Richmond Board Game Cafe With Katsu Curry: Library Pot

Library Pot is a board game cafe at 86 Kew Road, Richmond TW9 2PQ, about five minutes on foot from Richmond station on the District line and Overground. It runs in fixed sessions of up to five hours, with a games charge of £6.50 per person per session plus a minimum spend of £15 per person on food and drink. It opens Wednesday to Sunday only, and it does not take walk-ins: the site asks every guest to book online and not just turn up.

Library Pot is owner-run. The site's FAQ tells guests to talk to Rob or Emily, and Emily runs occasional Learn a Boardgame sessions for people new to the hobby. The cafe was already trading in 2018, when TripAdvisor gave it a Certificate of Excellence, and it won another in 2019. In 2026 it was again awarded a five-star food hygiene rating, which it mentions proudly on the homepage.

The shelves hold hundreds of games, and the full list is on the website so you can plan before you arrive. There is a Japanese thread running through the place: Japanese dishes and sake on the menu, a manga collection, anime shown in the basement room the owners call the dungeon, and Riichi mahjong meetups with their own league.

Every visit has two parts. The games charge is £6.50 per person per session. On top of that, each person must spend at least £15 on food and drink during the session, and a 10% discretionary gratuity for table service is added to the bill. A no-show costs the same as a visit, £21.50 per person, so cancel properly if plans change.

Sessions last up to five hours, and the cafe closes at the end of each session, which explains the slightly unusual opening hours. Groups of seven or more pay a non-refundable deposit in advance. At busy times a booked table is only held for 20 minutes.

The signature dish is chicken katsu curry, made with a curry sauce imported from Japan and served with Japanese rice and spring onions, at £16.95. The menu calls it perhaps the best seller. Tori ramen costs £14.95, and ten-inch Italian sourdough pizzas are £16.95. Sticky toffee pudding at £7.95 is the classic British way to finish.

On the drinks list, a 330ml bottle of Asahi costs £5.25 and a 125ml glass of futsushu sake £10.50. Absinthe is £12.95 for anyone feeling bold. With a £15 minimum spend per person, one main course and a drink covers it, so do not over-order. No outside food or drink is allowed, and bringing a birthday cake carries a £25 fee.

The Hours page sets out each session. Monday and Tuesday are closed. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday have evening sessions from 6.30 pm to 11 pm. Saturday has a lunch and afternoon session from 12 noon to 5 pm and an evening session from 6 pm to 11 pm. Sunday has a lunch session from 12 noon to 4.30 pm and an evening session from 5 pm to 9.30 pm. The cafe is usually closed on bank holiday Mondays.

For a relaxed first visit, the Sunday lunch session is the gentlest: the room is calmer and you are out in time for an early dinner. Friday and Saturday evenings book up first.

The minimum age is eight, and children must be supervised by an adult. The site is firm that there is no room for toddlers, babies, buggies, prams or pushchairs, so this is not a venue for young families. Dogs are welcome, smaller ones preferred.

For adults, and anyone aged 14 or over, there is a ball pool table at £20 per table, an odd extra that suits a birthday group. The owners can often help with rules if you ask, though with hundreds of games on the shelves it helps to arrive with one or two titles in mind from the online list.

Five hours is long enough for a proper evening, so pace it. Order food early in the session, because the kitchen is the reason the minimum spend exists and a hungry table chooses games badly. Start with a medium game while you eat, move to the heaviest game once plates are cleared, and save a short card game for the last half hour.

Couples can get through three or four two-player games in one sitting. A group of six might split into two tables for the main game and come back together for a party game at the end. Browse the game list on the website before you go and pick a shortlist, since the room is small and searching the shelves at length gets in the way of other guests. If you want rules help, ask early in the session, when the owners have time.

Riichi mahjong players meet on Thursday evenings and Sunday afternoons, and the cafe runs leagues for regulars. Meetup groups also gather here on Wednesday and Thursday evenings, which makes those nights a good bet if you are coming alone and want to join a table. Emily's Learn a Boardgame sessions appear on the calendar now and then for anyone who wants a gentle introduction.

Kew Road runs north from the town centre toward Kew Gardens, whose Victoria Gate sits at the far end of the road. Before an afternoon session, Richmond Green, a few minutes south, is lined with Georgian houses and old pubs. Old Deer Park, with its open playing fields, is just west of the cafe. The site also points out Blue Anchor Alley next door, which it links to Vincent van Gogh's time in Richmond.

Address: Library Pot, 86 Kew Road, Richmond TW9 2PQ. Station: Richmond (District line, Overground and trains from Waterloo), about five minutes' walk. Hours: Wednesday to Friday 6.30 pm to 11 pm; Saturday 12 noon to 5 pm and 6 pm to 11 pm; Sunday 12 noon to 4.30 pm and 5 pm to 9.30 pm; closed Monday and Tuesday. Charges: £6.50 games charge plus £15 minimum spend per person. Minimum age 8.