All Star Lanes in Notting Hill, London

Fluid Eating's Review of All Star Lanes

If I’m honest, bowling, for me, has always conjured up horrible images of lukewarm hot dogs, fluorescent coloured ‘slush puppies’ and malfunctioning scoreboards. Of an evening, my local bowling alley is full of kids who are too young to get in anywhere else, dressed as if they’re about to hit the trashiest nightclub in town. Suffice to say, it’s a fairly hideous scene. The only thing I ever really liked about it was those cute retro shoes, and even then, that was always spoilt by the attendant squeaking my request back at me in disbelief at the size of my giant clown-feet.

All Star Lanes was a relief, to say the least. From the doorman greeting us at the entrance, to the dimly lit lanes and extensive cocktail menu, this place has undoubtedly embraced the concept of ‘boutique bowling’. Everything I loved about the shoes had been embodied in the theme of the Bayswater branch: it’s decked out in old-fashioned American-diner decor, with gingham napkins, check flooring, and 1950s pin-up prints lining the walls. The old-school bowling shirts worn by the staff and the waitresses’ pale pink uniforms are straight out of ‘The Frosty Palace’ in Grease, and the service is as fast as you’d take for granted on the other side of the Atlantic.

We started with the bowling – an activity that I’m pretty sure I hadn’t indulged in since I myself was too young to go elsewhere. The lanes were relatively basic – but then, how fancy can throwing a ball at ten pins be? All six lanes were full the whole time we were there - booking is a must - so it certainly kept the atmosphere lively. Around 8ish they turned the music up, playing an odd mix of everything from Motown, to jazz, to chart tunes – which didn’t seem as bizarre as it should have.

A couple of ‘spares’ later and I was smugly enjoying my win over a cocktail. We dined on the ‘Eat Drink Bowl’ menu, which includes one cocktail from a choice of six, of which I would certainly recommend the ‘All Star Julep’ on the basis that it tastes a lot like childhood favourite ‘Um Bungo’, albeit with a bit of a kick.

The menu also includes two courses from a varied and unabashedly American assortment: I opted for the Blackened Catfish (delicious), with a (ridiculously vinegary) potato salad, followed by the Sin City Chocolate Mousse, which I ate until I felt sick, and then ate some more. Aubergine is always referred to as eggplant, chips are only ever fries, and in true American style, the portions are all huge. After sampling the superb selection of food on offer, it quickly became apparent that the bowling element of this venue is, for many, a relatively small part of the evening.

Although the majority of the patrons were probably in their late twenties, there was certainly a ‘first date’ vibe to the venue – at least, there was if you have a tendency to over-indulge in nostalgic American films. The waitress should have been chewing gum and serving milkshake, but she wasn’t - she was checking if our meal was ok and topping up our table water. I wouldn’t have been surprised to see a jukebox, though.

The whole set-up is a slightly peculiar, yet thoroughly enjoyable, merging first-class service and food with ketchup bottles and padded booths. More importantly, however, All Star Lanes offers something which is hard to come by in the way of an evening’s entertainment in central London: good clean fun, and at a reasonable price. This place definitely challenged my previous notions about bowling and, if I’m honest, I had a great time. Or should I make that ‘a blast’.

Reviewed by Leah Harper

DESCRIPTION: All Star Lanes in West London, with eight bowling lanes, American diner, cocktail bar, pro shop and a private bowling room.

The bar at All Star Lanes Bayswater is quite simply the definitive destination for aficionados and enthusiasts of the classic American cocktail. In addition, the back bar houses the most extensive and thoroughly researched collection of Bourbons and American Whiskies available in the UK. From tailor made ‘Whiskey Flights’ to an extensive range of both classic and bespoke cocktails, the All Star Lanes bar is the definitive watering hole for all Bourbon and cocktail lovers in London and further afield. Both the beer and wine lists will also showcase the ‘best of the U.S‘, including a selection of hand picked ‘reserve wines’ from the finest vineyards in California.

Head chef, Wyatt Shevloff, has created a menu paying tribute to the classic American diner, recreating dishes how they were always intended with no fanfair, just good honestly cooked food using the best possible ingredients all sourced within the British Isles. Contrary to many people’s perceptions, some truly fantastic dishes have come from diners all across America over the past 80 years and in celebrating this All Star Lanes aim to serve a selection of the very best for your enjoyment. (Updated 23/07/2010)

All Star Lanes Food & Drink Menus

Listed below are few sample food and drinks items available at All Star Lanes. These lists are not enhaustive, but are instead designed to give you an overview of the venue's offerings and assciated prices.

All Star Lanes Food menu

The menu at All Star Lanes pays tribute to the classic American diner, recreating dishes how they were always intended with no fanfair, just good honestly cooked food using the best possible ingredients all sourced within the British Isles.

Item	Price

All Star Lanes Drink menu

Item	Description	Price

All Star Lanes Opening Hours

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
11:00am - 10:30pm	4:00pm - 11:30pm	4:00pm - 11:30pm	4:00pm - 11:30pm	4:00pm - 11:30pm	12:00pm - 12:00am	11:00am - 12:00am

All Star Lanes Map

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“Disgraceful establishment. Hired a private room for friend's joint birthday, we placed £750 on the food expenses n had 60 people turn up. What we got were about 13 plates of canapes n a lot of hungry disgruntled people. Apparently those 13 plates equates to 3/4 of a grand. An additional £500 service charge was added on top of the extortionate markup on food prices, despite the fact there was little to no service, plus we could hardly hear our own music playlist due to the low volume sound system that unfortunately they can't turn up. Avoid this place at all costs. We ended up out of pocket n hungry at the end of the evening with a rather foul distaste of being only "slightly" ripped off for the £2 per canapé. Seriously, an average food serving to satisfy an average customer would be around £10-15. So how does 5-7 canapes make a meal? Marking up for premium service is not uncommon, but this is robbery, it's a shame I can't give zero stars as 1 star is not a fair and just representation” Rating: — Mr C Lau, London (21 Nov 2010)

“I recently visited All Star Lanes in Bayswater and was thoroughly impressed. When being told that I was going to a bowling alley for a night out I initially shuddered at the thought, but this is no usual bowling joint. It has a very '50s bowling/diner feel to it, very authentic. The game was fun, but the food was great. I had the veggie burger (don't worry fellow vegetarians, there are many veggie-friendly meals here) which was HUGE, which was very tasty. The cocktails were good too, which is why my memory of the end of the evening is a little hazy!” Rating: — Jamal Petrucci, Brixton, London (24 Jul 2010)

“Went to All Star Lanes the other night for the first time, really enjoyed the bowling, it was so different to most bowling alleys! The food and service were great, and the menu's got loads to choose from. We also sat in the bar for drinks afterwards, which a bit quieter and more relaxing than the main restaurant area. I'll definitely be going back again!” Rating: — Rhiannon Wilding, Stratford (24 Jul 2010)

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