The narrow entrance to Strike King Street Wharf is somewhat akin to the bowling lanes that are the star of the venue, but there’s a lot more on offer here than pins and spares. The recent renovations have brought five new schmick karaoke rooms to the premises (sing for an hour for $150), three new escape rooms (set to open in August) and a bright new Japanese pop-art aesthetic.
To reach the lanes and pool tables out back, walk through the sparkly front bar with giant retro games, past the very chic pastel karaoke rooms (the walls are totally glass, so if you brave a solo you better have dance moves ready for the passing crowd), stop in at the photo booth, then greet the giant robot behind the main bar. From here, you can swap your pumps for a pair of bowling shoes and get cracking on the glowing lanes (bowling starts at $17 per person), or start with cocktails and a salty snack.
Boozy beverages lean on the sugary, colourful side – the zesty ‘Pin-Diesel’ is served in a mock bowling pin for extra fun – and the new burger menu comes with all the trimmings: loaded fries, giant pickles and plastic syringes filled with gooey cheese. Load up inside the colourful booth seating which replicates a Tokyo subway train, complete with a TV screening a chugger scooting along an outdoor track in Japan (not to be confused with Sydney’s Light Rail).
Alongside the rest of the party food and classic cocktail menu, thematically, things are a little confusing. Anime and manga art is playing on screens and shining on billboards across the venue, but the soundtrack is predominantly Daryl Braithwaite hits and new pop chart-toppers. It’s a weird combo, but as long as you’re looking for a sugar-fuelled, spangly games outing, it’ll keep the good times rolling. And bowling.
If you’re after more family fun or a place to pretend to be a kid (with cocktails), Strike is run by the same arcade overlords as Archie Brothers Cirque Electriq and Holey Moley.