Photo: Peter Thwaite
The Queen's Head (Limehouse): Darts in London
The Queen's Head is a Grade II listed corner pub on a quiet Limehouse backstreet, a short walk from Limehouse DLR. It dates back to 1827 and was reopened in December 2023 by a group of locals who run it as a free house. For darts it is a proper old-school East End spot: there are dart boards in the back saloon and, rarer still, a traditional 'Fives' board, the local variant you almost never see anymore. There is a darts team here too, so the boards get real use rather than just hanging on a wall.
If you want a free, walk-in pint-and-darts night with genuine London history behind it, this is the one. Come for the boards, stay for the Thursday quiz and the jukebox.
Contact
- Phone 07542 028219
- Address 8 Flamborough Street, Limehouse, London, E14 7LS
Opening hours
- Mon 12:00-23:00
- Tue 12:00-23:00
- Wed 12:00-23:00
- Thu 12:00-23:00
- Fri 12:00-00:00
- Sat 12:00-00:00
- Sun 12:00-22:00
Good to know
- Darts
The darts setup
Two kinds of darts live here. The back saloon has standard clock dart boards, the ones everyone knows, free to use whenever the room is quiet. The standout is the East End 'Fives' board, an older London design that predates the clock board. It has just twelve segments (only 20, 15, 10 and 5, each appearing three times, with no 1 anywhere), so the usual 501 game becomes 505. The trebles are narrow and the oche sits a long nine feet back, more than a foot further than a normal throw. It plays completely differently. The pub also fields its own darts team, so locals know these boards well.
Good to know
This is a community free house, not a chain, so the darts are free to play. There is no booking system and no timed session: you turn up, grab a pint and use a board if it is free. It helps to come early evening or midweek before the rooms fill. Beyond darts there is a Thursday quiz, a jukebox, live sport on the screens and classic pub food made with local ingredients, with Sunday roasts a regular fixture. The atmosphere is traditional East End local rather than a slick darts bar, which is exactly the point.
Getting there
The pub sits on Flamborough Street in Limehouse, E14 7LS, tucked into a residential stretch off the main roads. The nearest station is Limehouse DLR, which is also on the c2c National Rail line into Fenchurch Street, so it is quick to reach from the City. Westferry and Shadwell DLR are within walking distance too, and Canary Wharf is one short hop away. It is an easy detour if you are exploring the Limehouse and Stepney pubs, and the quiet side-street setting means it rarely feels rammed.
Common questions
- What is The Queen's Head in Limehouse?
- It is a Grade II listed free house at 8 Flamborough Street, Limehouse, E14 7LS, reopened in December 2023 by a group of locals. It is a traditional East End pub with dart boards in the back saloon and a rare 'Fives' board, plus a Thursday quiz, jukebox and pub food.
- Is darts free at The Queen's Head?
- Yes. It is a community free house, so the boards are free to play with no booking and no session fee. You just turn up, get a drink and use a board when it is free.
- Do you need to book to play darts here?
- No. There is no booking system or timed slot. It works like a normal pub board, so walk in and play whenever one is free. Coming early evening or midweek gives you the best chance of an empty board.
- What is a 'Fives' dartboard?
- It is an old East End London board with only twelve segments (20, 15, 10 and 5, each three times, and no 1). Because there is no 1, the standard game is 505 instead of 501. The trebles are narrow and the oche is a long nine feet back, so it plays very differently from a normal clock board.
- How many dart boards does The Queen's Head have?
- The back saloon has standard dart boards plus the traditional East End Fives board. The pub also fields its own darts team, so the boards are in regular use.
- What is the nearest station to The Queen's Head, Limehouse?
- Limehouse DLR is the closest station, which is also on the c2c line to Fenchurch Street. Westferry and Shadwell DLR are also within walking distance.
Other darts bars nearby
- The Queen's Head Limehouse (Tower Hamlets, E14)
- The Coborn Bow / Mile End
- Palm Tree Mile End (Tower Hamlets), E3
- Turner's Old Star Wapping (Tower Hamlets), E1W
- Leadbelly's Bar Southwark Southwark
- Leadbelly's Bar Borough Borough