Quick answer: In Bristol you can play board games at Bristol Board Games Meetup (Meetup group), Bristol Games Social (Meetup group), Chance & Counters Christmas Steps (board game café), Chance & Counters Gloucester Road (board game café) and Replay (board game café). The next confirmed date is Sun 15 Nov, 12:30 pm (Bristol Board Games Meetup). Nearby town Weston-super-Mare adds one more place, further down the page.
Bristol's got two Chance & Counters board game cafés, the original at the Christmas Steps and a second on Gloucester Road, and the Christmas Steps one runs a £5 Social Gaming night every Monday for people coming on their own. The city's big Meetup group plays every Thursday in a Fishponds pub skittle alley and on Sunday afternoons in Bishopsworth, and Bristol Games Social has a board games night every other Thursday in Kingsdown.
2 × Meetup group3 × Board game café1 × Shop with gaming tables
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Bristol's biggest board game Meetup group. On Thursdays at The Greyhound in Fishponds every table has a leader who explains the rules, and if you're new you can say so on the event page so they can find you a suitable table. You need to RSVP on Meetup and get there by 6:45pm. It's modern board games only, so no chess, roleplaying or two-player games. On Sundays the group plays at Bristol Independent Gaming, which has a board games library you can use.
Where
The Greyhound, 80-82 Lodge Causeway, Fishponds, Bristol, BS16 3JP
When
Thursdays 6:30pm to 11pm in the skittle alley at The Greyhound, 80-82 Lodge Causeway, Fishponds. Sundays 12:30pm to 5:30pm at Bristol Independent Gaming, 16 Cater Road, Bishopsworth.
Cost
Free on Thursdays at The Greyhound (buy food or drink at the pub). £6 for the Sunday sessions at Bristol Independent Gaming.
A friendly Bristol gaming group whose Side Quest board game nights are at The Open Arms, just behind the Bristol Royal Infirmary. First-timers and experienced players are both welcome. The group brings a big box of lighter games, and you can bring your own, including games you'd like other people to playtest.
Where
The Open Arms, 24 St Michael's Hill, Kingsdown, Bristol
When
Board games every other Thursday, 7pm to 11pm, at The Open Arms, 24 St Michael's Hill.
Bristol's first board game café, open since 2016 at the foot of the Christmas Steps, with a library of around 850 games, craft beer and food all day. Staff will pick a game for your group and teach you the rules. Every Monday from 6pm there's Social Gaming, where you can come on your own and get matched with other players for £5. Walk-ins are welcome, but book for Friday and Saturday nights. It's dog-friendly.
Where
20 Christmas Steps, Bristol, BS1 5BS
When
Monday to Thursday 12pm to 11pm, Friday and Saturday 12pm to midnight, Sunday 12pm to 10pm.
Cost
£2.50 per person per hour off-peak (Sunday 5pm to Friday 5pm, kids 14 and under free), £3.50 per person per hour at peak times
The second Bristol branch of Chance & Counters, on Gloucester Road in Bishopston, with over 650 games, craft beer, coffee and food all day. Staff will help you find a game and teach you how to play it. It's dog-friendly and kid-friendly, and walk-ins are welcome, though Friday and Saturday nights book up fast.
An independent board game café and bar on Cheltenham Road, a minute's walk from the Arches, with a rotating library of over 400 games plus cocktails, beer and hot drinks. It's dog-friendly, runs board game nights, murder mysteries and one-shot RPG evenings, and staff can recommend games and explain the basics. Book a table online. There are steps at the entrance, so it isn't wheelchair accessible.
Where
196 Cheltenham Road, Bristol, BS6 5RB
When
Tuesday to Thursday 6pm to 10:30pm, Friday 6pm to 11pm, Saturday 1pm to 11pm, Sunday 2pm to 9pm. Closed on Mondays.
Cost
£4 per person for 2 hours or £5.50 for 3 hours. No play charge if you're only in for food and drinks.
Smaller places near Bristol that don't have their own page yet.
Shop with gaming tablesWeston-super-Mare
The Games Bunker
A games shop and gaming space on the Oldmixon estate that covers wargaming, board games, card games and roleplaying. You can book a table for casual play, and it runs its own events, which lean towards Warhammer and trading card games.
Where
Unit 11 Oldmixon Crescent, Weston-super-Mare, BS24 9AX
When
Monday 12pm to 10:30pm, Wednesday 6pm to 10:30pm, Thursday and Friday 12pm to 10:30pm, Saturday 11am to 6pm, Sunday 11am to 5pm. Closed Tuesday
