Those of you who will be reading this blog will be able to trace your video game lineage back to your first video games console. Your first 8/16/32 bit bundle of joy. To love and to hold until death (or in this case the next console release) do us part? But much like the cliché of “aging like a fine wine”, it seems that those industry defining consoles are coming back around to teach the new boys some old tricks. But what if you can’t get your grubby mitts on some of that old school tech goodness?
That my friend is where The Four Quarters bar comes in to play. Based in Peckham Rye (London), the bar offers you the opportunity to step back in time and spend some of your hard earned dollar bills on some old school arcade machines. Now before the internet trolls rip into the fact that in this great United Kingdom our currency is English Sterling, I need to make everybody aware that the arcade machines here only accept quarters. F@&% YES! (Don’t worry these can be exchanged in-house!)
It plays host to some of the most iconic games of my child hood (and most probably yours) and it’s pretty much down to pick your poison and empty your wallets on the likes of: Pac-Man, Street Fighter, Super Hangout, Time Crisis, Asteroids and more! Packed in alongside these there are a couple of pinball tables too, for those of you who really fancy putting those dexterity skills to the test! It’s like a refresher into why gaming is so god damn awesome. And please don’t be scared off if you aren’t as fond of video games as your geek friends- trust me there is plenty of fun to be had here! Although for the record, I would steer clear of Street Fighter for a little while Mrs. MeteCritic may have gone a little over the top with her button bashing skills when we visited!
Actual gaming aside, the décor of the place really gives it that late night arcade feel from the 70s and 80’s. Adorned along the walls are box arts and images which will have you plucking at the heart strings as you flashback 20 or so years, whilst the array of VHS cassettes (yeah I said it VHS!) humble you in the presence of true geek history.
To top this all the food and drink is pretty damn good too and thankfully not as dated as some of the machines! @SlowRichies Street Food Kitchen takes the helm here and delivers with aplomb; watch out for those burgers though they have a kick! (Although to be fair, that’s coming from the guy who doesn’t like salsa!). They also had a great variety of beers and ales on offer too to wash it all down with!
It seems that with the “Retro Revival” starting to kick in, it’s still a little difficult to find a place where you can indulge in some great 8/16/32 bit entertainment with some good food and a great atmosphere. So I suggest that you get yourselves down to 187 Rye Lane, London and prepare to lose track of time and a lot more than a handful of quarters!
For more information about The Four Quarters bar, check them out at www.facebook.com/fourquartersbar or @fourquartersbar
Have you been to Four Quarters before? Let me know what you thought @MeteCritic and please don’t forget to like and share the blog!
