Family fun,
April 14 2023
Take the family for a day of bowling fun and friendly competition at these popular bowling alleys in London. Over the last decade, there’s been a bowling boom in the capital, with an emphasis on American diner cool.
Expect retro decor, stylish diners with booths and high-tech entertainment alongside your ten-pin bowling. With birthday party packages, family deals and kids menus, you can turn a wet afternoon into a thrilling indoor activity. So, lace up those shoes, pick your ball and let’s swing into action with our pick of the best bowling places in London.
This boutique chain of bowling alleys in London brings an updated Americana vibe to a family afternoon of bowling. With extra-light balls, ramps and rails, All Star Lanes makes sure even the littlest members of your bowling team can compete with the grownups.
The tasty American diner food here is a worthy post-bowling reward for everyone. There are cocktails for the grown-ups, and a kids’ menu with burgers, coke floats and an irresistible gelato paw mix covered in hundreds and thousands. Got a singer in your midst? There’s karaoke here too. Go for the family package and get a bowling meal deal for a fixed price. They have special deals for kids and teen parties, making this one of the best bowling places in London for birthday celebrations.
Take the family to All Star Lanes
Score cool parent points with wow factor at Queens. As the name suggests, there’s more to this venue than just bowling. London’s iconic Queens also has a huge indoor ice-skating rink and an impressive retro and 3D arcade for a full day of fun.
This large venue in Queensway has been around since the 1930s, but the interior has recently undergone a state-of-the-art makeover. Now, there are 12 stylish bowling lanes each with its own table and booth and lane-side service, so kids can snack while they wait for their turn.
After a round or two of bowling, you can try to beat the kids at Space Invaders, grab a burger and fries at the diner. Or head out on the ice (they have penguins for little ones). There are kid’s party packages here too.
This is a legendary bowling alley in London’s Finsbury Park, where generations have been knocking pins down since 1988. Rowans mixes classic 10-pin bowling with pool, karaoke, arcade games and disco dancing across two floors. There’s even a Harley Davidson bike on the wall!
Before Rowans was a bowling alley, it was a cinema In the 1920s and then a dancehall 1960s where The Beatles once played. You can bring the family without spending a fortune thanks to the £1 entrance fee and bowling prices lower than most. Rowans has 24 bowling lanes, so there’s plenty of room – and they host kids’ parties.
Head to Rowans for cheap bowling in London
This national chain of bowling alleys has plenty of London venues. Hollywood Bowl, designed with family fun in mind, has plenty of special offers to help you save money on an afternoon of bowling in London. There are kid’s party packages, and all the lanes adjust with ramps and buffers. After competing to be the family bowling champion, you can try some of the fun games in the arcade and enjoy fries, burgers and shakes in the diner.
Book your lane at Hollywood Bowl
At bowling alleys all over London, you won’t have to travel far to smash those pins. So if the weather is looking a little soggy, or you’re a family that loves a bit of healthy competition, get yourselves down to these top bowling alleys in London. Combine your family day out with a great night’s sleep and stay in one of our Central London Thistle hotels: Thistle Piccadilly, Thistle Holborn and Thistle Kensington Gardens.
