The Third Place Directory · Post-pub Social Life

The pub is dying.
Something better
is taking its place.

A curated directory of social experiences for the post-pub generation. Games rooms, creative studios, axe throwing, supper clubs, bouldering, paddle courts. Experiences over drinks.

Kedi Studio. Mythic Goblin. Beef Therapy. These places are already open on Tiverton Street and arch strips across London. New Pub finds them for you.

The Economics

Why this is happening now.

The pub's business model is broken. The replacement's business model is far superior. This isn't a cultural shift — it's an economic inevitability.

£30–40
Per head for a 1-hour splatter paint session. A pub charges £6 for a pint someone nurses for two hours.
Zero
Inventory waste. Paint doesn't spoil. Axes don't go off. Canvases don't need refrigerating. The pub's fresh kegs do.
Class E
Railway arch leases — lower per sq ft than high-street retail. These aren't premium venues. They're better businesses in cheaper buildings.

The modern Third Place doesn't replace the pub's revenue stream — it adds a high-margin activity on top of it. These venues still sell craft beer. People drink while they throw axes or play board games. But the drink is the bonus, not the economic driver.

The Directory

What your new local could be.

Browse by what you want to do, not what you want to drink.

All Creative Active Games Food & Drink Social Sports Wellness

Directory in development — filter by area, occasion, group size and price range coming.

Creative
Make Something
Splatter paint rooms, pottery studios, life drawing, candle-making, mosaic workshops. The physical, tactile generation wants to make a mess with permission.
Kedi Studio (Tiverton St) · Dirty Hands Pottery · Stoke Newington Ceramics · Boom Battle Bar art sessions
Active
Aim at Something
Axe throwing, archery, non-lethal shooting, paddleball, bouldering, ping pong. Release without consequence. Great for groups that don't want to just sit.
Whistle Punks · Clays London · Beef Therapy (concept) · Swingers Mini Golf · Puttshack
Games
Play Something
Board game cafes, escape rooms, competitive socialising venues, VR arcades, vintage arcade bars. The micro-community model — extreme niche loyalty.
Mythic Goblin (Tiverton St) · Draughts · Escape Hunt · Otherworld · Four Thieves
Food & Drink
Eat Something Together
Supper clubs, bottomless experiences, cookery classes, blind-tasting evenings, pop-up dinners. Drink-optional, conversation-mandatory.
Elly's Barn Suppers · Sauce by The Langham · Secret Supper Society · Benares Cookery School
Social Sports
Run Somewhere
Five-a-side leagues, badminton socials, parkrun communities, running clubs, netball leagues. Social sport is the gym alternative with friends built in.
Powerleague · Badminton England · Sensorush run clubs · Netball Social · GoRun
Wellness
Reset Somewhere
Breathwork sessions, sound baths, meditation classes, cold water swimming clubs, yoga with friends. Socialising that leaves you feeling better than when you arrived.
Re:Mind Studio · Lumi Wellness · Parliament Hill Lido · Triyoga · Heartcore

For Venues

Is your venue the new local?

New Pub lists the places replacing the pub in London's social fabric. If you run a creative studio, competitive socialising venue, social sport league, or experiential space — your audience is already using the directory.

Getting listed puts you in front of people actively searching for what you do — filtered by area, occasion, and group size.

  • Free to list in the directory launch phase
  • Category, area, occasion and group-size tags
  • Booking link or direct enquiry
  • Featured placement for early partners

Venue listing preview

Your Venue Name

Shoreditch · Creative · Groups of 2–20

One line about what makes your venue the right choice for someone's next social occasion.

Creative Date night £20–40pp
Book or enquire →

Find your new local.

Register to be first on the directory when it launches. Tell us your city and we'll prioritise listings near you.