Ballie Ballerson

Last weekend this is where my friend and I came to let loose.

One has to prebook tickets for this ball pit (£17) and you get 2 hours of pure unadulterated fun. It is so much fun and surprisingly very deep! I almost drowned a few times no jokes.

There's so much fun to be had here and once you're done you can hit the bar and dance to tunes on the dance floor. Downside.... The drinks are way too sweet! I have the sweetest tooth ever but these drinks (£9-£10) were pure sugar! Very hard to drink which is a shame because they looked cute and creative. I would 1000% come back to play in that ball pit. It was so much fun and 100% a crowd pleaser sure to bring out the big kid in anyone.

What a party! I had an amazing birthday at Ballie Ballerson throwing myself about in the ball pit and acting as though I was 5 years old again. I suggest going to Ballie early evening as it gets busy and ruins the fun atmosphere with sweat, body contact and slightly tipsy people. I loved the mirrored ceiling and walls as it makes the space look bigger and is perfect for your Instagram story. Besides the ball pit, their cocktails are amazing! I had the Dabbie Dabberson which came with sherbet and a lollipop. Ballie Ballerson knows how to host a party but best to be sensible about what time you go. 

Way more fun than I expected.  You book a two hour slot for ball pit access which is probably more than enough time but I didn't really think I'd be in there as long as I was!  Drinks (especially cocktails) are quite expensive and you can't take them with you into the ball pit (which is probably a good thing otherwise it might get a bit sticky!). The night we went they were offering free champagne at 10pm but considering we had arrived at 6pm we didn't stay for that.  A really fun night out but the novelty would likely wear off after two or so visits.

I went there with a group of friends on a Saturday 4-6pm. The pool is smallish (you can tell from the pictures only if you look carefully) and after 30min we were all a bit bored of playing as there isn't much you can actually do whilst there. The cocktails are on the pricey side but taste OK and the venue gets really busy, to the point that the pool is too crowded to even step in. Despite the 2hrs slot, we never managed to go back in it and ended up spending more money for drinks than in nearby nicer bars, like the Old St Records. Different from the usual night out but not an experience I'd repeat. 

When commercialism kills the soul of a great project...

I liked the "original", "before it was cool" Ballie Ballerson in Stoke Newington. It was small, but friendly with great vibe, decoration and cocktails. I was looking forward to visit the "big brother", the Ballie Ballerson 2.0, I though it's going to be "bigger and better", but it was a great disappointment.

So what remained? The concept is still fun and the decoration is still cool. Period.

What are the differences?

• They advertise this venue suggesting the main pit is bigger (maybe slightly) and they have more than one. They just forget to mention that in order to access the sitting area and it's ball pit you have to pay extra (SERIOUSLY?) and the third is for private hire. Considering that you already need to pay to enter the place, I feel it's a bit too much. Commercialism:BB 1-0
  
• I ordered the same cocktail as I did last time at the "original" BB (served with a helium balloon): same price, no balloon, one less quirkyness :( Commercialism : BB 2-0
• I was "lucky" to " have the worst customer experience I've ever had in London (and believe me, I'm experienced). I ordered two cocktail and a mocktail, but the bar guy refused to make and serve the third as he "hasn't touched non-alcoholic drinks for a decade" (congratulations...).He was rude, disrespectful, his tone was high-minded and he talked to me like I am stupid. 

Overall I can sadly say that Ballie Ballerson has lost it's original, alternative vibe. It's still quirky, but commercially quirky...shame.

The concept is great in theory, but the reality didn't quite match up in my opinion. 

I went on a Wednesday night and it was super busy. The ball pits are great, but it's hard to enjoy them because you're tripping over a sea of bodies, as well as balls. Unsurprisingly perhaps, it's a really young crowd - I'm 28 but felt like an old codger comparatively. 

On a positive note, the music was decent (if you like commercial RnB and hip hop) and the glow in the dark wall mural is cool. I certainly wouldn't say it's worth the price charged on the door, but not so bad if you get the discounted tickets through the Time Out shop. It's worth checking out for the novelty of it/ endless ball-related puns.

Tip: If you'd prefer a bit more space for your ball-diving fun, it's worth contacting the venue to ask when the ball pits are likely to be less congested.

I was taken to Ballie Ballerson as a birthday surprise. 

At first I was hesitant, would we be able to play for 2 hours in a ball pit? The answer is most definitely, YES! 

We went on a weekday evening and had lots of space for the obligatory Instagram photo shoot before the venue was too crowded. Staff were friendly and joined in the 'ball fights'. 

At BB you can relive the fun of childhood (but enjoy the privileges of prosecco and cocktails!)