Hammersmith and City lines), about a ten minute walk away. Several bus routes run along Grove Road and Mile End Road nearby. It is right by the Regent's Canal, so the towpath is a pleasant approach on foot or by bike from Victoria Park to the north or Limehouse to the south. The setting is part of the appeal: you come out of the green space and there it is, on its own.

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Common questions

What is the Palm Tree in Mile End?: It is a Grade II listed traditional East End pub that sits on its own in Mile End Park, known for its unaltered 1930s interior and for keeping a rare London Fives dartboard in the back bar.
Is darts free at the Palm Tree?: Yes. The Fives board is a free pub board with no charge to play. Just note the pub is cash only at the bar, so bring cash for your drinks.
Do you need to book to play darts at the Palm Tree?: No booking. You just walk in. The board is in the second bar, which is not always open, so if you cannot see it you may need to ask the staff politely to open up that room.
What kind of dartboard does the Palm Tree have?: It has a London Fives board, the historic East End variant that predates the standard clock board. The numbers run in fives, the scoring differs, and the doubles are much smaller, so it plays harder than a normal board.
Is the Palm Tree cash only?: Yes. The pub still uses an old cash register and does not take cards, so bring cash for your drinks.
What is the nearest station to the Palm Tree?: Mile End station (Central, District and Hammersmith and City lines) is the closest, roughly a ten minute walk. Several buses also run along Grove Road and Mile End Road nearby.

Other darts bars nearby

The Victoria (Bow) Bow (Tower Hamlets), E3
The Coborn Bow / Mile End
The Queen's Head (Limehouse) Limehouse (Tower Hamlets), E14
The Queen's Head Limehouse (Tower Hamlets, E14)
The Eagle (Hackney) Hackney, E9
The Eagle Hackney (Homerton, E9)