Photo: Here East
The Lock Inn Hackney: Darts in London
The Lock Inn is an independent local pub on the River Lee Navigation in Hackney Wick, tucked into the Here East complex on the edge of Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. It has a dart board you can play on alongside a big canalside beer garden, eight taps (two of them cask), cocktails and a kitchen turning out burgers and long-proved pizzas. If you want a relaxed game of darts with a proper pint and a riverside spot to sit, rather than a high-tech booking venue, this is the kind of place that suits you. It is dog-friendly and step-free, and the crowd skews local and laid-back. Useful thing to know: it opens at 4pm on weekdays and from noon at weekends, so plan an evening visit midweek.
Contact
- Address 26 East Bay Lane, Here East, Hackney Wick, London, E15 2GW
Opening hours
- Mon 16:00-23:00
- Tue 16:00-23:00
- Wed 16:00-23:00
- Thu 16:00-23:00
- Fri 16:00-23:00
- Sat 12:00-23:30
- Sun 12:00-22:00
Good to know
- Darts
The darts setup
Darts here is the pub kind, not the bookable-oche kind. There is a board you can use during opening hours, and it sits among the usual pub fixtures rather than in a dedicated darts room with automatic scoring. You bring your own arrows or borrow what is around, chalk up your own scores, and play between rounds. It works best as a casual game with mates over a few pints, or as a way to pass time in the beer garden when the weather holds. If you are after a competitive league night or multiple lanes, this is not that venue. For a relaxed throw, it does the job.
Good to know
No booking and no charge for the board, so you can just walk in and play. The pub opens at 4pm Monday to Friday, noon on Saturday until 11:30pm, and noon to 10pm on Sunday, so weekday games are an evening thing. The kitchen does burgers built on short rib, chuck and brisket, plus pizzas with dough proved for around 48 hours and bar snacks. There are eight taps including two cask ales, cocktails and a Sunday roast. The canalside beer garden is heated, it is dog-friendly, and there is step-free access with an accessible toilet.
Getting there
The Lock Inn sits at 26 East Bay Lane in the Here East complex, right on the canal in Hackney Wick, E15 2GW. The nearest station is Hackney Wick on the London Overground, a short walk away, which makes it easy to reach from across east London and the Olympic Park side. The towpath along the River Lee Navigation runs past the door, so it is a natural stop if you are walking or cycling the canal. Beyond darts, the pub runs a Tuesday quiz and traditional Irish music on Friday nights from 7:30pm, with sports on Sky and TNT screens.
Common questions
- What is The Lock Inn in Hackney?
- It is an independent canalside pub in Hackney Wick, in the Here East complex on the edge of Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. Alongside a dart board you can play on, it has a large heated beer garden, eight taps including two cask ales, cocktails, and a kitchen doing burgers and long-proved pizzas.
- Is darts free at The Lock Inn?
- Yes. It is a casual pub dart board with no charge and no booking, so you can just turn up and play during opening hours.
- Do you need to book to play darts at The Lock Inn?
- No. There is no booking system for darts here. It is a walk-in pub board, so you play between rounds when it is free.
- What are The Lock Inn's opening hours?
- It opens 4pm to 11pm Monday to Friday, noon to 11:30pm on Saturday, and noon to 10pm on Sunday. So weekday darts is an evening visit.
- What is the nearest station to The Lock Inn?
- Hackney Wick on the London Overground is the closest station, a short walk from the pub at 26 East Bay Lane, E15 2GW. The canal towpath runs right past the door.
- Is The Lock Inn good for groups?
- Yes. The big canalside beer garden, full food menu and casual dart board make it an easy spot for a relaxed group night, and it is dog-friendly with step-free access.
Other darts bars nearby
- The Lock Inn Hackney Wick, E15
- The Beer Merchants Tap Hackney Wick, E9
- The Eagle (Hackney) Hackney, E9
- The Eagle Hackney (Homerton, E9)
- Gravity MAX (London) Westfield Stratford Westfield Stratford
- Birkbeck Tavern Leyton