Best bowling arcades in Delhi NCR

​What is it: A premium bowling and arcade lounge in south Delhi’s Ansal Plaza, with VR games as well as a restro-bar.

​Why go? This is a high-end place with great service. You can’t go into the bowling section without switching out your shoes for the swanky ones they give you, servers come up to the little tables by the lanes to refill your drink without you needing to ask, and the screens displaying the score never glitch out. The alcohol at the restro-bar’s pricey, but they don’t serve shitty beer, which is a huge plus, and the arcade on the first floor’s massive and well-stocked with fun machines. The set-up also has rooms for private parties and corporate meetings – another plus.

​Timings: Daily. 12 noon-1am.

​Address: Ground Floor, Ansal Plaza, Mall, August Kranti Marg, Hudco Place, Andrews Ganj Extension, Andrews Ganj, New Delhi, Delhi 110049

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​What is it: A  glow-in-the-dark bowling and gaming arcade inside Spectrum Mall in Noida.

​Why go? The place mixes bowling, arcade games, VR zones, cricket simulators, great snacks, and alcohol under one roof. There’s never a dull moment – you can jump between experiences as quick as you please – and your evening whooshes by, just like that. The dance simulator, especially, is something not too commonly seen around Delhi, and like some of the other arcades on this list, Zoreko comes with options for a party set-up perfect for kiddie birthday parties. They’re great when it comes to doling out good offers and discounts, on top of, of course, their ‘Wow Wednesdays’ – 50% off on all games.

Timings: Daily. 11am-11.30pm.

​Address: Spectrum Metro, Gardenia Gateway, Sector 75, Noida, Uttar Pradesh 201316

What is it: A massive family entertainment centre, home to India’s largest free-roam VR zone, as well as a 50-foot indoor ropes course.

​Why go? The massive VR arena’s what sets Blaast apart – it’s obviously got a top-notch bowling alley and arcade section, but the VR area lets you really enjoy multiplayer adventure games with full-body movement, not just lame headset stuff. They’ve got golf and cricket simulators that let you practice your backswing as well as bowling out virtual wickets, plus a whole bunch of other VR games – several of which are new and updated monthly. The centre’s built for a full-on family day out and it’s got something for every age group – trampolines, a ropes course, bowling, video games, you name it. Even Granny might find something she likes.

Timings: Daily. 11am-10pm.

​Address: Second Floor, Entertainland Mall, Sector 83, Gurugram, Haryana 122012

What it is: A large indoor bowling and gaming centre packed to the brim with UV-lit bowling lanes, arcade games, VR experiences, sports simulators, and a café-cum-bar.

​Why go: A place with three As placed one after the other must really be something, huh? Jokes apart, Smaaash goes heavy on sports – air hockey, sports-based arcade machines, a cricket simulator that lets you face off against virtual bowlers, VR racing, the works. They’re also big on weekday deals, often giving away several games for the price of one. The food’s surprisingly good – especially the nachos and sliders.

​Timings: Daily. 11am-11.30pm.

​Address: Fourth Floor, Dlf Mall Of India, A501, B504, Sector 18, Noida, Uttar Pradesh 201301

What is it: A sports bar that dates back to the good old times.

​Why go? Yes Minister’s been around for ages, but SO WHAT? It’s always packed, the food’s great, and they’ve got multiple screens showing all the live sports games going on. Six bowling lanes keep things moving, there’s a pool table, foosball and air hockey if you’re bored, and the bar does great cocktails. Folks stream in for birthdays, to watch the game, or even just for a drink – but it never, ever ventures too far toward either extreme – family-only zone or a rowdy bar. It’s just right.

​Timings: Daily. 11am-12am.

​Address: Essex Farms Banquets, 4, Sri Aurobindo Marg, Vijay Mandal Enclave, Kalu Sarai, New Delhi, Delhi 110016