Photo: DesignMyNight
Tank & Paddle: Shuffleboard in Tower Hill, London
Tank & Paddle Minster Court is a craft-beer and pizza pub tucked into Minster Court near Tower Hill, and it was the first Tank & Paddle to open. It suits after-work groups and anyone who wants a casual game without booking anything: you walk in, grab a pint poured straight from the in-house tanks, and play shuffleboard while you wait for a stone-baked pizza. The single most useful thing to know is that the games are free. There is no per-hour charge and no lane booking, you just turn up and play.
It is a proper City local rather than a dedicated games bar, so it stays relaxed on quieter afternoons and busy after 5pm on weekdays. Handy if you want games and food in one stop near Bank, Monument and Fenchurch Street.
The shuffleboard setup
The main bar has a shuffleboard table you can use on a first-come basis alongside darts and a stack of board games. There is no booking and no timed slot, so it works best when the pub is not packed, which usually means early evenings and quieter afternoons. If you want a table guaranteed, the venue also has a private room called the Mini Tank with its own bar and its own shuffleboard, which you hire rather than just walk into. For a casual game with mates, the main floor is the easy option.
Good to know
Entry and games are free, so you only pay for what you eat and drink. The kitchen does handmade stone-baked pizzas and mac and cheese, and the beer is the draw: Meantime lagers and ales poured fresh from tanks behind the bar. Bottomless brunch runs on some weekdays from mid-afternoon. The pub is dog-friendly. It opens from noon Monday to Friday and closes earlier in the week, later on Thursdays, and Saturdays and Sundays are private hire only, so check before a weekend visit.
Getting there
Minster Court sits in the EC3 part of the City, a short walk from several stations. Monument and Bank are the closest Underground stops, and Fenchurch Street is the nearest mainline station for overground arrivals. Tower Hill is also within walking distance. The pub is set back inside the Minster Court development off Mincing Lane, so look for the entrance into the courtyard rather than a street-front sign. It is an easy stop if you are coming from the Tower of London or Tower Bridge end of the City.
Common questions
- What is Tank & Paddle Minster Court?
- It is a City of London craft-beer and pizza pub near Tower Hill, and the original Tank & Paddle. It serves beer poured fresh from in-house tanks alongside stone-baked pizzas, and has a shuffleboard table, darts and board games.
- Is the shuffleboard free at Tank & Paddle?
- Yes. You can walk in and play shuffleboard for free while you eat and drink. There is no per-hour charge, you only pay for food and beer.
- Do you need to book to play shuffleboard?
- No, the main bar shuffleboard is walk-in and first-come. If you want a guaranteed table, you can hire the private Mini Tank room, which has its own shuffleboard, but that is a paid private booking.
- How many shuffleboard tables are there?
- There is a shuffleboard in the main bar and a second one in the private Mini Tank room available for hire.
- What are the opening hours?
- It opens from noon Monday to Friday, closing at 22:00 early in the week, 23:00 on Wednesday and Friday, and around midnight on Thursday. Saturdays and Sundays are private hire only, so check ahead for a weekend visit.
- What is the nearest station?
- Monument and Bank Underground stations are closest, with Fenchurch Street mainline nearby. Tower Hill is also within walking distance.
Other shuffleboard bars nearby
- BrewDog Outpost Tower Hill Tower Hill
- Bermondsey Bierkeller London Bridge
- Electric Shuffle (London) London Bridge London Bridge
- Electric Shuffle Bermondsey Bermondsey
- Sport London (Broadwood) Liverpool Street Liverpool Street
- Pulse Bar London Bridge London Bridge