Photo: CAMRA / WhatPub
The Eagle (Hackney): Darts in London
The Eagle is a proper old-school Hackney local on Wick Road in Homerton, the kind of two-bar 1930s boozer that has stayed traditional while the rest of the area changed around it. For darts, this is a free pub board you just walk up to, no booking and no charge, with a pool table alongside it and Sky Sports on the TV. It runs as a CoLDA league venue, so there are nights when the regulars are throwing competitively and the board is busy. Expect a plain, friendly local with Irish and GAA leanings, a jukebox, and a small rear courtyard for a smoke. There is no kitchen, so come for the beer, the games and the company rather than food. Homerton station is about four minutes' walk away.
Contact
- Phone 020 8986 6410
- Address 103 Wick Road, Homerton, London, E9 5AE
Opening hours
- Mon 11:00-23:00
- Tue 11:00-23:00
- Wed 11:00-23:00
- Thu 11:00-23:00
- Fri 11:00-01:00
- Sat 11:00-01:00
- Sun 12:00-22:30
Good to know
- Darts
- Live music
- Wine list
- Kitchen
- Beer garden
- Sports screened
The darts setup
Darts here is exactly what you want from a backstreet local: a pub board you can just throw on, free of charge, with no oche to reserve. It sits in a traditional two-bar room alongside a pool table, so a few of you can rotate between the two over a pint. The Eagle is listed as a City of London Darts Association (CoLDA) venue, which means there are league nights when the board is in use for matches and the regulars take it seriously. On a normal evening though, it is a casual knockabout. Turn up, chalk your name, and wait your turn like everyone else.
Good to know
There is no food, so eat before you come and treat this as a drinks-and-games local rather than a night out with a menu. It is keg beer only (no cask ale), with mainstream lagers and a jukebox keeping things ticking. Sky Sports is on the TVs, and there is a small rear courtyard if you want to step out. The pub runs late at the weekend, open until 01:00 on Friday and Saturday, and to 23:00 in the week. Worth knowing: children are not allowed in after 7pm, so this is an adults' evening crowd once it gets dark.
The darts scene here
The Eagle is one of the few genuinely traditional locals' pubs left in Hackney that has kept its sporting, community feel, complete with GAA tributes and trophies on the walls. That heritage carries through to the darts. As a CoLDA league venue it draws committed players, so if you are after a pub where darts is part of the furniture rather than a novelty, this fits. Beginners and groups are welcome on a quiet night when the board is free, but expect the regulars to know each other and the games to be competitive when a league fixture is on. It is a warm, no-frills welcome, not a polished bar experience.
Common questions
- What is The Eagle in Hackney?
- It is a traditional two-bar local pub at 103 Wick Road in Homerton, E9 5AE. It has a free pub dart board and a pool table, shows Sky Sports, and is listed as a City of London Darts Association (CoLDA) league darts venue.
- Is darts free at The Eagle?
- Yes. The Eagle has a standard free pub dart board that you can just walk up and play. There is no charge and no booking, unlike the timed bookable oches at competitive darts bars.
- Do you need to book to play darts at The Eagle?
- No booking is needed. It is a free pub board, so you turn up, wait your turn and play. The exception is league nights, when the board may be in use for CoLDA matches.
- What are The Eagle's opening hours?
- Monday to Thursday it is open 11:00 to 23:00, Friday and Saturday 11:00 to 01:00, and Sunday 12:00 to 22:30. Note that under-18s are not allowed in after 7pm.
- Does The Eagle serve food?
- No. The Eagle does not have a kitchen or serve food. It is a drinks-and-games local with keg lagers (no cask ale), a jukebox and Sky Sports, so eat before you visit.
- What is the nearest station to The Eagle?
- Homerton Overground station is the closest, roughly a four-minute walk (about 250 metres) away.
Other darts bars nearby
- The Eagle Hackney (Homerton, E9)
- The Beer Merchants Tap Hackney Wick, E9
- The Lock Inn Hackney Hackney
- The Lock Inn Hackney Wick, E15
- The Victoria (Bow) Bow (Tower Hamlets), E3
- Palm Tree Mile End (Tower Hamlets), E3