Draughts image

Draughts

Restaurant Bar Event venue Gastropub Beer hall Game store Board game club

One of the Most Reviewed Game stores in London


Address

41 Kingsland High St, London E8 2JS, United Kingdom

Website

www.draughtslondon.com

Contact

+44 7930 936237

Price rating

$$ $$

Rating on Google Maps

4.30 (1.5K reviews)

Open on Google Maps

Working Hours

  • Thursday: 12 to 11:30 PM
  • Friday: 12 PM to 12 AM
  • Saturday: 10 AM to 12 AM
  • Sunday: 10 AM to 11:30 PM
  • Monday: Closed
  • Tuesday: 3 to 11:30 PM
  • Wednesday: 3 to 11:30 PM

Featured Reviews


Frequently mentioned in reviews: games (38) great (27) staff (19) game (19) time (17) play (16) board (14) friendly (11) service (11) good (10)
Reviews are sorted by relevance, prioritizing the most helpful and insightful feedback at the top for easier reference.
  • 5/5 Dr Jesica Mac L. 4 months ago on Google • 1934 reviews
    Awesome place for gatherings to play games for groups and even 2 people. Great selection and variety and also food options! Gorgeous building with Victorian style! It would be great to have more guidance about the games as in the Waterloo location
    6 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Joana C. 2 years ago on Google
    There are several different board games in the shelves that you can choose or ask for help to the staff as they are friendly and knowledgeable of the games. Food is good, I loved the fried mushrooms. Quick one: You have to book a slot in advance.
    4 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 3/5 hasaninlondon 1 year ago on Google • 99 reviews
    At £6 for entrance fee, we stayed for 2.5hrs but came on a Tuesday afternoon. It was quiet, and I'm sure they would've let us stay longer too but I head to head back. We encountered upon a new game called Ticket To Ride Europe. The staff took 10mins to explain it to my wife & I and we absolutely loved it. It was a very easy game to learn. I bought it the next day.
    3 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Richard B. 10 months ago on Google • 87 reviews
    I recently visited Draughts in Hackney and had an absolute blast playing Crokinole! It's a fantastic game that's both engaging and easy to pick up. Whether you're playing seriously or just for fun, Crokinole is a must-try game and I highly recommend it. The staff at Draughts were extremely friendly and helpful, answering any questions we had about the game. The venue itself is massive, with plenty of space to play and enjoy your time. We loved the look of the place as well - it has a really cool and relaxed vibe. In addition to Crokinole, Draughts has a great selection of games to choose from, including old favourites and some of the best new games on the market. It's easy to find and I'm already planning my return visit. Overall, if you're looking for a fun and engaging gaming experience in a great atmosphere, look no further than Draughts in Hackney. It's a must-visit spot for any game lover! Oh we didn’t try the food but it did look good, £7 a head booking, pretty standard Price for a Saturday, we was there for 2 or so hours, and again had a great time, Thank you
    3 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Leon N. 7 months ago on Google • 34 reviews
    There's a big selection of games to choose from, a decent food menu and different decor as you move around the place. It was quiet when I was there on my own, played a coop game solo and had a burger, cherry pie and two pints of diet coke. With service charge and gaming fee (£7) it was £43, but we're in London here so was expected. It was a great way to spend 3 hours. Had a nice chat with one of the staff too about NRB, and saw the table that NRB used to play on. All in all, really enjoyable.
    3 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 2/5 Seif A. 1 month ago on Google • 8 reviews New
    The great variety of games do not compensate for the terrible service they have. The people working there are decent people. However, the food came in an hour late. When tap water came to the table, no glasses came with it. Staff are hard to reach to ask or request something. No tissues were given with food. This is definitely a problem with us playing a game with cards involved. It delayed our game time making our experience worse as we couldn't finish the game because of these delays. Bathroom with no mirror in front of the tap while washing hands. No tissues for drying up hands. I guess the place mainly lacks good service when it is busy as it was a Saturday
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Sam S. 1 month ago on Google • 726 reviews New
    This venue’s previous life as an eel, pie and mash shop (no really) gives it a strong speakeasy vibe as you walk through to the surprisingly large gaming space at the back. Huge board game selection, atmospheric surroundings, and friendly staff = a great place to game with friends. If you found my review or photos helpful please leave a quick thumbs up 👍 Thank you!♟️

  • 4/5 Charlie 8 months ago on Google • 35 reviews
    We enjoyed 2 hours here and for £7 adult and £3.50 thought it was reasonable! Lots of choice, large tables and a range of seating. Very much left to your own devices and staff mostly just there to serve food. Food mostly good- fish tacos weren't for me but corn ribs great! One of the games was incomplete- flagged this up and was suggested we rummage through the spares box which wasn't very fruitful. That said mostly in good+ condition and lots to go around! We'll definitely be back 👍🏻
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Melissa G. 1 year ago on Google
    Great place to play with a variety of board games and chill. Good staff. I just wished the coffee machine would work till late
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 Alice O. 1 year ago on Google
    Went yesterday evening and had a lovely time. We were made to feel very welcome. We were confused, when we first came into the building as the front entrance doesn't show how big it is out back at all. We were first seated at the front but it didn't feel as cozy and to be honest we felt a bit awkward. We asked a lovely lady, if we could sit out back and she happily moved us. We felt so much more comfortable out back and relaxed. The gentlemen helped us find games we had never played before and got us set up. Didn't mind the £6 playing fee, especially as people could sit there for hours without drinking or eating anything. ( Which we would probably do next time) As the menu, didn't appeal to us at all. It was just basic and expensive considering,you've already paid £6 just to be there. If we come again we would probably just play games and ask for tap water
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 3/5 Amanda C. 1 year ago on Google
    Great idea for a pub. Unfortunately we were the only people there so no real vibe (was a Sunday though) Choice of games are amazing if you’re happy to pay £6 a head. Also 12.5%service charge for going to the bar to get your own drinks was off putting. Would recommend if you’re really into board games but not for a casual drink
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Aimee H. 4 months ago on Google
    In London for 1 night and had heard great things so (after a 7 hour drive) headed straight here for a meal and some games and I'm so glad we did. Our server was absolutely fantastic, including swapping some great tips about games and fantasy novels. Food was delicious and reasonable prices, the range of games was excellent and the atmosphere was amazing. Games have been categorised to help people pick them, and everything from Connect 4 to 7 Wonders was being enjoyed by everyone. Such a wonderful place! £7 per person for the table (3 hours) and then drinks and food as well makes this a great evening.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Jatin P. 1 year ago on Google
    Widest collection of games to play. Food and drinks available on site. Very large area to play and socialise. Would highly recommend as a different sort of gathering. It's definitely worth a visit.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Valeria Fonseca D. 5 months ago on Google • 176 reviews
    So the place was great, good selection of games although they are missing quite a lot of amazing ones. The selection for two-player games was not the best. The tables are super comfortable to play and eat. The food was also great. However, it might be quite pricey. 7£ of admission fee, ~20£ on a small meal + drink, and service fee ~12%. So for 3 hours of one game session for 2 people, we went away with a bill of 54£.

  • 5/5 E 2 months ago on Google • 21 reviews New
    Really great place to play board games with a group of friends. We had a lovely time! So wholesome. Great range of games and never ran out of new ones to try too. 100% would recommend!

  • 5/5 Louise 2 months ago on Google • 12 reviews New
    I had a great time, staff is very friendly and Isaac in particular was great in helping us to choose a game and even kindly took the time to explain the rules! I hope he gets a great bonus because he is really helpful and knowledgeable at his job, and really made the experience more enjoyable for us!

  • 5/5 Hannah G. 2 weeks ago on Google • 5 reviews New
    Great place, staff were friendly and attentive and there were so many board games to choose from to play! We didn't get much food, just some nachos and fries, but the nachos were topped with pulled pork and they were really tasty. The beer tasted great, cold and fresh. We had a great time, lots of fun :)

  • 1/5 Daniel S. 3 months ago on Google • 4 reviews New
    Reserved a table with my partner to dine and play for her birthday. We ordered burgers and Korean fried chicken. The Korean fried chicken was amazing. However, the burgers were not as warm as we'd like them to be but they were fine nonetheless. We've received our hot chocolates lukewarm too, though we were too tired to ask for new ones. We would've at least appreciated if the staff checked on us if the food and drinks were fine but they never came to check back. Our gaming experience was average. Although, we would've probably had more fun playing our board games at home, as we were a bit rushed by the 3 hour limit and had to play in a dimly lit area. We were also unable to find a game we wanted to play that was displayed available on the website (Burgle Bros 2: Casino Capers), though understandably another table may have been using it. The worst part of our experience was at the end. Having paid our bill, with the service charge, the waitress that was serving us found it appropriate to lecture my partner to return the boardgames: "Next time, put the board games back". We knew this already as this wasn't our first time in Draughts, though we had a long tiring day and we simply forgot. She was also rolling her eyes, miserably cleaning up a few dirty napkins off our table. Will not be returning here. The Draughts in Waterloo, however, is much much better than this one in Hackney.

  • 5/5 Ellen S. 1 year ago on Google
    Such a lovely experience! Staff were very friendly and accommodating. Food was so good and the choice of board games was amazing. Thanks for having us - we will definitely return in the new year!

  • 4/5 Mariyam B. 1 year ago on Google
    A lovely venue for the family to play a wealth of games. Staff are helpful to teach games you've never played. Probably not great for younger kids where they are unable to follow any kind of rule! Also did find that tables were a bit sticky and food/drinks were over-priced

  • 5/5 Sara Z. 4 months ago on Google
    Brilliant price! There's a good selection of games although there were quite a few games I was searching for that unfortunately were at the Waterloo location. I've been twice and the first time I recall the music being too loud, personally don't think music is necessary when everybody is talking whilst they play anyway.

  • 5/5 Amy F. 1 year ago on Google
    Went for my brothers birthday and really enjoyed the experience! The food was a little bit over priced in my opinion (£15 for the burger and £8.50 for the brownie) but it was quite good. All the staff were really welcoming and the board game selection was great. Overall I loved the vibe and it was such fun place to chill.

  • 5/5 Silvia R. 5 months ago on Google
    Always a lovely experience. I come here with two groups of autistic adults I facilitate very often, and it’s one of our favourite places to be. The staff is always so attentive and caring, even when they are super busy. We were here again yesterday, and Laura and Joanna were simply outstanding. Thank you as usual for the great time and see you soon!

  • 5/5 Thyago F. 6 months ago on Google
    They have loads and loads of board games and lots of vegan options. Great service too with friendly staff.

  • 4/5 Mark B. 1 year ago on Google
    Really enjoyable night - staff are super friendly and knowledgable; spent time explaining how various games worked and were very inclusive. The chips are great - weird thing to highlight but they're honestly so good. Not sure how the food is prepared as the burgers came out super quick the first time then took a while the second time around due to one of them being stone cold. Great cocktails though; would definitely go back again and it's great for friends or a date night.

  • 5/5 Tom D. 1 year ago on Google
    Brilliant place to spend an evening, have been here multiple times and it's always fun. Huge thanks to Isaac for recommending multiple games, giving us amazing service and even going out of his way to find a 'retired' game that we asked about. Great to see a board game cafe where the staff are genuinely passionate about the games on offer!

  • 5/5 Sam M. 1 year ago on Google
    Cool place with nice beer and friendly staff. A bargain at £6 to play board games all day from a huge variety of games and that's five stars even without the food. We had the brisket tacos and Korean chicken with crispy sweet potato fries. It was truely done to perfection. Looked great and tasted even better. The kitchen was allergen friendly (as I have an allergy to crustaceans) which they cooked all fish products in a separate fryer. 10/10

  • 5/5 Bee B. 1 year ago on Google
    A thoroughly enjoyable game bar, nice and quiet on the Saturday afternoon when we arrived. Lots of seating. Huge selection of games in the library, helpful staff, lovely coffee.

  • 5/5 Savan G. 2 years ago on Google
    First time visited on Saturday with my best friend and their friends. It was fun playing a variety of board games, the food and drink was great and the staff were brilliant.

  • 2/5 Rosie D. 3 weeks ago on Google • 2 reviews New
    Had to pay a 'deposit' to book a table that turned out to be a fee that we never got back without warning and was overpriced, food and drinks overpriced, service incredibly slow - took us more than 40 mins to order any drinks or food and only after we reminded them 3 times (met with the response 'someone is coming'), didnt uphold the cocktail discount advertised on menu. Given 2 stars because food was very nice and the staff that eventually served us were friendly. I think this is so close to being a great place, if the service was quicker and there was more transparency about the fee. Hopefully the service improves because its a good spot I'd enjoy otherwise.


Call +44 7930 936237 Open on Google Maps

Amenities


  • Accessibility
    • ✓️ Wheelchair accessible seating
    • ✓️ Wheelchair accessible entrance
    • ✓️ Wheelchair accessible restroom
    • ✗ Wheelchair accessible parking lot

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