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Find the best London pub quiz with our guide

By Eloise Barker on 8/10/2018

Did you know that the Guinness Book of Records was supposed to be a one-off publication? It was created to settle arguments in pubs. Unfortunately, the record book did nothing to satisfy our need for trivia. We seem to love a picture round, a soggy piece of paper on a beery table and an argument about the capital of Venezuela more than ever.
Riddle us this… if you’ve got brain muscles to flex (or you know the brain doesn’t have any muscles – smartypants) where do you go in London to find the best pub quizzes?

We've compiled a list of the most interesting, challenging and lucrative pub quizzes in London. From weird themes to film scenes and drag queens, consult our list and you'll never resort to playing darts again.

Just remember: keep your smart phone out of it.

The naughty one: Retro Bar

An unassuming entrance on an alley off The Strand takes you to a great little Soho bar. The Strand Retro Bar’s pub quiz is run by not one, but two local drag queens. Lola Lasagne and Myra Dubois take it in turns to run the show. ‘No cheating or we’ll give you a good thrashing’. Team size is limited to just four, so pick them well!

Proposed team name: 'Shante, we stay' (or any other vaguely suitable quote from Ru Paul's Drag Race)

WHEN

Tuesdays, 8:00 PM – 11:00 PM

WHERE

2 George Ct, London WC2N 6HH

The note-perfect one: The Lexington

Formerly known as the Rough Trade pub quiz (after the record label), The Lexington Pop Quiz might have changed names, but its reputation still stands. This is one of the best organised music quizzes in town. With the help of a big old sound system, play ‘guess the intro’, 'name that song' and answer fiendishly difficult questions about popular music. Don’t go if you’ve can’t remember anything before Bieber.

Proposed team name: 'Quiz Teama Aguilera'

WHEN

Mondays, 8:00 PM

WHERE

96-98 Pentonville Road, London, N1 9JB

The fun one: The Four Thieves

The Four Thieves pub has a gaming arcade and its own on-site brewery. But we're here for the quizzes! The pub runs a number of quiz nights, but only one of them features Boogaloo Stu. His 'Big Quiffy Quiz' pub quiz started in Brighton, before becoming a permanent feature on Tuesday nights in this corner of Battersea. Loyalty card holders can collect stamps to receive their own signed photo. Booking a table for Tuesday nights is recommended.

Proposed team name: 'Quiff Richard'

WHEN

Tuesdays, 8:00 PM – 10:00 PM

WHERE

51 Lavender Gardens, Battersea, London, SW11 1DJ

The charitable one: The Water Poet

Here's a quiz where you don't have to do well to do good. The Water Poet pub's Big Boozy Pub Quiz is a regular fixture and the proceeds of every quiz go to a different charity. A great way to do good in two ways (that’s by winning, and by giving money – got it). Don’t worry, it’s a boozy quiz, rather than a serious one. Plus, there’s excellent local beer on tap.

Proposed team name: 'Medecins Sans Cognitive Faculties'

WHEN

Various dates

WHERE

9-11 Folgate St, Spitalfields, London E1 6BX

The cinematic one: You're gonna need a bigger boat

You’re Gonna Need A Bigger Boat is a touring pub quiz with three venues: Upstairs at the Ritzy, The Flamingo Room and The Lord Nelson. The special subject? Well, can you guess? That’s right, all things film (and not just Jaws, either, that would be too easy). Questions and scenes are projected on a big screen, and you’ll also need to recognise soundtracks. This quiz has run for 12 years and tickets still sell out fast. Pass the popcorn.

Proposed team name: ‘Can we order a starter for ten?’

WHEN

3rd Tuesday of the month (Ritzy), last Monday of the month (Flamingo), last Thursday of month (The Lord Nelson)

WHERE

Upstairs at the Ritzy, Hackney Attic and The Lord Nelson.

The franchise: The Sounds Familiar Music Quiz

It's another music quiz, but this one comes with a portable party. By the end of every night these guys put on, everyone in the near vicinity, winning or losing, is standing on the tables singing their drunken hearts out. The Sounds Familiar Music Quiz tours venues in London but sells out very, very fast. Expect a heap of silly round names, 100 different music tracks per quiz, and at least one team calling themselves 'We are the champions'.

Proposed team name: 'Smells like team spirit'

WHEN

Various dates

WHERE

Touring quiz

The biggest pot: The Horn of Plenty

The Horn of Plenty really is a site of plenty (not sure about the horn) – it’s got London's biggest rolling jackpot. There's a regular quiz on Tuesday nights, and has fun current affairs and family fortunes rounds. During the night there's a chance to win the coveted prize money by answering one ludicrously hard question. If some drinks vouchers and a tenner isn’t enough to lure your team out of the house, then maybe this will. The biggest jackpot ever won was £1,500.

Proposed team name: 'E = MC Hammer'

WHEN

Tuesdays, 8:00 PM – 10:15 PM

WHERE

36 Globe Road, Stepney, E1 4DU

The longest running pop quiz: Who Killed Bambi?

The Boogaloo is a rock and roll venue in Highgate, and the home to London’s longest running pop culture quiz. Featuring questions on music, movies and television, it's not always popular knowledge that you'll need: sometimes the questions are a little niche… the name, if you were wondering, comes from a Ten Pole Tudor with the Sex Pistols song you haven’t heard of. This venue used to be the site of the 'Bigger Boat' quiz, too – plus The Libertines played here once during a reunion. In short, it’s a retro pub with a lot going on.

Proposed team name: 'Childish Bambino'

WHEN

Wednesdays, 8:00 PM

WHERE

312 Archway Rd, Highgate, London N6 5AT

The impossible one: The Brutal Quiz

The Railway Pub in Streatham has a heap of events, but only one is dreaded and revered in equal measure. The so-called ‘Brutal Quiz’ only comes around once every few months, but it makes U-Chall look like preschool. This quiz features 100 questions that promises ‘no pop culture’ ‘no sport’ ‘no pictures’. It’s for serious people only. Considered ‘far too hard’ by our tester, only go if you’re deathly serious about winning and/or have eaten the encyclopedia Britannica for breakfast. If this is too much, there's also a regular Tuesday night quiz, from 8pm.

Proposed team name: ‘And in first place’

WHEN

Tuesdays, 8:00 PM

WHERE

2 Greyhound Lane, Streatham Common, SW16 5SD

The big one: The World's Biggest Pub Quiz

Finally, look out for The World’s Biggest Pub Quiz on 5 March. There are nearly 2,000 pubs taking part across the country, and it's all for a good cause. Pubaid and Prostate Cancer UK are behind the project. The Ten Bells in East London is hosting one – and including a ‘topical, existential tin foil moulding round’. Us neither.

Proposed team name: 'Foiled again!'

WHEN

3-7 March 2019

WHERE

84 Commercial Street, E1 6LY

The interactive one: The Old Queen's Head

Known as 'the pub quiz for people too cool for a pub quiz', these weekly nights of fun may be the ultimate party destination for the hippest Londoners out there. We love this one not only because The Old Queen's Head boasts amazing food and drinks as well as irresistible décor, but because the quiz involves plenty of immersive rounds like karaoke and dirty doodles.

Proposed team name: John Trivialta

WHEN

Tuesdays, 7:00 PM – 11:00 PM

WHERE

44 Essex Rd, London, N1 8LN

Find the best London pub quiz with our guide

The naughty one: Retro Bar

The note-perfect one: The Lexington

The fun one: The Four Thieves

The charitable one: The Water Poet

The cinematic one: You're gonna need a bigger boat

The franchise: The Sounds Familiar Music Quiz

The biggest pot: The Horn of Plenty

The longest running pop quiz: Who Killed Bambi?

The impossible one: The Brutal Quiz

The big one: The World's Biggest Pub Quiz

The interactive one: The Old Queen's Head

London Pub

Pub Quiz

In the know

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Things to do in London this weekend: 20 – 22 September

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Mischief managed: Harry Potter London sights and activities

Find the best London pub quiz with our guide

The naughty one: Retro Bar

The note-perfect one: The Lexington

The fun one: The Four Thieves

The charitable one: The Water Poet

The cinematic one: You're gonna need a bigger boat

The franchise: The Sounds Familiar Music Quiz

The biggest pot: The Horn of Plenty

The longest running pop quiz: Who Killed Bambi?

The impossible one: The Brutal Quiz

The big one: The World's Biggest Pub Quiz

The interactive one: The Old Queen's Head

London Pub

Pub Quiz

In the know

Things to do

London Theatre Guide: best plays on now in London, 2019

The best new podcasts 2018

The fringe theatre shows you should book

Things to do in London this weekend: 20 – 22 September

London Children's Book Swap

Mischief managed: Harry Potter London sights and activities

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