When was the last time you spent three hours with your mates and nobody looked at their phone?
Not because of a rule. Not because you were at a wedding, funeral, or somewhere with no signal. Just because what you were doing was more interesting than the screen in your pocket.
That’s what happens at Draughts. And on a bank holiday, when nobody has anywhere to be and the whole afternoon stretches out ahead of you, it’s one of the best feelings in the world.
The Accidental Bank Holiday Masterplan
Someone suggests meeting up, but nobody can agree on what to do. Someone says, “Shall we just go to Draughts?” and everyone immediately says yes, because Draughts requires exactly zero planning and delivers every single time.
You turn up and grab a table, someone goes to the bar, while another browses the shelves. There are over 1,000 games at both venues, which sounds overwhelming until you realise our staff will recommend something perfect for your group in about thirty seconds. Tell them how many of you there are, how competitive you’re feeling, and roughly how much time you have. They’ll pull something off the shelf you’ve never heard of that turns out to be the best game you’ve ever played.
Food arrives, drinks keep coming, the game heats up and someone accuses another of cheating. Someone else is quietly dominating, trying not to look smug. At some point, you won’t notice when, every phone ends up face down on the table, forgotten.
That’s the thing about board games, they demand your attention like nothing else. Not in an exhausting way, but in a way that makes you present. You’re reading someone’s expression, planning a move, laughing at something that just happened. You’re actually there, in the room, with the people you’re with.
On a bank holiday, when the whole point is supposed to be doing something different from the daily grind, that’s worth more than any brunch.
The Games That Make It
Every group has a different energy, and the right game unlocks it. Here are a few that consistently turn a casual meet-up into one of those afternoons.
Wavelength is the one that starts conversations you wouldn’t normally have. One player sets a hidden target on a spectrum – something like “underrated to overrated” or “easy to hard” – and gives a single clue. Everyone else has to guess where they’ve aimed. The clues spark debates. The debates spark better debates. And suddenly you’re learning things about your friends you’ve known for fifteen years and never discovered.
Codenames splits the group into two teams and pits them against each other with word associations and one-word clues. It rewards creative thinking and lateral connections, and it generates the kind of triumphant moments – and spectacular failures – that become inside jokes for months.
Monikers starts with everyone describing famous people from cards, then doing charades, and then using just a single word. By the third round, the table is in absolute chaos – someone’s doing an impression of David Attenborough using only the word “crispy”, and everyone somehow knows exactly who it is. It’s the game that produces the stories you retell at every gathering for the next year.
The Resistance (or Secret Hitler, if your group leans that way) is a social deduction game where some players are secretly working against the group. It gets intense. Accusations fly. Trust evaporates. And when the traitor is finally revealed, the reaction is one of the loudest things you’ll hear in either venue. These games bring out a side of people you didn’t know existed, and it’s always hilarious.
Captain Sonar is the big one for larger groups. Two teams, each operating a submarine, are trying to track and destroy the other in real time. It’s frantic, loud, and requires genuine teamwork – shouting coordinates across the table, making split-second decisions, and celebrating like you’ve won the World Cup when you land a hit. It’s the game that turns a group of friends into a group of friends who’ve been through something together.
Why This Beats Everything Else
Let’s be honest about bank holiday options. You could go to brunch and spend £40 each for eggs and a mimosa while trying to have a conversation over music that’s too loud. You could go to a pub and sit around a table doing what you always do. You could go to a restaurant and eat a nice meal that nobody will remember in a fortnight.
Or you could come to Draughts, where the food and drinks are good, and what you’re doing together actually brings you closer. Board games create shared experiences, inside jokes, and moments when someone does something so clever or catastrophically stupid the whole table erupts. You don’t get that from a set menu.
It’s affordable. You’re not spending serious money on an “experience” that turns out disappointing. You’re spending a bank holidxtbay afternoon the way it should be spent, with friends, food, something to do, and no pressure to be anywhere else.
What’s Actually on the Menu
We keep saying “the food is good” so let’s be specific, because the menu is genuinely one of the reasons people come back.
Highlights include: the Korean fried chicken – three strips in sticky soy and gochujang glaze with crispy onions, coriander and toasted sesame. It’s one of the most ordered things on the menu and it’s perfect for sharing across the table while someone sets up the next game. The halloumi fries with preserved lemon and chilli jam are another brilliant starter that disappears before anyone’s had a fair share.
For mains, the short rib birria tacos are exceptional – rare breed beef slow cooked in a chilli and lime broth with queso, crema and pickled onions. The pulled pork al pastor tacos are South Downs pork shoulder in a sweet and spicy marinade. If you want something bigger, the double smashed cheese burger is two rib steak patties with double American cheese, comeback sauce and crispy onions. The hot honey chicken bao is shredded fried chicken with gochujang mayo on steamed buns.
For vegetarians there’s the Beyond Meat burger, the portobello stack with pesto and vegan cheese, or the shiitake mushroom bao. The nachos grande is the table sharer – corn tortilla chips loaded with nacho cheese, guacamole, chipotle salsa, pickled onions and lime crema. Order one of those mid-game and watch how quickly it vanishes.
Dessert is churros with chocolate dipping sauce, a burnt basque cheesecake with raspberry sorbet, or a chocolate brownie served warm with vanilla ice cream. All three are dangerously good after a couple of hours of gaming.
Now the drinks. The cocktail list runs from espresso martinis and margaritas to a pawnstar (get it?) martini, an old fashioned, and an amaretto sour. If you’re ordering for the table, the pitchers are the move – a margarita pitcher for £30, or a dark and stormy with rum and ginger beer for £25.95. There are Aperol and Hugo spritzes for the lighter drinkers, and a full range of beers on draught including Camden Pale Ale, Camden Eazy IPA, Mahou, and Kopparberg Crisp Apple.
Not drinking? The mocktail list is proper – an alcohol-free mojito, an AF mai tai, a ruby refresher with grenadine and fresh ginger, and a rosemary apple crush. Plus milkshakes, homemade lemonade, and a hot chocolate party with whipped cream, marshmallows and chocolate curls if the weather’s being typical.
The point is this: Draughts isn’t a place where the food is an afterthought and you’re really just paying for the games. The food and drinks are a genuine reason to be here. Add the games on top and you’ve got a bank holiday afternoon that’s better than brunch, cheaper than most “experiences”, and one that people actually remember.
Two Venues, Two Vibes this Bank Holiday
Draughts Stratford is at 5 Aquatics Walk, inside Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. It’s bright, spacious, and surrounded by a park full of other things to do. Start with games, then walk to V&A East or try the tunnel slide at the ArcelorMittal Orbit. Or start at the park and end at Draughts. Either way works.
Draughts Waterloo is at Arch 16, Leake Street, SE1 7NN – inside London’s most famous graffiti tunnel, under Waterloo station. The vibe is different – railway arches, exposed brick, street art on your doorstep. It feels underground (because it literally is). After games, walk out into the South Bank, the river, the Southbank Centre. The contrast between the arches and the open riverside is one of the best transitions in London.
Both venues have over 1,000 games, full food menus, and the kind of atmosphere where a bank holiday Monday becomes the day everyone talks about.
Book your table at draughtslondon.com – bank holidays fill up. Don’t be the group that turns up and has to wait.
The No-Phone Challenge
We’re not going to tell you to put your phone away, we don’t need to. But if you want to try something this bank holiday, here it is: phones in the middle of the table, face down, from when you sit until you leave. The first person to pick theirs up buys the next round.
We’ve seen groups do this and the energy changes immediately. Conversations improve, games get more intense. People start really looking at each other instead of half-engaging while scrolling. It’s what happens when you remove the default distraction and replace it with something better.
Try it. You’ll see.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Draughts?
Draughts is a board game bar with over 1,000 games, a full food menu and a well-stocked bar. We have two London locations: Stratford (5 Aquatics Walk, inside Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, E20 2AS) and Waterloo (Arch 16, Leake Street, SE1 7NN). It’s one of London’s best spots for groups of friends, families, dates and anyone who wants to do something different.
Is Draughts good for groups of friends?
It’s what we do best. Over 1,000 games means we’ve got something for every group – party games for big crowds, team games for competitive groups, and strategy games for the more serious players. Our staff can recommend the perfect game in seconds. Book at draughtslondon.com, especially for bank holidays.
What are fun things to do with friends in London this bank holiday?
Draughts is one of the most fun, affordable and genuinely different things you can do with friends in London. Board games, food, drinks, no planning required. Our Stratford venue is inside Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park (combine with V&A East, the Orbit, the river). Our Waterloo venue is in the Leake Street graffiti tunnel (combine with the South Bank river walk and Southbank Centre).
Do I need to know how to play board games to come to Draughts?
Not at all. Every game has instructions, and our staff will teach you how to play anything in the library. Part of the fun is trying something you’ve never heard of. If it doesn’t click, swap it for something else – there are over 1,000 to choose from.
How much does Draughts cost?
Check draughtslondon.com for current pricing. There’s a cover charge for access to the full library of over 1,000 games, plus food and drinks from the menu. For a bank holiday activity in London, it’s excellent value – especially compared to most alternatives.
What are the best party games at Draughts?
For larger groups, Wavelength, Codenames, Monikers, The Resistance and Captain Sonar are all brilliant. For something more social and less competitive, Telestrations and Dixit are perfect. Our staff can match a game to your group size and mood – just ask.
Can I book Draughts for a big group on a bank holiday?
Yes – and you should. Bank holidays are some of our busiest days. Book ahead at draughtslondon.com for any group, but especially for larger parties. Both venues can accommodate big groups with the right notice.
Where is Draughts Waterloo?
Arch 16, Leake Street, London SE1 7NN. It’s inside the famous graffiti tunnel directly under Waterloo station. Walk down from the station concourse into Leake Street and you’ll find us. Served by Bakerloo, Jubilee, Northern and Waterloo & City lines, plus mainline trains.
Where is Draughts Stratford?
5 Aquatics Walk, London E20 2AS. Inside Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, about 10-15 minutes’ walk from Stratford station (Central, Jubilee, Elizabeth Line, DLR, National Rail).
What things can I do in London with friends that aren’t drinking?
Draughts is the answer. Yes, we have a great bar – but the games are the main event. Plenty of our visitors come for the games and the food without drinking at all. It’s a genuinely different way to spend time with friends that doesn’t revolve around alcohol.
