Shacklewell Arms, pool in Dalston, Hackney

Photo: The Shacklewell Arms

Shacklewell Arms: Pool & Snooker in Dalston, London

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71 Shacklewell Lane, Dalston, London · E8 2EB · Mo-Th 17:00-00:00; Fr-Sa 17:00-03:00; Su 15:00-23:00

The Shacklewell Arms is a Dalston pub and live-music venue with a pool table, a gig room out the back and a big garden and courtyard. It suits anyone who wants a frame of pool wrapped around a proper night out, not a quiet daytime potter. Open evenings only, it gets busy and loud once the music kicks in, so it works best for groups happy to drink, dance and queue for the table between sets.

The single pool table sits in the pub itself, so you play in the thick of things rather than a tucked-away room. There is no listed booking for pool, so it is walk-in and first-come. Come early in the week if you want a clear run at the table before the crowd builds.

The pool setup

There is one pool table in the main pub, kept in the swing of the room rather than a side hall. You play it walk-in, taking turns with whoever is around, and there is no online booking for the table. Because the venue runs as a gig and club space, the pub area fills up fast on event nights and the table can get a queue. Your best window is earlier in the week or soon after opening, before the back room programme pulls the crowd in. The price of a frame is not published by the venue.

Good to know

This is an evenings-only spot. It opens at 5pm Monday to Saturday and 3pm on Sunday, running late to midnight midweek and 3am on Friday and Saturday. Out back there is a large garden and courtyard with one step down by the fire-exit door. The draw here is the live-music programme, so expect gigs, DJ nights and club events most evenings. Entry to the pub is free, though ticketed shows in the back room are separate. Times are subject to change, so check the site before a late one.

Getting there

You will find it at 71 Shacklewell Lane, E8 2EB, on the Dalston side of Hackney. Dalston Kingsland and Dalston Junction Overground stations are both a short walk away, which makes it an easy stop on a night moving around east London. If you are coming for pool rather than a gig, aim for an early arrival, since the venue leans hard into its music nights once the room gets going.

Get directions

Common questions

What is the Shacklewell Arms?
It is a pub and live-music venue at 71 Shacklewell Lane in Dalston, Hackney. Alongside the bar it has a pool table, a gig room out the back and a large garden and courtyard.
Does the Shacklewell Arms have a pool table?
Yes. There is a pool table in the main pub area, so you play in the room rather than a separate hall.
Do you need to book to play pool?
No booking is listed for the table, so it is walk-in and first-come. Get there early, as the pub fills up fast on event nights.
How much does pool cost at the Shacklewell Arms?
The venue does not publish a price for pool. Entry to the pub itself is free, though ticketed gigs in the back room are charged separately.
What are the opening times?
It opens 5pm to midnight Monday to Thursday, 5pm to 3am Friday and Saturday, and 3pm to 11pm on Sunday. Times can change, so check ahead.
What is the nearest station?
Dalston Kingsland and Dalston Junction Overground stations are both a short walk from the pub.

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