17 Nights Out In London For When You're Not Drinking

    Not drinking? Not a problem.

    Ailbhe Malone
    by Ailbhe Malone

    BuzzFeed Staff

    1. Flight Club

    Flight Club

    This "social darts" club in Old Street is super fun and super straightforward. The setup is more like bowling than anything else (ie the scores are computerised, and the rules come up on a computer screen), and the staff are very helpful if you're a newbie.

    The other bonus is that they have a smashing non-alcoholic menu. There's the usual soft drinks, but also interesting offerings from Fentiman's, Bottlegreen, and Schweppes.

    Find out more here.

    2. Jarr Bar

    3. Visit Waterstones in Piccadilly

    Waterstones

    This branch has loads of free events in the evenings – from readings to swing dance classes, and the café stays open pretty late too (until 9.30pm).

    Find out more here.

    4. Drink, Shop & Do

    drinkshopdo.com

    This King's Cross institution has something for everyone. They serve all kinds of tea and cake until late, have plenty of hands-on crafting activities, and host the raucous but fun Musical Bingo. In terms of drinks, they have a fantastic virgin cocktail menu: Go for the Virgin Front Garden (basil, elderflower, apple, and lime).

    Find out more here.

    5. Bar Kick

    Bar Kick

    With locations in Shoreditch and Exmouth Market, Bar Kick is a great way to while away an evening. It's table football–focused, with some Spanish snacks, and it's astonishingly cheap – only £1 a game. House rules say winner stays on, unless you've discussed otherwise.

    Find out more here.

    6. Discover an ~escape the room~ game.

    Enigma Quests

    There are plenty of these escape rooms in London, but these are the two I really rate:

    School of Witchcraft and Wizardy: A Harry Potter-inspired game where you have to pass your OWLs. Prices from £30 a head.

    Time Run: A next-level hyperreal escape challenge. This was so good that once I completed it, I kept refreshing the page for the next instalment so I could book. Prices from £30 a head.

    7. Swingers

    8. Go wild with a luxurious hot chocolate.

    Chin Chin Labs

    Here are 17 places to hit up.

    9. Visit a fancy bar.

    10. Go to the cinema.

    Screen on the Green

    Here's our faves: 17 Charming Cinemas In London You Must See Before You Die.

    11. Have a treetop adventure.

    12. Go for Bubble Tea at Biju.

    Laura Gallant at BuzzFeed

    Sweet, sweet bubble tea, with infinite toppings and flavour combos.

    Not into Biju? Here are some more options: 21 Places You Must Drink Bubble Tea Before You Die

    13. Four Quarters

    14. Draughts

    15. Visit the cat café.

    16. Bounce

    Facebook: bouncepingpong

    With locations in Old Street and Farringdon, you can play ping pong all night long. Bounce is loads of fun and has an extensive virgin cocktail list. The RnR Spritz looks especially good: elderflower, raspberry, rhubarb, and soda.

    Find out more here.

    17. Try out pottery classes.