Blackstock, darts in Finsbury Park (Islington), N4

Photo: CAMRA / WhatPub

Blackstock: Darts in Finsbury Park, London

FreeWalk-inSports pubGardenMatch daysPub darts

284 Seven Sisters Road, Finsbury Park, London · N4 2HY · Mo-Su 12:00-02:00

The Blackstock is a big, open-plan sports pub on the corner of Seven Sisters Road and Blackstock Road, a couple of minutes from Finsbury Park station. It is firmly a local's local, busy on Arsenal match days and built around the football, with a stripped-back room of bare brick and wooden floors, an island bar, pavement seating out front and a beer, wine and spirits list rather than cask ale. Later in the week it tips into late nights with a DJ, and it runs the odd live jazz session too.

For darts, keep your expectations realistic. The pub turns up on local "pubs with a dart board" listings, so there is a board to throw on, but this is a casual pub setup, not a dedicated oche-and-scoring venue. Come for a relaxed game over a pint, not a league night.

The darts setup

Treat the Blackstock as a casual throw rather than a darts destination. It appears on local listings of Finsbury Park pubs with a dart board, so there is somewhere to play, but the pub does not publish anything about how many boards it has, whether there is a marked oche, or any scoring kit, and other directories disagree on whether darts is even offered. The honest read: this is a sports pub first, with a board you can use over a few drinks when it is free. If darts is the main reason you are heading out, it is worth a quick call to the pub to check the board is up before you make the trip.

Good to know

This is a walk-in local, so there is no booking and no charge to step inside. The room is one large space geared to match days, with sports TV, an island bar, exposed brick and pavement tables out front for warmer evenings. Drinks are the focus, a standard beer, wine and spirits range, with cask ale no longer poured. There is no full kitchen, but you can order third-party pizza to the table. It leans late: open from midday, with DJ nights and the occasional live jazz session pulling things on towards the early hours at the back end of the week.

Getting there

You will find the Blackstock on the corner of Seven Sisters Road and Blackstock Road in Finsbury Park, N4, with the postcode N4 2HY. It is roughly two minutes on foot from Finsbury Park station, which sits on the Piccadilly and Victoria lines plus National Rail, so it is an easy hop from across north London and central. The corner site is hard to miss, a tall brick building with The BlackStock signage above the windows, sat in a row of shops. Buses along Seven Sisters Road and Blackstock Road drop you close to the door.

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Common questions

What is the Blackstock in Finsbury Park?
It is a large open-plan sports pub on the corner of Seven Sisters Road and Blackstock Road in Finsbury Park, N4. It is a local's local built around the football, busy on Arsenal match days, with sports TV, pavement seating, a beer, wine and spirits list, and DJ and occasional live jazz nights later in the week.
Does the Blackstock have a dart board?
It appears on local listings of Finsbury Park pubs with a dart board, so there is a casual board to play on. Be aware that some pub directories list it as not having darts, and the pub does not advertise its setup, so it is worth checking with the pub before a special trip. It is a sports pub with a board, not a dedicated darts venue.
Do you have to pay to play darts at the Blackstock?
There is no published charge to play. It is an ordinary pub board you use over a drink rather than a booked or paid darts session, and entry to the pub itself is free. There is no confirmed booking system or hire fee.
Do you need to book to go to the Blackstock?
No. It is a walk-in pub with no entry charge, so you can just turn up. The same goes for the dart board: it is first come, first served when it is free rather than something you reserve. Group bookings for the space are available if you contact the pub.
What are the Blackstock's opening hours?
The pub lists its hours as midday to 2am. It leans late towards the weekend with DJ sets and the odd live jazz night, so expect a livelier, busier room in the evenings than in the early afternoon.
What is the nearest station to the Blackstock?
Finsbury Park station is about two minutes' walk away. It is served by the Piccadilly and Victoria lines plus National Rail, and buses run along Seven Sisters Road and Blackstock Road right past the pub.

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