Three Crowns: Darts in Old Street

The Three Crowns is a traditional Young's pub on East Road, right where Old Street meets Hoxton. It is a locally listed Victorian building with a bottle-green tiled facade, and the front bar keeps an old-fashioned pub feel while the back opens out into a roomy dining area with an open kitchen. If you want a proper pint, decent food, and a casual game of darts without booking a slot, this is your spot.

The darts setup is simple. There is a single board tucked into an alcove at the front, and the throwing space is famously tight (Capital Arrows reckons it is the narrowest oche in London). So it suits a pair or a small group having a relaxed throw rather than a big darts night out. It is free to play, walk-in, first come first served, so grab the board when it is quiet.

The pub sits a couple of minutes from Old Street station, next to the Premier Inn on East Road. Weekday evenings draw an after-work crowd off the City and Shoreditch fringe, so come earlier if you want the board free. Note it is card payment only. Kitchen runs noon to 10pm most days, until 9pm on Sundays.