Where to hold an office party with a competitive edge.
They call it "competitive socialising". It's the rapidly growing trend for pairing food and drink with some kind of group activity. You've seen them all over London — Flight Club for darts, Sixes for bar-room cricket, Bounce for enhanced ping-pong... If you're looking for something a bit more 'experiential' for your office party, while still within reach of a well-stocked bar and versatile menu, then consider one of the following venues (activities listed alphabetically).
10-PIN BOWLING: The original competitive social experience is still going strong, with dozens of venues across the capital. All Star Lanes (Brick Lane, Holborn, Stratford, White City) continues to lead the way at the more sophisticated end of the bowling spectrum, with a cocktail bar, restaurant and other activities such as karaoke and shuffleboard. Lane 7 (Victoria and Camden) does something similar with a more clubby, neon look. Rowans in Finsbury Park has long been a favourite of Christmas parties, with lanes that stay open until the early hours.
AXE THROWING: Arguably the most surprising social activity to invade London's bars in recent years is the trend for axe-throwing. Several venues have got in on the axe, including Whistle Punks in Fitzrovia, Axeperience in the Square Mile, Game of Throwing in Hammersmith and Skeeters in Hackney Wick. The format works best for smaller groups, but most venues can handle larger bookings.
BASEBALL: From the people behind cricket venue Sixes (see below) comes Moonshot in Shepherd's Bush, where you can swing a baseball bat at a robotically bowled ball. Hot dogs and New York style pizza add an extra touch of Stateside.
CLAY TARGET SHOOTING: Wielding a firearm takes training, a gun licence and a drive out to the countryside... unless you pop down to Clays. Two venues in Moorgate and Canary Wharf offer virtual clay pigeon shooting on giant screens. The lack of actual projectiles means your group can safely work its way through the cocktail list between rounds.
CRICKET: Don't worry if you've never wielded a cricket bat in your life. Sixes cricket venue has everything set up so that anyone can experience the thrill of thwacking a ball into the nets. The bat and ball are real, but you get a virtual bowler (including some of the game's most famous names). Between overs, players can relax and enjoy the well-stocked bar and food menu. Christmas packages are available at all six London venues.
CURLING: The peculiar Scottish sport in which players slide stones across ice, which is then polished by frantic broom action, makes a pop-up appearance in London each winter. The lanes at The Curling Club (South Bank and Vinegar Yard) and Club Curling (King's Cross) use plastic surfaces, and dispense with the brooms, but it still makes for a memorable team activity. And just look at that realistic alpine scenery.
DARTS: One of the oldest forms of competitive socialising, darts was invented in London about a century ago. It was also reinvented in London in 2015 when the first branch of Flight Club opened in Shoreditch. The chain offers various dart-based activities fuelled by well-crafted food and drink menus. Flight Club offers Christmas packages for groups of up to 37 at all of its venues, including the four in London (Shoreditch, Bloomsbury, Islington and Victoria).
ESCAPE ROOMS: Not entirely a competitive social, in that you're generally working as a team rather than against one another, but escape rooms have a similar vibe to the other activities in this list. Venues come and go. Perhaps the most exciting right now (for tube nerds at least) is the Mission: Breakout escape room, which takes place in a genuine ghost station (South Kentish Town). Other popular venues include ClueQuest on Caledonian Road, Escape Plan in Shoreditch and Sensas in Vauxhall (which also includes a tube-themed section). But many other venues are available.
FOOTBALL: Normally if you start a kickaround in a bar you'll be... well, barred. TOCA Social at the O2 actively encourages you to hoof a real ball as part of its interactive soccer-based games, including penalty shootouts. The venue can handle lots of small parties, or has a dedicated "players lounge" that can cater for groups of up to 250. Back of the net!
LASER TAG: Like the idea of paintballing but don't want all the mess and the pain and the outdooriness? Then consider the old childhood favourite of laser tag. Bunker 51 in Charlton is themed around a Cold War nuclear bunker, with various games including an escape room. Laser Quest, meanwhile, has a number of venues across town, including Brent Cross, Enfield and East Ham.
MINI-GOLF: The old seaside favourite first swung into London's bars over a decade ago now. Various chains and one-offs offer competitive putting for groups. Puttshack (venues in Bank and White City) is one of the most established, and comes with dedicated Christmas packages. Plonk, another stalwart of the scene, has branches in Hoxton, Hackney Central, Camden Market and Borough Market. Swingers goes for a vintage look in its two venues at Oxford Circus and beside the Gherkin. Junkyard Golf in Shoreditch is the place for shabby chic putting, on the same street as Flight Club. Finally, Birdies in Angel and Battersea Power Station fields holes with extravagant designs. All can cater for small to medium office parties.
MONOPOLY: The hoary family game recently got a glow-up and a grow-up to become Monopoly Lifesized in Fitzrovia. Work your way around a walkable board, accruing properties and making bags of cash. Better than the real thing, in that it only lasts 80 minutes! After the game, relax in the Top Hat bar and restaurant. Best suited for smaller groups.
MULTI-SPORTS: Can't decide which activity to try? Some venues have multiple offerings. Boom Battle Bar has branches at Aldgate East, Ealing, the O2, Oxford Street and Wandsworth. Inside the "Battleground", you can compete at axe-throwing, augmented-reality darts, beer pong, shuffleboard and more. They even put on cocktail masterclasses and karaoke. Similarly, Gravity at Westfield Stratford and Wandsworth will leave your bucketlist overflowing. Street golf, AR darts, e-karting and video gaming are just some of the activities.
PÉTANQUE: "I must have some boules. I demand to have some boules!!" So shouted Withnail in the 1987 cult classic. Or perhaps it was booze. Not sure. Happily, Boulebar on the South Bank (and in Spitalfields from 19 November 2024) offers both. The gentle French game is reimagined for small groups, with a bar and street food to merry things along. Their "Jingle Boules" Christmas offering can cater for up to 24 tossers, so to speak.
PING PONG: One of London's most established competitive social venture, Bounce first opened its doors in 2012, shortly after the London Olympics. The chain currently offers pimped-up ping pong in Battersea Power Station, Holborn and Old Street. More boozy patrons can even have a go at beer pong: "you sink em, you drink em". Special Christmas packages available.
SCAVENGER HUNT: Kind of like an escape room, but with the whole of London to puzzle over. One of the most novel is Chicken Rush. One of your party dresses up as a chicken, then hides somewhere in the local area. The rest of the group then use GPS and other clues to hunt the bird. (Jokes about massive cocks are probably mandatory.)
SHUFFLEBOARD: Almost unheard of in London a decade ago, Shuffleboard has gradually made its way into many a pub and bar across the city. Electric Shuffle in Canary Wharf and Bermondsey is a venue entirely dedicated to the shuffling arts. Get up to 16 players around one board, or hire the whole place out for larger corporate events.
VIDEO GAMES: Most competitive socialising venues give real-world sports a digital makeover. But some places put video games themselves at the heart of the experience. Immersive Gamebox in Stratford, Wandsworth, Shoreditch and South Bank, has booths for up to six people, with games ranging from Angry Birds to Squid Game. Meanwhile, F1 Arcade's offering is self-explanatory, with Formula 1 racing simulators built around a bar area in One New Change next to St Paul's.
