Best Pub Quiz Nights in London

A good quiz night runs on the same three things everywhere in London: a host who keeps pace, questions that aren't all sport and geography, and a pub that doesn't mind you shouting out answers a beat too early. Once you've found one like that near you, it's hard to switch.

South London pubs lean hard into quiz culture, Brixton and Peckham especially, often with a theme night thrown in (music rounds, picture rounds, the odd bonus round on total nonsense). East London's version tends to sit inside craft beer pubs and taprooms, quieter but sharper questions. North London still does the classic format best, teams of four to six round a table, cash or bar tab up for grabs.

Turn up in good time if it's a known night. Regulars claim the same tables and the best teams have history together, but nobody minds a new face filling a gap. Most quizzes ask for a small entry fee per person or per team, and it usually goes straight into the prize pot.

Midweek is quiz territory more than weekends, Tuesday and Wednesday especially, since it's the night pubs need the extra footfall. Start times cluster early evening so you've got time for a few rounds and a proper pint after work.

If you're building a team, look for a spread of general knowledge rather than one specialist. The pubs that get it right keep questions varied enough that no single person can carry the whole thing, which is half the fun of losing a round you thought you had.