Draughts Board Game Cafe, London

With quirky venues from secret underground bars to rooftop gardens overlooking the city skyline, London is my go-to place to try something a little different. Last Friday, with the weekend stretching out ahead, I joined Vicky – fellow Contiki-er and all around babe – and her friends to check out Draughts board game cafe in Hackney.
Draughts is the first board game cafe-bar in London and this makes it absolutely perfect for a chilled out evening full of laughter. The cave-like feel of the room makes it feel cosy with a buzzing atmosphere so we got straight down to business: drinks and choosing our first game.

Starting off in the safety of classic Scrabble, Vicky and I came unstuck quite quickly and got stuck into a delicious Ferrero Rocher brownie to compensate. They have a small but tasty looking bar snacks menu and it seems like a great place to have lunch then spend the afternoon trying to beat each other at A Game of Thrones. Picking something more energetic for our second round, Five Second Rule looked like a great option that soon proved to be more stressful than we imagined – trying to think of three ‘films set at sea’ in five seconds was tough after a few G&T’s!
Located just down the road from Haggerston overground station, you’ll find Draughts tucked away in an old railway arch behind the high street. There wasn’t any limit to how long we had our table (although booking is essential on weeknights) and once you start gaming, there’s a £5 fee per person in addition to your bar bill. So whether you’re up for psyching out your opponents over a strategy based challenge or just want an alcohol-fuelled evening giggling over classics like Scrabble, Draughts board game cafe promises to deliver a brilliant evening.

Laura x