Photo: Inapub
Robert Peel: Darts in Archway, London
The Sir Robert Peel is a proper locals' pub on the corner of Malden Road and Queens Crescent in Kentish Town, the kind of place where the same faces stand in the same spots most nights. For darts, that is exactly the appeal. There is a pub dartboard you can just walk up and use, no booking and no hire charge, the way pub darts has always worked. It suits people who want a casual game over a pint rather than a slick bookable oche with automatic scoring. Alongside the board there is a pool table, Sky and TNT Sports on the screens, fruit machines and bar snacks. Good to know before you go: children are not allowed in, so it is an adults-only room. The pub fields a team in the Archway and District Darts League.
The darts setup
This is old-school pub darts, not a booked-session venue. The Sir Robert Peel has a dartboard on the wall that regulars use throughout the week, so you chalk up and play rather than reserving a lane. There is no automatic scoring or numbered oche system here; bring your own arrows or borrow a set from the bar, keep score on the board, and play whoever fancies a leg. One regular reviewer mentioned the landlady being happy to set them up for a game, which tells you how informal it is. A pool table sits in the same room if you want a break between legs.
The darts scene here
The Sir Robert Peel is a genuine darts pub, not just a venue with a board in the corner. It runs a team under its own name in the Archway and District Darts League, one of the long-running local leagues across north London, so on league nights you may find a fixture in progress. That makes it a friendly spot if you are after a real pub-team atmosphere rather than a bookable booth. It is a small, single-room community pub, recently refreshed but still traditional in feel, with sports on the TVs and a settled crowd of regulars who know the board well.
Getting there
The pub sits at 108 Malden Road, on the corner of Queens Crescent, which holds a street market on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The nearest Overground station is Kentish Town West, about a five-minute walk away, and Chalk Farm on the Northern line is the closest Underground stop. It is in the Camden side of Kentish Town rather than Archway itself, despite the darts league name. There is no car park, so public transport or walking is the easy option. Expect bar snacks rather than a full kitchen, as the pub does not do hot food.
Common questions
- What is the Sir Robert Peel in Kentish Town?
- It is a traditional corner local on Malden Road in Kentish Town, with a pub dartboard, a pool table and sports TV. It fields a team in the Archway and District Darts League, so it is a genuine darts pub rather than a bookable darts bar.
- Is darts free at the Sir Robert Peel?
- Yes. It is a standard pub dartboard you can just use, with no booking and no hire fee. You buy a drink and play, the way pub darts has always worked.
- Do you need to book to play darts there?
- No. There is no booking system or timed session. Walk in, head to the board and play. On league nights a team fixture may be using it, so it can be busy then.
- How many dartboards does the Sir Robert Peel have?
- It is a small single-room pub with a pub dartboard rather than a multi-board setup. There is also a pool table in the same room.
- Can children go to the Sir Robert Peel?
- No. The pub does not admit children, so it is an adults-only room. That makes it better suited to a casual adult game or group.
- What is the nearest station to the Sir Robert Peel?
- Kentish Town West on the Overground is the closest, roughly a five-minute walk. Chalk Farm on the Northern line is the nearest Underground station.
Other darts bars nearby
- PJ O'Connors Archway / Holloway
- Blackstock Finsbury Park (Islington), N4
- Doyles Tavern Holloway / Islington
- Tommy Flynns Islington
- Nambucca Archway / Holloway (Islington), N7
- The Crown (Archway) Archway (Islington), N19