Bad Moon Cafe image

Bad Moon Cafe

Cafe Coffee shop Board game club

Easygoing board game venue serving sandwiches & pizza, plus beer & coffee. People often mention games, board, great, play, selection, good, tables, staff, Warhammer, friendly,


Address

159a Great Dover St, London SE1 4GZ, United Kingdom

Website

www.badmooncafe.co.uk

Contact

+44 20 3654 7032

Rating on Google Maps

4.80 (659 reviews)

Open on Google Maps

Working Hours

  • Monday: 2 to 10 PM
  • Tuesday: 2 to 10 PM
  • Wednesday: 2 to 10 PM
  • Thursday: 2 to 10 PM
  • Friday: (Good Friday), 2 to 10 PM, Holiday hours
  • Saturday: 10 AM to 10 PM
  • Sunday: 10 AM to 6 PM

Featured Reviews


Frequently mentioned in reviews: games (42) board (24) great (23) play (16) selection (16) good (16) tables (15) staff (15) Warhammer (14) friendly (14)
Reviews are sorted by relevance, prioritizing the most helpful and insightful feedback at the top for easier reference.
  • 5/5 Nick G. 1 year ago on Google • 195 reviews
    Board games, beer, coffee, snacks and Warhammer at a decent price. I don’t know anything about Warhammer, but by the amount of space, stuff on offer and passionate people there, clearly this is one of the places to be. My kids watched people paint models and painstakingly create setups. It may not be our thing but there’s no doubt it is theirs. We came to play board games with friends, a great deal given kids under 16 are free and adults are £5 to play an unlimited amount of games. Decent sized tables, hot chocolate, tasty bottled beer and snacks helped us have an enjoyable 3 hours or so. It does seem like you might need to reserve in the evening. The decor is part ‘stripped back’ and part ‘instagram paint strips’ with some tasteful addition of plants. It works, doesn’t feel too overbearing or arty cafe. The toilets are decent though right at the back past all the Warhammer tables. There’s lots of just normal tables at the front which are ideal for parties of 4-6. Staff were friendly and clearly had personality in the best way possible. It was quick to order and all the food and drinks were well made with everything looking clean. There are definitely other ‘board game’ cafes and this one is certainly more than that, but it’s one of choose again as a comfy and welcoming place to play.
    4 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Leo C. 4 years ago on Google • 32 reviews
    A premier tabletop gaming venue. It is a little more formal in that you book sessioned slots, but don’t use that as a negative. The tables are full sized 6x4, with excellent quality terrain and mats. Thoughtful layouts, which are themed and can be picked during booking. The tables also have extra space on the ends for books and dice, but also have storage underneath for bags and jackets! Genius! A pair of stools are supplied for each table and there’s genuine space to move around. Plenty of stock on the shelves, and if you want to do something other than war game, you can pick from the boardgames library. Additionally, food and drink is available on site. Proper gourmet style pizza and a nice selection of beers and drinks. All served up by quality staff. Can’t find any fault with the place at all to be honest!
    5 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 3/5 Ki M. 1 year ago on Google
    I have been here multiple times. I really enjoy the cheap and good quality drinks on offer. I always come with friends for board games, the game tables are big enough and they have an okay range of board games to play. However, during my last visit, the weather became quite hot (23 degrees) and the cafe only opened half a door with no ventilation or fan at all. We were sweating and suffocating inside…. I won’t come here again during summer.
    3 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Arjun P. 2 years ago on Google • 154 reviews
    Incredible place to play a huge array of games - while I am not a Warhammer player, the sets are incredible to see! Also, great selection of pizzas and good service, making for a phenomenal event. Highly recommended for a different sort of group activity.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 Panzani C. 5 months ago on Google • 382 reviews
    Pizza was OK, cookie was yum Lighting is OK. Games are great. Customer service is good.

  • 5/5 Isaac R. 8 months ago on Google • 13 reviews
    Had this place saved for a while and ended up there on a Saturday. It's loud, gets a bit warm, and decoration is sparse so it's absolutely perfect. Lovely, jovial staff, good range on the menu, better range on the board games. Easily burnt 5 hours and for a fiver each will definitely be back
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Milan S. 7 months ago on Google • 222 reviews
    Make sure you book in advance to guarantee a table. The staff were lovely enough to let us go on the side table near the bar. There are a range of different games!! A brilliant location for everyone

  • 5/5 Geo 1 month ago on Google • 10 reviews New
    Incredible place for a wholesome day out in pairs or larger groups. £5 per person for unlimited use of the space and all their games - we stayed a few hours playing board games, but many many people showed up to play War Hammer which was super fascinating to watch and learn about. Would definitely recommend for a fun, interactive day/ night out
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 Bryn W. 4 months ago on Google
    Was previously very hot and loud, but new air conditioning and sound absorbing panels have made it a lovely place to be at any time. The only fault I have is the limited food offering - just (very nice) sandwiches and pizza - but to be fair it is a café first and foremost. Staff are very friendly and helpful. You can use a table for hobbying and painting or sketching or just chatting. You need to pay a small fee per person to play any board games - either from their library or if you bring your own.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Mariia I. 1 year ago on Google
    first time visiting and had a blast of a time! a very good selection of board games and the whole atmosphere was very chill and comforting. and not just us, every table around seemed to be having fun and were enjoying their time. it was just a very good evening to spend at this place. we haven't had food this time (will definitely try it out next time!) but the snack selection was very varied, from pork scratchings to an enormous selection of chocolates, cookies, chili coated peanuts, anything you can think of. definitely coming back.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Kevin Rodriguez L. 1 year ago on Google
    Grest vibe, lovely staff, lots of games, great beer choice. Pizza is quite overpriced for the size but it tasted damn good! So I’m torn ;) Can’t wait to come back.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Harry Z. 8 months ago on Google
    Quite a large cafe with friendly staff and a nice variety of board games. The surcharge for the board games was £5 which is reasonable and with an unlimited time allowed - which was awesome! There are lots of tables for Warhammer, which I hadn’t previously known anything about, but from what I can tell, this place provides everything you need for it. The coffee I had also tasted great. Would recommend!
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Joseph “joeshmo” Edwards R. 7 months ago on Google • 3 reviews
    Incredibly welcome and friendly Board Game and Tabletop Game cafe! Been here to play board games, drink and eat multiple times and had a great time every visit! Often come here to buy Warhammer and paints and always find what I look for. The atmosphere at BM is wonderful, inclusive and I wish I spent more time here. I was going to say it gets very hot when busy, but I know they have air conditioning now!
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 James Q. 1 year ago on Google
    Came here two consecutive nights with friends and had a great time both nights. The place has a friendly atmosphere, a good selection of games, but honestly the staff really make it. The place has a great team, with a particular shout out to the gentleman with the beard who helped me out both times. And to the lovely member of staff who helped with some Magic the Gathering stuff, I hope to play your phyrexian commander deck sometime, you were awesome. All in all, a really great experience, I’ll be back! (It was even good enough I bought the staff a round of drinks)
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Max H. 2 years ago on Google
    As an mtg player, they have a decent stock of cards but more importantly are constantly running drafts, commander games and tournaments (two mtg events most weeks). I attended a prerelease and it was a great experience, staff always friendly, nice food and drinks and a general great atmosphere. What’s not to love?
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 joseph l. 2 months ago on Google • 73 reviews New
    The atmosphere was great here, even for a weekday evening. The pizza was ok - I was glad to see vegan options. The main thing was to play boardgames here: and we had a few great games. However, we were somewhat surprised at the relatively small range of games to choose from.

  • 5/5 Richard A. 1 month ago on Google • 20 reviews New
    I attended Bad Moon Cafe while I was down in London for work and fancied a few games of commander. The shop is great, well laid out and has a great atmosphere. I met some great folks here and can highly recommend it.

  • 5/5 William H. 1 month ago on Google • 12 reviews New
    A fantastic venue for Warhammer and board game lovers. The wargaming tables have a nice selection of scenery with various themes, and a good amount of space to each side for rulebooks and dice rolling. There is a wide selection of boardgames to play, and the selection is the shop is good too. The recent addition of air conditioning and noise dampening panels is fantastic. Staff are always friendly, the coffee and beer is good. Pizzas are a tad on the pricey side, but are delicious. All round the best gaming café in London

  • 3/5 Chandni P. 5 months ago on Google • 9 reviews
    Price is reasonable and price for drinks is fair. Staff are friendly and you definitely don’t feel rushed at all to leave by a certain time which was great. We spent about 5 hours there! There is only one small wall with board games. The rest was war hammer stuff which is great if that is what you are into. I was expecting a lot more actual board games to pick from. A few of the games we played (ticket to ride) was extremely worn. Mixed gender toilet and it was very basic - could be modernised

  • 5/5 Sammie D. 3 weeks ago on Google • 4 reviews New
    I love visiting Bad Moon, we go semi frequently for the board games library and at £7 p/person is a really good deal too! Pre booking is recommended to avoid disappointment. The food and drinks on offer are what I'd call standard gaming snack options; non alcoholic and alcoholic with options for sweet and savoury snacks and the local pizza place works alongside Bad Moon as well.

  • 5/5 Christos N. 1 year ago on Google
    Bad Moon Cafe simply rocks 🤘first of all, they’re super friendly, and then, they do Commander/sealed Magic the Gathering nights, AND Warhammer 40K, AND board games, AND they have beer on tap. What else can human being ask from their life?!

  • 5/5 Aiden E. 1 year ago on Google
    A tabletop gamer that hasn't heard of Bad Moon Cafe? Time to change that! Their main tables are aimed at tabletop games such as Warhammer, Star Wars etc, but there is also ample areas for more casual board or card games. There's also a bar and pizza menu! There's plenty of windows allows actual sunlight in, which is apparently somewhat unique for tabletop establishments in London. Bad Moon Cafe also hosts a number of tables at the back for various 3rd party painting and modelling workshops! The small downside is that, at £15 to hire a large gaming table, it's not cheap.

  • 5/5 Kayley S. 1 year ago on Google
    Really nice game board cafe 👍 would recommend. The staff are very helpful and friendly. There are also Warhammer tables for those who are into that.

  • 5/5 Glenn W. 1 year ago on Google
    Superb way to spend 7 hours! Very fair pricing structure to play the games. Great day with friends, good selection of games to play as well as watching the Warhammer enthusiasts set up on the bespoke tables. Good food and drink options (mainly pizza for the food!) and a really friendly team - thoroughly recommend.

  • 5/5 Hyewon S. 1 year ago on Google
    Amazing location for board game lovers in London - super competitive price (£5 pp for unlimited duration, unlike other cafes that charge £5/6 every 3 hours). The coffees and beers are also very reasonably priced, and the staff are also incredibly friendly. Good selection of games to play. Always a treat to walk past the war games section of the cafe to admire what other people are playing!

  • 5/5 Moominpappa 1 year ago on Google
    Super cool. What's not to love? Board games, Warhammer, pizza, beer and friends. Played a bunch of board games and drank copious amounts of beer. It was a great day, the staff are great and very friendly. A must visit.

  • 5/5 Kira B. 1 year ago on Google
    Loved this place! I love board games cafes, and this one didn't disappoint. It's not a particularly pretty cafe, but it has lots of games (and some impressive-looking warhammer tables, although I don't play that) and when I went with my sister on a Thursday afternoon/evening it was packed. I didn't think we'd have to book, but it was full and we had to wait for a table. One of the guys working there offered 3 suggestions for 2-player games when I asked. He was very friendly and happy to help, and took the time to find the game boxes for me too, not just name them for me to find. We were pleased that there were vegan options available (and gluten-free). We had the vegan vegetarian pizza which was not bad for vegan cheese. The cocktails aren't bad, but a bit expensive for what you get. 2 for £14 between 7 and 9pm though. We spent around £45, but this is because we ate and had cocktails as well as just playing, it doesn't have to be that expensive. It costs £5pp to play the games, but you can stay as long as you like, which is awesome!

  • 5/5 Hal C. 2 years ago on Google
    Excellent selection of board games and entry is only £5 per person for as long as you want. Also ordered a capuccino which was good.

  • 5/5 Lori K. 2 years ago on Google
    The boyfriend keeps bringing me here, he must love it or something 😂 Nice selection of coffee, tea and alcoholic options. Bf loves the Warhammer tables and shop bit. I like there's a board game rental option there too. Sign offers coffee, tea, and human beings. Still waiting on the fresh order of human beings though

  • 5/5 Emily M. 2 years ago on Google
    Top notch! Great cafe with amazing selection of games. There were a few spare tables when I arrived on a Wednesday at 6.30. you can't book for board games (I think you can for Warhammer). Pizza was delicious and staff were great.

  • 5/5 Karen K. 2 years ago on Google
    The alcohol free lager (Nirvana) wasn't terrible and they had vegan sandwiches. The atmosphere was really buzzing and the staff were great.

  • 5/5 Rachel L. 2 years ago on Google
    A good selection of boardgames available for £5pp with no time limit. Meaning you can spend the whole day there paying a small entry fee! It's a great & affordable day-out activity with friends / family. Although one of the games we played had missing components (not critical for gameplay), we wouldn't complain about that for the price we were paying. The cafe has a decent selection of pizzas and drinks. Staff were amazing. We went on a friend's birthday and the staff played happy birthday for us when we took the surprise cake out. We spent a lovely time there and would definitely visit again.


Call +44 20 3654 7032 Open on Google Maps

Amenities


  • Pets
    • ✓️ Dogs allowed
  • Payments
    • ✓️ Debit cards
    • ✓️ Credit cards
    • ✓️ NFC mobile payments
  • Offerings
    • ✓️ Beer
    • ✓️ Wine
    • ✓️ Coffee
    • ✓️ Alcohol
    • ✓️ Cocktails
    • ✓️ Hard liquor
    • ✓️ Prepared foods
    • ✓️ Late-night food
    • ✓️ Happy hour drinks
    • ✓️ Free water refills
    • ✓️ Vegetarian options
  • Accessibility
    • ✗ Assistive hearing loop
    • ✓️ Wheelchair accessible seating
    • ✓️ Wheelchair accessible entrance
    • ✓️ Wheelchair accessible restroom
    • ✗ Wheelchair accessible parking lot
  • Dining options
    • ✓️ Lunch
    • ✓️ Dinner
    • ✓️ Seating
    • ✓️ Catering
  • Service options
    • ✓️ Dine-in
    • ✓️ Takeout
    • ✗ Delivery
    • ✓️ Outdoor seating

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