Door Hinge, darts in Welling (Bexley)

Photo: The Door Hinge

Door Hinge: Darts in Welling, London

FreeWalk-inReal aleMicropubPub games

11 Welling High Street, Welling · DA16 1TR · Tu-Th 15:00-21:00; Fr 15:00-22:00; Sa 12:00-22:00; Su 14:00-17:00

The Door Hinge is a tiny real-ale micropub on Welling High Street, and it was the first permanent micropub in Greater London when it opened back in March 2013. Think of it as a one-room ale house built for conversation: a front bar that seats around 22, a smaller quieter room behind with a fireplace for colder months, and at least three cask ales poured by gravity from a glass-fronted cold room. The single most useful thing to know about the darts here is that it is a traditional pub board you ask for at the bar, not a bookable scoring setup, so it suits a relaxed game over a pint rather than a league night out. It is closed Mondays and keeps short, mostly afternoon-into-evening hours, so check the day before you go.

The darts setup

This is darts the old-fashioned micropub way. There is no automatic scoring, no booth and no timed oche to reserve. The Door Hinge keeps a traditional dart board as one of its house pub games, and you simply ask for it at the bar when you fancy a throw. It sits alongside cribbage, shove ha'penny and table skittles, so the games come out to suit the room rather than dominate it. With the front bar seating only about 22 and a smaller quiet room behind, this is a board for a casual game between a couple of people or a small group, not a venue built around competitive darts.

Good to know

There is no cover charge and nothing to book; you walk in and the darts are free to use on request. Drink is the main event here, with at least three cask ales poured by gravity from a glass-fronted cold room, plus ciders, wines and a small range of spirits, and ales available to take away. There is no kitchen, so come for the beer and the games rather than food. The pub runs a weekly meat raffle and a fortnightly quiz, with details posted on its Facebook page. Hours are short and afternoon-led, and it is closed all day Monday, so plan around that.

The pub itself

The Door Hinge earns its place in London drinking history as the city's first permanent micropub, opened in March 2013 inside a former electrical wholesaler. It went on to be named CAMRA's Greater London Regional Pub of the Year in 2014. The layout is deliberately small: a single front bar that holds around 22 drinkers and encourages strangers to talk, plus a smaller, quieter room towards the back with a real fire for cold weather and a rear outside area for warmer days. It is the kind of place where the conversation, the ale and the odd game of darts are the whole offer.

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Common questions

What is the Door Hinge in Welling?
It is a small real-ale micropub at 11 Welling High Street, DA16 1TR. Opened in March 2013, it was Greater London's first permanent micropub and was named CAMRA's Greater London Regional Pub of the Year in 2014. It serves at least three gravity-poured cask ales and keeps traditional pub games, including a dart board.
Is the darts free to play at the Door Hinge?
Yes. The dart board is one of the pub's traditional games and is free to use; you just ask for it at the bar. There is no cover charge and no separate fee to play.
Do you need to book to play darts at the Door Hinge?
No. There is nothing to book. This is a casual pub board rather than a bookable oche with timed sessions, so you walk in and ask for the darts at the bar.
What games can you play at the Door Hinge?
On request you can play darts, cribbage, shove ha'penny and table skittles. The pub also runs a weekly meat raffle and a fortnightly quiz.
Is the Door Hinge good for groups?
It works best for a couple of people or a small group. The front bar seats only about 22, with a smaller quiet room behind, so it is intimate rather than built for large parties or competitive darts.
What are the Door Hinge opening hours?
It is closed Mondays. It opens Tuesday to Thursday 15:00 to 21:00, Friday 15:00 to 22:00, Saturday 12:00 to 22:00, and Sunday 14:00 to 17:00. Hours are short, so it is worth checking before you travel.

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