Best Arcades In London

• Location: 17 Queensway, Bayswater, W2 4QP
• Style of venue: modern bowling alley with a huge arcade room
• Why we recommend: this place offers everything you could ask for under one roof when it comes to entertainment, and the burgers are truly unbelievable too

QUEENS Skate Dine Bowl is a mega arcade experience near Notting Hill. When you're not on their Cruis'n Blast racing games from Nintendo or hitting up Tetris, air hockey and basketball, there's bowling, ice skating and delicious signature cocktails up for grabs.

This is a great pick for birthdays or other celebrations, as they offer a number of private hire packages as well as standard bookings. And the best part? There are juicy burgers from trusted junk food specialists MEATLiquor to keep you satisfied.

• Location: 51 Lavender Gardens, Battersea, SW11 1DJ
• Style of venue: lively pub with an upstairs gaming room
• Why we recommend: there's always something fun going on at The Thieves, whether it's a racing competition or a comedy night. You can easily spend an evening sipping ales and getting competitive here

A Battersea pub with a hidden gaming secret on its top floor, The Thieves (formerly The Four Thieves) are great for a brunch, house-brewed beer, and when that competitive spirit kicks in? One of the best indoor arcades in London.

Head upstairs to The Thieves Gambit floor, which boasts darts, pool, its famous remote control racing, and arcade legends like Mario Kart and House of the Dead - making the venue the ultimate 'adult playground'.

• Location: 221 Grove Road, Bow, E3 5SN
• Style of venue: taproom with a retro arcade
• Why we recommend: we always love nabbing their £4 pint deal, but there's much more than that to discover - the gaming area is perfect for a chilled evening with mates

Though it's not technically an arcade, Pretty Decent Victoria Park Taproom is a trendy bar that's complete with all kinds of fun retro arcade games, as well as table football. It's run by Pretty Decent Beer Co, who are an East London-based brewery that sling out all kinds of pale ales, lagers and stouts from their Czech side-pour taps.

There are also low-intervention wines, cocktails, and even slushies, so there's something for everyone here. Expect a buzzing atmosphere and long, communal tables in their beer hall, and if you visit on Thursdays you can even nab £4 pints as they reveal their new creations.

• Location: 8-10 Castlehaven Road, Camden, NW1 8QU
• Style of venue: family-friendly indoor theme park
• Why we recommend: this is our top pick for anyone with kids, but adults can definitely have fun here too - where else can you go on an indoor rollercoaster?

Set across two floors in Camden, Babylon Park is a fabulous place to channel your inner kid. Along with a mini rollercoaster and drop tower for the ultimate indoor theme park vibes, the venue boasts over 100 cool arcade games and classic amusements to keep everyone entertained.

Entry is free, and you can use an app, card or RFID bracelets to nab your coins for each game across the cashless venue. You'll also find candy floss machines for snacking. One of the best arcades for kids in London? You betcha.

• Location: Fishermans Walk, E14 4DH
• Style of venue: adults-only indoor fairground
• Why we recommend: this retro, colourful space creates a real nostalgic feeling, and their cutting-edge technology allows you to keep track of the scoreboard as you go

One of the most nostalgic spots in the city, Fairgame in Canary Wharf and St Paul's is designed like a fairground - but it's only for adults. They've reimagined all your favourite childhood games, from Whac-A-Mole to Shoot the Clown, found in a colourful, Instagrammable space that will let you unleash your inner big kid.

Their innovative wristband technology will track your scores for you, logging your positions on the leaderboard so you can compare with your friends. There's scrumptious street food available from Rudy's Pizza, the Taco Collective and Burger & Beyond, as well as creative cocktails from the bar - we recommend the popcorn old fashioned.

• Location: The O2, Peninsula Square, Greenwich, SE10 0DX
• Style of venue: an immersive activity bar with an arcade room
• Why we recommend: this lively venue is packed full of entertainment, both classic and virtual, and it's a particularly great choice for football fans

Though the main attraction at TOCA Social may be its simulation football experience, this quirky Greenwich venue also comes with classic arcade games. Think table football and multiple different arcade machines, as well as other fun touches like a photobooth and karaoke.

You can catch all the biggest sporting event while you play, thanks to their huge screens. Sip signature cocktails like the Pitch Invader or a Wred Card, paired with scrumptious plates like steamed Korean chicken bao buns, beef birria tacos and beef or plant-based smash burgers.

• Location: 53-54 Berwick Street, Soho, W1F 8SP
• Style of venue: cocktail bar filled with retro arcade games
• Why we recommend: their themed cocktails add a fun twist to any night of gaming, and they've got every arcade machine you could ask for here. Plus, the interiors are super fun too

Games and Crash Bandicoot cocktails (Aku Aku Fruit Punch, anyone?) are on the cards over at the neon-splattered NQ64, possibly the best arcade bar London has to offer. With sites in Soho and Shoreditch, this is a hangout for really getting your performance game on across Guitar Hero and Dancing Stage.

Plus, if you're more of a button basher, then there's everything from Street Fighter and other retro arcade games to retro consoles like MegaDrive, original PlayStations or Super Nintendo waiting too. Plus, the cool graffiti interiors make from some pretty great Instagram pictures.

• Location: 1 New Change, St Paul's, EC4M 9AF
• Style of venue: sleek activity bar offering racing simulators
• Why we recommend: this is a state-of-the-art experience that you won't find anywhere else, complete with simulators that make you feel like you're really an F1 driver, and the food here is excellent too

Taking the usual offering up a notch, F1® Arcade is your home of world-first, official simulation racing from Formula 1®. Thanks to full-motion and audio-visual effects, 69 state of the art racing simulators will immerse you in an experience of famous tracks across the world, from Silverstone to Suzuka.

Not only will you be able to zoom around and get your adrenaline pumping across competitive meets, but also grab refreshments from the modern, stylish bar. We're talking killer signature cocktails, alongside an extensive food menu featuring sharing plates, tacos, burgers and so much more.

• Location: 187 Rye Lane, Peckham, SE15 4TP
• Style of venue: retro arcade bar serving cocktails and pizza
• Why we recommend: for a true hit of nostalgia, you can't go wrong with Four Quarters. Groove to live music as you play Pac-Man, before settling down at one of their tables with pizzas and inventive cocktails

Fancy retro arcades in London? Giving you old-school American vibes in various locations such as Peckham, London Bridge, Hackney and Elephant and Castle, Four Quarters promises themed cocktails, an impressive happy hour and gaming across a choice of 15 original, restored arcade cabs (dating from the late 70s up to the early 2000s) or 10 retro consoles.

This is the ultimate hit of nostalgia, taking you back to the good old days of Pac-Man, Space Invaders and Asteroids. They're also serving up some tasty pizzas if all that excitement makes you peckish, and you can catch regular DJ sets, live music or comedy too.

• Location: 9th Floor, Hyatt Place London City East, 45 Whitechapel Road, E1 1DU
• Style of venue: rooftop bar with retro games
• Why we recommend: this is a great choice for anyone who wants to compete against others at old-school games, and we can't get enough of those views

Level up your night at 16-Bit Sky Bar, a retro gaming social from REZtron, taking over the Sky Bar at Hyatt Place London City East. This ultimate throwback event brings together classic 80s and 90s games - from Pac-Man and Street Fighter II to Sonic, Aladdin, and Virtua Cop -  all played on original SEGA consoles, CRT TVs, and big-screen projectors.

Get ready for competitive gaming, drinks, live music, and panoramic views of London's skyline, all packed into a stylish 9th-floor rooftop bar.

• Location: Arch 407, Mentmore Terrace, Hackney, E8 3PP
• Style of venue: mini golf and gaming bar
• Why we recommend: there are multiple different activities here, so we never get bored - particularly with one of their delicious cocktails in hand

While Plonk might be known for its fun miniature golf sessions, the venue also offers some of the best arcade games for adults in London at the Hackney location. Plus, it's a pretty affordable choice too.

Grab a cocktail and get stuck into a plethora of machines from classics such as pinball to Point Blank and more, as well as stacks-upon-stacks of boardgames for some at-the-table action. They even host bottomless brunches on Saturdays as well.

• Location: 27-29 Endell Street, Covent Garden, WC2H 9BA
• Style of venue: sports bar with arcade games
• Why we recommend: this place is always full of energy, with countless entertainment options to choose from - which attracts a diverse crowd too

One of the quirkiest bars in the city, Bloodsports has got lots of retro arcade machines to play with friends or partners. That's not all though, as this haven of entertainment also promises pinball, pool tables and karaoke - alongside 30 HD screens showing live sports and horror films after dark.

The unique venue is themed around the horror genre, as well as some decor reminiscent of a classic American sports bar. Plus, MEATliquor are in the kitchen, whipping up the likes of Buffalo chicken burgers, bacon-wrapped hotdogs and hash browns.