We headed to the Thurland Street venue for a night of tequila, pizza and ping-pong...
Roxy Ball Room has long been a favourite location for a night out. The combination of games, drinks and food makes it perfect for any of the three stages. Pre-drinking? Get warmed up with some beer pong. Staying for the duration? Grab some food and play ping-pong while you wait. After-party? Ease into the comedown with a relaxing game of pool and a final pint or two.
As such, we were delighted to be invited back to see how things had changed post-lockdown, and it’s great to say that they’ve adapted faultlessly. Your heart naturally goes out to anyone running a bar during the last six months, but even more so to anyone running a bar whose USP involves touching so much stuff. But from the moment we arrived, everything felt incredibly safe and clean, from the masked staff to the disinfected games tables. What’s more, they’ve managed to ensure your safety without losing any of their atmosphere.
We kicked things off with some cocktails, ordered from their app, which was quick and simple to use. Their Golden Touch (£7.50) was a personal highlight: offering a fresh, sweet take on the classic Old Fashioned. We’re nothing if not competitive here at LeftLion, so a friendly game of ping-pong took a turn for the worst as we browsed the food menu. With the stakes raised to a shot per game lost, my companion channeled her inner Forrest Gump and had me sprawling like a bamboozled octopus. Luckily for me, the app spared me the humiliation of heading to the bar for another tequila after every defeat.
Soundly thrashed, I retired to a booth to enjoy the food we had ordered. An extensive bar menu featuring a classic array of burgers, pizza, nachos and wings (with plenty of meat-free alternatives thrown in) fitted the bill perfectly. I went for the BBQ jackfruit pizza (£12), which came fully, loaded with vegan mozzarella, pulled jackfruit, sun blushed tomatoes and spring onions on a tomato base. It was fresh, light and just what was needed to sooth the wounds of defeat.
I don’t envy any venue having to adapt to life in the times of COVID, but it’s hard to see how anyone could have done it better than Roxy has. Not only did it feel safe, but they’ve managed to make it so while maintaining the same great ambience they always had.
1st Floor, 10 Thurland St, NG1 3DR
roxyballroom.co.uk
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