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Get your skates on and prepare to strike as central London’s only permanent ice rink and bowling alley unveils its mega-makeover
It's all kicking off in west London right now. The Design Museum has just moved to a swanky new Kensington site, there’s a boozy waterfall in Westfield, and street food is popping up all over the goddam place. Next up to join the party is the grand reopening of Queens today.
West Londoners have been sliding around on this indoor ice rink since it originally opened in 1930; bowling lanes were added in 1994 and now it’s had the full hipster facelift. The new incarnation has a restored ice rink for all-year skating (none of that seasonal nonsense here), 12 fancy tenpin bowling lanes with cosy booths, two bars serving the obligatory craft beer and cocktails and a retro games room (hello Pac-Man and Space Invaders).
There’s also a new ‘British diner’ by pop-up maestro Jimmy Garcia dishing up meaty classics with a twist, including ‘Parliamentary’ pulled pork, build-your-own burgers and sticky bangers. It’s basically a one-stop shop for all your night-out needs. Royally good fun all round.
Queens is at 17 Queensway, W2 4PQ. Tube: Queensway. Opens Thu Dec 8. Free entry; £10-£12 skate, £7.50-£8.95 bowl.
Three more multi-tasking venues
There's more to north London's kitsch bowling palace than knocking down pins. Splash cash in the arcade, shoot some pool and sing yourself silly in one of the karaoke booths (while supping on boozy slushies, obvs). Tube: Finsbury Park.
Similarly, the lanes at the O2's Americana bowling alley are only part of the offering. It also puts on its own gigs (and screen ones happening next door in the arena) and serves up damn fine fried chicken at the Blue Ribbon restaurant. Tube: North Greenwich.
The ice rink at Ally Pally often gets overlooked with all the other stuff on offer. As well as hosting loads of excellent gigs and trade shows, there's pitch-and-putt golf, a skate park, a farmers' market and a wonderful boating lake all the year round. Tube: Wood Green.
Want to get your skates on? Check out London's best ice rinks.