Draughts - Waterloo

As tourists from across the pond and board game enthusiasts, my wife and I loved finding Draughts as a place to grab a bite and beverage and spend a few hours playing games. If we lived in London, we'd have a line in our budget for this place we'd be here so often. The staff was warm and welcoming. Jess in particular was a real sweetie and made us even more glad to be there. The facility itself is a great vibe. The tables are spacious and offer a lower deck to store food and/or game boxes. There are a couple 2nd floor options available for party-sized gatherings. Their game library is pretty extensive with a wide variety of games. A few may have been a bit over-worn, but there are supplies of extra pieces to make up for any short falls. And it's location in the old tunnels below the main Waterloo station makes it pretty convenient for a wide swath of London. (Assuming the tube is running)

Loved it! Got a table for two as a walk in which was super lucky. Highly recommend booking as it got really busy. Great selection of games and you can order food directly to your table. We loved the vegan plantain tacos and churros. Can’t wait to come back. Thanks team!

Lovely place to chill with great food and a nice atmosphere, amazing customer service. We arrived quite early but we were able to sit down to have a drink and to order food to be given at our main table, also advised on other games to play similar to the ones that we enjoyed, really fun venue.

Draughts is pretty average nowadays. We used to come more often and it was ok, but our last visit was pretty bad. Main points TL;DR The booking system is unintuitive and the staff pretty uncharitable about the whole thing. Almost outright rude except for a sorry at the end. It feels like they're now just trying to turn over tables for booking fees. The food isn't worth the inflated prices. It tastes pretty good, but the portions are small for what you pay for. Background: We booked, the system said the maximum was three hours and for some reason booked us in for two hours. We didn't realise. I asked the staff if there was a cancellation, if they could help or if there were other free tables they could give us a bit of extra time. There was a free table when we were kicked out but we were still kicked out. I have a friend who had exactly the same issue only a few weeks earlier. They get stars for a good collection of games.

I don’t say this lightly, when I say that Draughts is one of THE places in London that holds so many wonderful memories made & cherished throughout my life in London. From catching up with old friends from across the world to first dates to recently my birthday! The staff & ambience is what makes it tbh! Shout out to CJ & Dylan for being so accommodating for my birthday recently & the staff in general are so lovely & attentive 🥹💝 The archway brick structure & lighting & design of the place really sets the tone for a laidback, wholesome, cozy, fun environment for games with your loved ones! Located in one of the coolest grafitti & art tunnels in London underneath the wonderful buzzing hub of Waterloo ⭐️ *photos attached of Table 44 if you wanna book for more a larger group!*

I've been to this place multiple times and it feels like it's consistently. Understaffed. Staff never have time to help you pick a game and when they do it's rushed. When you finally get a game, there's no way that has all of its parts. The food is overpriced even for a place like this. The food often takes over 45 minutes to get to your table for mediocre flavors. You couldn't pay me to go back. You are better off spending the money you and your friends would have on entry to buy a new game. I would give zero stars as a review, but Google makes you put a one.

Lovely spot to spend time with friends or as a couple. Tons and tons of games and staff are lovely and more than happy to recommend choices and show you the ropes. You're best booking in advance if you're a larger group and you have 3hrs from when you get in to play whatever you like. On the food front, sadly their meats aren't halal. We opted for milkshakes. I got the chocolate one which felt very watered down and not chocolatey enough. Perhaps their other options are better but I do think the highlight is the games rather than the food served.

This board game café boasts an impressive selection of games paired with spacious tables ideal for immersive play. The graffiti-adorned vault setting creates a lively, energetic atmosphere that draws you in.Food and drink are reliably good elevated for a gaming venue with pricing aligned to local standards. Gaming costs around £10 per person, offering excellent value for extended sessions.It can get noticeably loud during peaks, but that’s integral to the buzzing vibe. A small but curated selection of games for sale adds a nice touch for enthusiasts.Verdict: A top-tier game café blending atmosphere, variety, and affordability. Perfect for groups seeking fun without fuss. Highly recommended.