The Best Pub Quizzes in London

The best pub quiz nights in London are genuinely competitive events that happen to take place in rooms that also serve beer. We have attended over forty different quiz nights across the city in the past two years, keeping notes on question quality, atmosphere, prize structure, and the essential metric of whether the pub fills up with the right kind of people. These are the ones that made the final cut.

The Classic London Pub Quiz Nights

These pubs have been running their quiz nights for years — sometimes decades. The question writers know what they are doing and the regulars take it seriously enough that you need to book a table if you want one. Walk-ins possible, but not guaranteed.

The Sekforde Arms

Clerkenwell $$ Tuesday Nights / Competitive

The Sekforde runs a Tuesday night quiz that has been running for over a decade, with the same host and the same format that has earned it a devoted following among Clerkenwell regulars. Seven rounds of ten questions each, covering general knowledge, music, current events, and an increasingly devious picture round. The beer selection is excellent. Teams of up to six. Book a week ahead for the good tables.

Quiz night: Tuesdays, 7:30pm — arrive by 7pm to guarantee a table

The Alma

Wandsworth $$ Sunday Evenings / Neighbourhood

A Victorian pub in Wandsworth that runs a Sunday quiz with a cash prize and a reputation for fair, well-written questions. The regulars here have been coming since before the pub changed hands three years ago. The new management kept the quiz night intact, which tells you everything about how important it is to the community. Six rounds, generous wine list, and a genuinely warm atmosphere.

Quiz night: Sundays, 7pm — teams of up to eight

The Pembury Tavern

Hackney $ Monday Quiz / Beer-Forward

Hackney's best pub quiz is at the Pembury, which doubles as one of the neighbourhood's best craft beer pubs. The Monday quiz is eight rounds with a picture round and a music round that leans toward 90s and 2000s indie. The cooperative ownership model keeps the atmosphere genuinely warm rather than commercially managed. Prizes are gift vouchers for the bar. Teams of up to six.

Quiz night: Mondays, 8pm — free entry

East London Quiz Nights: Dalston, Shoreditch & Beyond

East London's pub quiz scene is younger and louder than the traditional circuit — the question rounds tend to include more pop culture and the teams tend to be larger and more recently formed. The atmosphere is less serious, which is not a criticism. Sometimes you want a quiz night that ends with dancing.

The Bootstrap

Dalston $ Thursday Quiz / Late Night

A community venue in Dalston that runs a Thursday quiz with a sliding scale entry fee and questions written by a rotating panel of local writers and comedians. The format changes slightly week to week — one month it is all film, the next it adds a full geography section. The prizes include vouchers for nearby restaurants. Cash bar, BYOB welcome on certain nights. Usually sold out by Wednesday.

Quiz night: Thursdays, 7:30pm — book online in advance

The George and Dragon

Shoreditch $$ Wednesday Quiz / LGBTQ-Welcoming

The Wednesday quiz at the George and Dragon has been running since the pub's early days as a Shoreditch institution. The host is entertaining and the questions skew toward pop culture and music without completely ignoring general knowledge. The pub fills up quickly so early arrival is recommended. The back garden opens in summer. Drag-hosted bonus rounds on special occasions.

Quiz night: Wednesdays, 8pm — teams of four to eight

The Palm Tree

Mile End $ Irregular Quiz / Jazz Pub

The Palm Tree is primarily known as an east London jazz and singalong pub, but its irregular quiz nights — announced on a chalkboard out front — are among the most interesting in the city. The questions are idiosyncratic and often involve east London history and geography. The bar is cash only. The regulars are genuinely welcoming to newcomers who show up prepared to lose.

Quiz night: Irregular — check the chalkboard outside

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North & South London's Best Quiz Pubs

The best pub quizzes in London are spread across the entire city. These are the north and south London entries we recommend without reservation — neighbourhood institutions where the quiz night is as much a social event as a competition.

The Tufnell Park Tavern

Tufnell Park $$ Tuesday Quiz / North London Staple

A reliable neighbourhood pub quiz in north London that runs every Tuesday. The format is eight rounds with an audio round that rewards music knowledge spanning five decades. The host knows the regulars by name. Teams cap at six. The beer garden is open until the quiz starts. Prizes are bar tabs, which incentivises staying for a second round of drinks regardless of the result.

Quiz night: Tuesdays, 7:30pm — no booking required but arrive early

The Dog and Bell

Deptford $ Thursday Quiz / South London Classic

Deptford's finest pub quiz runs on Thursdays at the Dog and Bell, a pub that has been in the same location since 1890. The quiz is traditional in format — six rounds, paper answer sheets, a final tie-breaker — but the questions are modern and well-researched. The cask ales are the best reason to be there regardless of the quiz. Teams of up to eight.

Quiz night: Thursdays, 8pm — £2 per person entry

The Half Moon

Herne Hill $$ Monthly Quiz / Music-Themed

A live music venue in Herne Hill that runs a monthly quiz specifically designed around music history and current releases. The format rewards deep knowledge of obscure tracks as much as chart hits, which makes for an unusually levelled playing field. Entry is £3 per person. The stage is used for quiz rounds involving live audio clips. Arguably the most entertaining quiz night format in south London.

Quiz night: First Sunday of each month, 6:30pm

What to Know Before Your First London Pub Quiz

London pub quizzes are taken more seriously than most visitors expect. Teams of four to six perform best — too small and you lack coverage across categories; too large and coordination becomes impossible. Book ahead for the popular nights listed above. Arrive thirty minutes early to secure the best table position (near the speaker for audio rounds, not directly under it).

The competitive circuit has its regulars, and showing up as a visitor and winning on your first attempt is received differently in different pubs. At the Pembury, people will congratulate you. At the Sekforde, expect a more measured reception. Both are worth attending regardless.