London’s most entertaining venues

You’ll seriously work up an appetite at bounce: this place is the home of ping pong! The venue holds up to 500 guests and welcomes large parties. Here, you are invited to “create memories around the table” by playing either classic ping pong, high-tech interactive wonder ball games, shuffleboard, and even beer pong! After expending so much energy, you’ll be ravenous, and happily the menu at Bounce offers an array of great-tasting food. From loaded nachos, popcorn cauliflower, and grilled Padron peppers to start, and a large pizza menu to follow, there’s plenty to keep you satisfied. The drinks menu is equally pleasing, and the cocktails are particularly impressive (and cheap).

What could be more entertaining than dining at the top of one of London’s most impressive buildings, soaking up the city’s spectacular views? Here, you’ll find a house DJ playing each night, and once a week there’s a live music performance, featuring an assortment of different bands. The atmosphere is sophisticated, and the food and drink certainly live up to the breathtaking surroundings. From British classics (roast chicken, rib-eye steak, beef burger) to more modern dishes (roasted root vegetable cottage pie, spiced sweet potato and coconut soup), you won’t be disappointed. There’s also a knock-out kids’ menu – two coursed are only £16.95, and we promise it’s worth leaving room for dessert, not least for the clementine posset! The restaurant also offers a breakfast and brunch menu. Not one to miss.

This one is for those looking for something seriously avant-garde. Eating dinner in the pitch black? Yes really! An immersive, highly sensory experience, Dans Le Noir is the brainchild of French entrepreneur Edouard de Broglie, whose intention was to provide diners with an experience like no other. Eating in the dark – according to the restaurant chefs – allows customers to re-evaluate their perception of taste and “reclaim their senses”. The experience is made possible by a guide, who will lead you through the menu. It’s not all gimmicks, though. The ingredients used to prepare the dishes are 80 per cent organic, and each dish optimises seasonal flavours. You won’t get to pick your dishes (that’s part of the fun), but there are vegan and vegetarian menus available. After experiencing your meal in the dark, the team will present you with photographs of the food and drink that you were served – to see if any caught you by surprise. Did we mention that all your waiters and waitresses are blind?

If you’re looking to add a touch of magic to your London dining experience, then look no further than an afternoon tea at Wands and Wizards Exploratorium. Here you’ll be invited to use working magic wands to brew interactive teas and taste fantastical treats. Begin with a selection of “sand-witches”, sample some “elven scones”, and finish with a taste of “wizard sweets” (we particularly liked the pumpkin cheesecake verrine). After selecting your wand, you will be led to an interactive workstation where you cast spells to control your tea stand, open your locked puzzle chess, and reveal your ingredients. The experience is totally immersive! At £42 per person, this afternoon tea isn’t cheap, but it certainly makes for an exciting and unique way to celebrate a special occasion.

Supermax is a hidden, underground bar that celebrates all things disco. Each Friday, DJs spin Italian-influenced disco under a huge mirror ball until the early hours. If you pop in before that (5:30pm-7pm), you can get your hands on exquisitely prepared cocktails, served with small plates of cicchetti, for less than £10! The atmosphere is buzzing, decked out in pink neon lights, and the staff are super friendly. The drinks menu is extensive – from retro cocktails to fortified wines – so there’s something for everyone. For an entertaining evening suitable for just about anybody, then look no further.

The Loading group is a trio of laidback and welcoming gaming bars with venues in Brighton, Peckham and Stoke Newington. You’ll find stacks of board games, console stations and retro arcade machines all ready and waiting for you to play for free. While you play, you can sip on a huge selection of gaming themed cocktails. Some of the incredible creations that they’ve shaken up include a Super Mario 3D Land rum cocktail garnished with actual button mushrooms; a Resident Evil drink with syringes containing alcohol; and a classic gin bramble reimagined as a Pokéball!

It’s pretty much impossible to be bored in Boom Battle Bar… This neon-adorned wonderland offers up a huge array of games, including axe throwing, crazy golf, shuffleboard, beer pong, darts, the list goes on… There’s a decent food menu too, with fast food favourites to keep you fueled up for fighting, from sauce smothered wings and mounds of nachos to plenty of hot dogs and burger variations. If it’s Dutch courage you’re after too, then the drinks menu features cocktail jugs, trees and paddles, as well as a number of classic and signature serves…

Tucked down an alley off Hackney Road, you’ll find a hidden gem of a pub and venue. The Sebright Arms has hosted a number of memorable and even secret gigs by the likes of Charli XCX and The Vaccines. Even if there isn’t some cool cult band playing, it’s worth a wander here as there are other regular events — including a pub quiz — to get involved in. While you’re working those brain cells, you can be fed and watered by a selection of beers and lagers and a menu of naan wraps, burgers and Sunday roasts that also cater to vegan punters.

Located in the music hub of Shepherd’s Bush, Next Door Records is a laidback sanctuary for vinyl lovers. By day, you can grab a coffee and a bite and sit in the suntrap of a window counter, while evenings bring live performances and DJ sets accompanied by beers, cocktails and natural wines. Cowboy Pizzas provide the chow with their ‘neo-Americanish’ pies that include the Reverse Cowboy, which comes with cheese on the bottom and tomato on the top, and the Naughty Cowboy, topped with pepperoni. Apparently, there’s a second branch in the pipeline too… High Fidelity fans, rejoice.

If you thought golf was reserved only for retirees and wealthy Americans, then think again. You don’t even need to leave the capital to try out your swing, or even learn from industry-leading professionals. Caddi Club Fulham is an indoor golf simulation experience which is (in reality!) positioned picturesquely overlooking the Thames and makes for an entertaining jaunt whether you’re serious about your handicap or you just fancy having some fun. There’s a menu full of temptations here, offering everything from chicken tenders to lobster rolls and the Caddi Club’s classic club sandwich… The cocktails are on theme too — PGA Tour Star Martini, anyone?