Northumberland Arms, pool in Kings Cross (WC1X)

Photo: The Northumberland Arms

Northumberland Arms: Pool & Snooker in Kings Cross, London

FreeWalk-in1 tablePub poolSports bar

141 King's Cross Road, London · WC1X 9BJ · Su-We 12:00-23:00; Th-Sa 12:00-01:00

The Northumberland Arms is a traditional local on King's Cross Road, the kind of unfussy boozer where the pool table is part of the furniture. It suits anyone after a relaxed pint, a frame of pool and the football on a big screen rather than a polished cocktail bar. The single most useful thing to know is that the table is free to play, so you can just turn up, grab a drink and rack up.

Inside you get Sky Sports and TNT Sports across HD screens, gaming machines and food served daily, with breakfast and main menus. It is a short walk from King's Cross St Pancras, which makes it an easy meeting point. It is also the home pub of the Chalk Farm Pool League, so on league nights expect the table to be busy and the regulars to know their game.

The pool setup

There is a pool table on the main floor alongside the gaming machines, the standard pub layout where the table shares space with the drinkers and the screens. It is free to play, so there is no booking and no per-frame charge, you just need a drink in hand. As the home of the Chalk Farm Pool League, this is a proper players' pub rather than a casual afterthought, so on league nights the table is in steady use and the standard is decent. Off-peak afternoons are your best bet for a relaxed knockabout with mates.

Good to know

It is a walk-in pub, no reservations needed for the table. Food is served daily with breakfast and main menus, and the drinks are standard pub fare rather than craft or cocktails. Sky Sports and TNT Sports run across HD screens, so it fills up around big fixtures. Opening is from midday, until 11pm Sunday to Wednesday and through to 1am Thursday to Saturday, giving you late frames at the weekend. It sits a short walk from King's Cross St Pancras, handy if you are meeting people coming in from different directions.

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Common questions

What is the Northumberland Arms?
It is a traditional pub at 141 King's Cross Road, WC1X 9BJ, with a pool table, gaming machines, sports on HD screens and food served daily. It is the home pub of the Chalk Farm Pool League.
Is pool free at the Northumberland Arms?
Yes. The pool table is free to play. There is no booking and no per-frame charge, you just buy a drink and play.
Do I need to book a table or can I walk in?
It is walk-in. There is no booking system for the pool table, so turn up and wait your turn, especially on league nights when it gets busy.
How many pool tables are there?
There is one pool table on the main pub floor, alongside gaming machines.
What are the opening hours?
Midday to 11pm Sunday to Wednesday, and midday to 1am Thursday to Saturday.
Where is the nearest station?
King's Cross St Pancras is a short walk away.

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