The Bat and Ball, Stratford: Get Your Ping Pong On!
| 19th January 2016
By Tom Gatehouse
@tragatehouse
tomgatehouse.com
So my ping pong table is in the garden covered by a tarpaulin that looks like Swiss cheese. It has also become a home to all manner of spiders and snails in the damp weather. The arrival of winter always signals the end of all pinging and ponging for me; until now. Welcome to Bat and Ball, the newest and coolest popup ping pong bar in London.
Found nestled by Westfield Stratford City, open from 10am to midnight daily and chock full of tables, craft beer, cocktails and wine; The Bat and Ball is two huge floors of all season fun and games. Twelve championship-sized tables occupy the upstairs games hall, with a private Ping Pong Parlour available for hire downstairs. Resident DJs are on hand to provide the necessary stimulation, while pizza from the local Well Street Pizza is ready to be attacked in the downstairs deli along with other snacks, toasties and salads.
Sharing platters will surely be big hitters, with their ‘Healthy’ (£16) a terrific mix of crudities, carrots, cucumber, celery, radish, cherry tomatoes, red pepper hummus, tzatziki, guacamole, tomato salsa, tortilla chips. And if you’re feeling indulgent, head for the ‘Meaty’ (£22) – Baby back ribs, sweet n’ smoky chicken wings, BBQ pulled pork, BBQ beans, potato wedges!
Cocktails are served at £7 a pop, with pitchers priced at £20 each. Of course, Bat and Ball host ping pong tournaments, but they also have mixed double-dating, top spin master classes, beer pong, smash and grab, and prosecco & pizza parties, making this one of the premier hotspots in Westfield.
The Bat and Ball only opened last week and VIVA London were lucky enough to have attended the launch party. Expert players turned up to strut their stuff and we left happily discussing how on earth we managed to win four points off of one particularly cat-like competitor!
The Bat and Ball
Address: Unit 1110/11 Westfield Centre, Stratford City, Olympic Park, Montfichet Rd, London E20 1EJ
Phone: 0203 058 3020
Twitter: @batandballldn
Website: www.thebatandball.com
