Soon we’re all going to start hibernating, putting on our largest jackets, getting the boots and wellies out and wondering whether it’s really worth going out anywhere at all. Well don’t let the winter hibernation wave beat you! It’s ALL about going out still and not even cosying up to a fire, it’s all about getting active indoors this winter.
We have put together a list of the best activity bars in London that we think will keep some action in your lives over the winter months whilst of course having a few drinks to keep the cockles warm.
Bowling! A great winter sport. All Star Lanes can be found in Holborn, Bayswater, Brick Lane, and Stratford City. All Star Lanes combines food, drink and of course bowling. If you’re no good it really doesn’t matter, you won’t feel like you are being spied upon here for your skills as everyone is just generally out to have a good time. The venues also have nights on here and there with the odd theme and some great offers for example every Saturday at Holborn is Shake Rattle and Bowl where members can get £3.95 cocktails all night.
Ping pong – it’s so hot right now. The newest ping pong lair to open up is Bounce in Holborn. Set on the vey site where ping pong was first invented Bounce has just launched today. It is quite a serious ping pong contender with shower and changing rooms and lockers for those that want to get sweaty around the tables. For those that don’t there are cocktails and pizza to wash the experience down with.
It’s been around for a while but the virtual golf craze (see what we did there) seemed to come and go pretty fast. Now is the time to revisit it with longer, darker evenings and pretend you are off putting somewhere gloriously scenic next to your little golf buggy.
Urban golf has three indoor golf venues and anyone at any level of golf expertise can play. On the menu to fuel your putt are sandwiches, burgers and sharing platters. You will find prices halved to play on Sundays and Mondays and on Friday nights after 5 groups can play for £25 per hour.
The Hurricane Room is in Kings Cross and is a pool players paradise. The club has just had a £500,000 refurbishment and now looks dapper as anything. The club mixes pub, pool room, snooker club and poker lounge under one roof and has some great offers for example 3 beers for £7 and a pint of Carling for £12. The club is open around the clock, serves alcohol until 5am and has 10 snooker tables, 6 English pool tables, 9 American pool tables and 2 poker booths.
Just about to relaunch is Karaoke Box Smithfield ready to warm up your vocal boxes on those cold winter nights. Karaoke Box has numerous booths all of different sizes that can be rented out by the hour or for the night. There is also a cocktail bar and pizza on offer to keep you singing all night long.
A traditional Victorian pub, The Bell in Spitalfields keeps it simple with its straight forward darts room. For the lazier among us where winter really does mean doing nothing this is your best bet. There is a classic pub food menu and a good choice of beers and wines. The Bell also holds regular open mic nights which you can have a go at once you have practiced your vocal ability at Karaoke Box.
