The Treehouse
Last weekend we did a monster amount of driving that wasn’t game related! *shock horror* So, what did we do? We had a look for local board game cafes to go have a nose round! We were staying in Sheffield so that was our first hunt. Currently, there isn’t a board game cafe yet, but Treehouse will be opening later this month. We managed to go and take a sneaky peek inside and a chat with Ruth and Andy, the owners about what is going to be happening in Sheffields first boardgame cafe! The venue was previously a nightclub but is in the process of being brightened up with these beautiful murals at the front.
These are two rooms sectioned off from the rest of the venue which will be great either to keep the noisy ‘party gamers’ in or as a quiet area for people that want to play something heavier that needs a bit more concentration!
The bar in the main area is in the process of being smartened up but will be kept (along with the alcohol license) to provide a great area from which all the yummy food and drink can be served from. Keen on keeping things local, Ruth and Andy are currently sampling loads of delicious food from small local companies to perfect their menu along with looking into stocking beers from micro breweries nearby (hard life guys!)
When we saw them, they were in the process of painting all the ceilings ready for their industrial style lighting to go in, one above each table. They will be starting with a library of around 500 games you can sit and play for a daily fee (reduced in price if you buy a yearly membership!) along with a small selection of games you can buy to take home and carry on playing! You can follow them on Facebook to find out their finalised opening date and show them some love!
https://www.treehousesheffield.com/ https://www.facebook.com/treehousesheffield/ https://www.instagram.com/treehousesheff/
Thirsty Meeples
On the drive back from Sheffield, we decided to pop in and have a look at Thirsty Meeples in Oxford. They were the first board game cafe to open in the UK and are regular names at conventions where they provide a library of games you can rent from. The cafe is right in the centre of a busy square, putting it right in the heart of the city. As you enter you are met by a wall of games which are available to buy (which we immediately had a good look through, but more on that later!)
There was a general hum of noise as it was quite busy but not so loud to make it uncomfortable. We settled in and had a look through their small games rental section (we only had a couple of hours to spare sadly!)
The menu was sizeable with an amazing list of drinks available, including sea salted caramel latte - yum! They currently boast an impressive library of around 2000 games to play and despite it being a monday afternoon, plenty of them were out on tables being played. We set up the tab for our table, ordered some food and played a couple of smaller, quicker games from the selection. The food was good and my latte was amazing!
A few tables were being taught new to them games by the resident ‘games gurus’ and it seemed everyone was having a lot of fun. Several of the tables we spoke to said they visited regularly (rather than being tourists, like us!)
Hidden away on their store shelf I very happily found a copy of Millennium Blades, something I have been after for a while.
We will be visiting again soon, hopefully for a full day!
http://www.thirstymeeples.co.uk/ https://www.facebook.com/ThirstyMeeples/ https://twitter.com/thirstymeeples
Board Game Cafe Map
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