Darts is a much-loved pub game that’s genuinely exploded globally over the past decade or so. It’s more than just a pastime for many as it’s a high-precision sport that takes a steady arm and a good head for figures.
In fact, the London darts scene has been growing steadily over the past 25 years too. Across the west of the city, there are lots of opportunities for you to try your hand at scoring the perfect 501 game. Who knows — you might just find yourself climbing the ranks of darts leagues across the city and beyond.
Where can you play darts in West London?
It’s a fairly safe assumption that plenty of popular pubs and clubs across the west of the city have darts leagues and tournaments running throughout the year. However, if you’re planning a visit or want to potentially join a club, it’s worth doing some research beforehand.
We’ve done a little bit of the legwork for you, so you know where to head for the next time you’re exploring London. Here’s a quick rundown of some of the best places to start throwing some darts:
Ealing
Ealing is absolutely brimming with traditional and historic pubs and clubs, and even one or two specialist games bars, where you can start to sharpen up your oche action.
The Boom Battle Bar in Ealing is a great place to start if you want to play a few games with friends and aren’t necessarily focusing on a professional career! What’s different about the darts here is that it’s augmented reality (AR), meaning it’s likely to offer something new even to experienced throwers. This popular haunt also serves up axe throwing and beer pong.
For a more traditional darts experience in Ealing, there’s the Brentham Club, where players can join the local league without the need to have played before. There are several dart boards and a number of teams to join if you feel confident in your throwing.
Harrow
Over in Harrow, there’s the popular Harrow and District Darts League, which has its own Facebook page and three divisions of darts players.
For more casual players, there’s darts played regularly out at Tithe Farm in South Harrow, where players can join as new members throughout the year. There are also games played here by the local throwers on the Middlesex County team — could you aspire to join them?
Brent
If you’re heading northwest out of the city, the South Brent Club might be a spot to look for if you want to try your hand at a few different pub sports. Snooker, darts and skittles are regularly played here, and there are also opportunities to join leagues if you want to get competitive.
It’s also worth hunting around Brent for traditional pubs with dartboards as you’re unlikely to go wanting for long. The Kilburn Arms is one such haunt that offers gastropub menus and dartboard access up in NW6. Close by, you’ll also find the Coopers Arms, a quaint pub that boasts a professional dartboard and a beer garden for you to relax in afterwards.
Want to join a league? Check out the GLDO
Once you’ve thrown your share of darts from pub to pub and have started breaking down those 501s in style, you might well fancy taking on a league.
And, why not? Local tournaments across London have never been more popular thanks to the PDC finals being hosted in the heart of the city. As the listings of individual leagues show, London darts mania is unlikely to simmer down any time soon.
If you’d like to start getting into darts leagues and seeing how far your talent takes you, it’s worth exploring details available from the Greater London Darts Organisation (GLDO).
The GLDO’s website offers tons of useful details on how you can register for London’s National League, where you can play darts as an amateur and what to expect from the London darts year ahead.
It’s probably wise to brush up on your game before you join any major leagues or clubs for real. See how you fare with the game at local pubs and clubs across west London and elsewhere in the city — and if you find you have a knack for it, register with a league.
