Bloomsbury Bowling Lanes is a picture of comfortably battered retro chic providing an alternative to the sleek All Star Lanes up the road and the capital's predictable multiplex bowling alleys.

The Venue
A vision that the Big Lebowski would certainly approve of, BBB's 1950s' look is perfectly in keeping with its theme. It’s a vast venue, set within the bowels of a grand building, with generous glass karaoke booths which are so comfortable you could be in your front room. Take a seat on the beaten up sofas scattered throughout or have a drink at the long, curving bar.

And that's just for starters. There's also an in-house cinema, DJs who mix the weird and the wonderful and a small terrace.

The Atmosphere
Eight sleek, rolling lanes sit at the far end of the venue behind scattered Chesterfields and the DJ booth. When you've finished bowling you can cut some rug to some of the capital's coolest club nights ranging from rockabilly 50s throwback tributes to achingly hot up and coming indie bands.

The Food
Take a seat in the diner and dig into colossal bowls of nachos, slider burgers and fries that are not only tasty but so cheap they may as well be charging you Fifties' prices. You may have to wait a while for the food but with prices and quality like this, it's worth the wait.

The Drink
Get stuck into the cocktails and before you know it you'll be bowling like a kingpin. They certainly don't scrimp on the spirits here and the Bloody Marys are particularly recommended for their spicy kick.

The Last Word
Great for an original night on the town, Bloomsbury Bowling Lanes is a veritable adult playground. A jukebox rolls out the classics when the DJs aren't and the crowd are a predictably laidback bunch making it a fab place for group get togethers or even to impress a date.