Platform: where Gaming meets good times in Canary Wharf
Experience the ultimate gaming hangout at Platform, a neon-lit oasis in the heart of Canary Wharf.
Image: Platform Canary Wharf. June 2023. © Mollie Cohen.
Image: Platform Canary Wharf. June 2023. © Mollie Cohen.
Tucked away amongst various familiar restaurants and shops is Platform with its gorgeous neon lights and funky furniture. It’s essentially a video game bar whereby you can rent out a booth – prices starting at just £13.50pp for 90 minutes – and play games on Playstation 5 or Nintendo Switch.
Just as the entrance to the bar is unassuming, the actual venue is maze like with most of it hidden downstairs. We were taken to our booth by a friendly host, through a labyrinth of walls hearing shouts and jeers as we passed. A standard size booth fits two but there are options to have bigger groups. Our host explained how everything worked, how to switch between consoles, and importantly how to get a member of staff’s attention if anything went wrong or more likely, to order food and drinks. A light switch is situated next to each sofa which turns on a light to indicate attention is needed.
Image: Platform Canary Wharf. June 2023. © Mollie Cohen.
We got started playing on the Nintendo Switch which featured Wii Sports, Super Mario, and everyone’s favourite, Mario Kart – ahh nostalgia. They had even done some tech wizardry and made all the old school Nintendo games available that some of you may have played on a Gameboy or Nintendo Classic. In terms of Playstation Games there’s a huge range including FIFA 23, Call of Duty, Street Fighter, Nickelodeon All Star Brawl. See the full list here.
Image: Platform Canary Wharf. June 2023. © Mollie Cohen.
The food and drink options are plentiful, and everything comes out relatively quickly. Each of the cocktails reflects the gaming theme in their names and descriptions – e.g., Rainbow Road, Stealth Mode, and Dante’s Inferno, and the ones we sampled were delicious. The food menu largely consists of pizzas which is handy enough to eat whilst also holding a remote controller, but there are also nachos and ice creams available.
Platform would make the perfect date spot if you fancy doing something a bit different for a few hours – plus you can suss out if your date is a sore loser or not!
Location: Platform Canary Wharf, Platform, Unit 40, 1 Crossrail Pl, London E14 5AR. Website: experienceplatform.co.uk. Instagram: @platform_exp
Words by Mollie Kate Cohen
