Clerkenwell Pool Hall Since 2000: American Tables at 1920

1920 Bar, at 19-20 Great Sutton Street, London EC1V 0DR, calls itself Clerkenwell's original activity bar, and it has been independent since it opened in 2000. American pool is the centrepiece: tables on the ground floor and in the basement, with soft-tip darts, foosball and retro arcade machines around them. It is 18+ only, dogs are welcome, and booking ahead is highly recommended if you want a pool table.

The bar's own description puts American pool first and everything else second. Its FAQ counts seven American pool tables, though the page describing the spaces gives four on the ground floor and two in the basement, so the honest answer is six or seven depending on the page you read. Either way it is a bar with real pool tables rather than a pub with one in a corner, and the tables are described as beautifully kept for serious play or casual games.

Around the tables you will find interactive and soft-tip darts, foosball, a Point Blank arcade shooter and other retro machines. The darts, foosball and arcade games are coin-operated and do not need booking, so a group can play pool on a reserved table and fill the gaps with walk-up games. That arrangement is exactly what the bar means by activity bar: nobody is stuck waiting for a single table.

Pool is booked through the bar's online system, and each booking is for up to four people. You are asked about table preferences, but the bar cannot guarantee a particular table. If you want more than one pool table for a larger group, contact the team first, because a booking for several tables made online is cancelled automatically.

The rule to remember is the peak-time limit. On Wednesday to Friday between 6 pm and 10 pm, and on Saturday between 4 pm and 10 pm, pool tables can only be booked for one hour per group so that others get access. Outside those windows you can plan longer sessions.

The bar's website says it opened its doors in 2000 and has stayed proudly independent, and it marked 25 years of cocktails, competition and connection during 2025. The team is described as small and dedicated, which fits the feel of the place: classy and funky in the bar's own words, closer to a local than to the big chain venues in the City.

The format suits a group that wants more than a drink. If your group includes people who do not play pool, the bar's cocktails and sharing plates keep them occupied, and you can come just for food and drink if you want.

The menu leans on signature cocktails and sharing plates, with no separate halal or kosher menus, so ask a team member about the options. Only food and drink bought at the bar can be consumed inside. There is no dress code beyond the FAQ's joke that you should arrive wearing clothes, and the ground floor is wheelchair friendly, so tell the team in advance and they will place the booking on the right floor.

The sensible approach is to arrive ten minutes early, order a drink, and let the first game start on time, because a peak-hour slot is only an hour long.

Beyond casual play, the bar hosts private parties for groups of 30 to 200 guests, with no hire fee and a minimum spend instead. The basement also has a karaoke room, which makes it a common choice for team nights. The bar offers Christmas 2026 packages as well, so groups planning the season should look at the festive page early, since team nights in December are the busiest time for any central London venue with private space.

For something different, the bar sells a Pool Pro package with Rico Diks, described as a three-times European Pool Champion, covering trick shots and a tournament format for £450 including VAT. That is a corporate-event price, not a casual one, but it shows how seriously the bar takes its pool. Most visitors will simply book a table and play. A fair warning for purists: this is a bar with pool tables and arcade machines, so if you want a quiet, serious practice session, a dedicated cue-sports club will suit you better, and the one-hour peak limit will not allow a long match. For a social evening with friends it is a better fit, because the pool, darts and arcade games can all be done in a single stop.

Great Sutton Street is a short walk from Smithfield Market, the Victorian meat market whose cast-iron halls are one of the area's landmarks. The Charterhouse, a former monastery and almshouse, sits nearby on the way to the Barbican, and the medieval gatehouse of St John's Gate is another reminder of how old this neighbourhood is.

Barbican and Farringdon stations are both within walking distance. A loop through Smithfield and the Charterhouse before a game works well on a summer evening; in winter, go straight to the bar. The Barbican Centre is a short stroll for anyone who wants to combine a game with an arts event.

1920 Bar, 19-20 Great Sutton Street, Clerkenwell, London EC1V 0DR. Over-18s only; dogs welcome; food and drink must be bought at the bar. Pool tables are booked online, up to four people each, with a one-hour limit per group on Wednesday to Friday 6 pm to 10 pm and Saturday 4 pm to 10 pm. Refunds are available up to seven days before the booking. Nearest stations: Barbican and Farringdon.