Time to drink a pint and get stuck into Pac Man at Four Quarters.
When lockdown hit the UK, we all reacted differently. Perhaps you morphed into Forrest Gump by use of Strava, or perfected your black forest gateau recipe. Or maybe, like so many, you dived into a hole of nostalgia, digging out your old games consoles to relive the times that gave you kicks in your childhood. Well, you can channel that lockdown obsession with old games into a social activity at Four Quarters, which boasts three gaming boltholes in the capital, including a brand new arcade bar down at Elephant & Castle, with over 30 classic games to whirl through as you sip on fine draught beers.
Though the flagship spot is their new site in Elephant Park, Four Quarters already boasts spots in Peckham (their OG home, found on Rye Lane) and Hackney Wick (at Here East). The new site presents a brand new 3,000 square-foot space, their biggest spot yet, and houses 30+ arcade machines, eight vintage console booths, and two projection gaming areas. Booths will include screens built into the wall where users can battle their friends at their beloved old titles on Sega, Nintendo and PlayStation consoles.
As to the name of the popular gaming bar, it’s simple. Four Quarters (in this case, £1), is enough for users to earn a go on the nostalgic games on offer. Classic retro numbers on the machines will include House of the Dead, Pac Man, Street Fighter II, Asteroids, Time Crisis 2, Space Invaders, The Simpsons, Point Blank and many more, so you can game to your heart’s content.
With a world of games at their fingertips, guests will also be spoiled for choice with a menu of over sixteen craft beers on tap, as well as numerous cocktails on offer and plenty of ravishing food options. Burgers, beers, arcade games… what more could you really need?
Find Four Quarters at 20 Ash Avenue, Elephant Park, SE17 1GQ (nearest station is Elephant & Castle), 187 Rye Lane, Peckham, SE15 4TW (nearest station is Peckham Rye), and Here East, 8 Canalside, East Bay Lane, E20 3BS (nearest stations are Hackney Wick and Stratford). More info here.