New York bowling alley and music venue Brooklyn Bowl London opened last week with an epic party at The O2 Arena in North Greenwich.
Brooklyn Bowl opened in Williamsburg in 2009 and has since hosted concerts from the likes of Guns N Roses, Kanye West, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Elvis Costello, N.E.R.D, Gossip, HAIM and a number of local bands. Brooklyn Bowl London references the original Brooklyn Bowl warehouse style with exposed brickwork, wood panelling and plenty of neon.
The 800-capacity venue features 12 bowling lanes (three of which are private), a restaurant, three bars and a stage and music area. Renowned American restaurant group Blue Ribbon offers a menu of tasty soul food and has managed to bring the entire Brooklyn Bowl menu to the London outlet.
At the launch party, we feasted on Blue Ribbon’s signature Fried Chicken, BBQ Pork Sliders, Pulled Pork, Mini Burgers, French Bread Pizza, Egg Shooters and Hummus. We washed them down with Brooklyn Lager and Rum Punch, although I’m keen to try one of their bourbon milkshakes next time.
We were treated to a performance from the Brooklyn Bowl All Star Players, getting the crowd hyped with a set of funk, soul and jazz. The NBA Global Games London match between Brooklyn Nets and Atlanta Hawks was taking place at the O2 that evening, so we had to chance to watch it streamed live to the enormous screens.
The music was mostly mainstream rock and hip hop until Turbonegro’s Tony Sylvester and John Doran of The Quietus took to the decks later on.
The launch party was the hottest night in town, attended by a number of celebrities including Cara Delevingne, Ellie Goulding, Kelly Brook, Dougie Poynter, Siva Kaneswaran, Adwoa Aboah, Clara Paget and Dominic Jones.
The O2 might seem like an unlikely location for such a popular hipster spot, however it does have musical advantages that Shoreditch or Dalston can’t necessarily offer. While a little out of the way for a regular night out, big concerts such as Beyonce’s Mrs Carter Tour are set to be screened there and the venue is likely to be used for after-parties.
I think Brooklyn Bowl London is a great venue with lots of atmosphere and food that’s worth crossing town for. I’m looking forward to seeing what music events they’ve got planned and will definitely be lured back for a game of bowling and more of that delicious fried chicken.
Photos by Chérie City and Brooklyn Bowl
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