Library Pot, Board Game Cafe & Licensed Restaurant in Richmond upon Thames

The staff was lovely and informative.Huge selection ot games! Music was a smidge too loud, I couldn’t hear my friend over it (she’s a bit quiet to be honest). Big selection of drinks and food. Haven’t had any food here yet so can’t speak about the quality of that yet. Edit after coming few more times: I feel like it might be hit and miss depending on what you order? I had something questionable on my second visit (can’t even remember what, it was almost a year ago), but last few times were quite good. I ordered pakoras and spring rolls most recently, they were very tasty. I definitely plan on coming back (hopefully) often.

The place is great!The people are even better! I took here my three kids a while ago. We loved it. They have lots of different games to any taste. The lady and gentlemen who run this place kindly advised the games that would suit to start with. They explained the rules and made sure we are getting there helping out here and there. Very nice guys! The choice of food is simple but everyone can find popular favourites: as I remember we had burgers, curry, and noodles soup. It was good quality lunch. I absolutely loved the flower tea- it's stunning to watch.

Visited yesterday with 3 friends, we had a great time playing Ravine and Splendor. We did the 12-5pm session and ordered lots of food and drinks while we were there. The staff were very friendly and helpful, we got a detailed description of the rules of Splendor which helped us learn the game quickly. There were so many games we wanted to play so we will definitely visit again!

this place... wow. it is so cosy and welcoming, the staff are incredible. we asked for accommodation with allergies, and they went above and beyond to help, checking every item we ordered was safe and ensuring we were comfortable with our options. the games were incredible with over 700 to choose from. the food is fresh, cooked to order, and the portions are an amazing size for the price. everything about this place is just incredible. i willl definitely be back.

Went not knowing what to expect and had an amazing time. The lady who runs the place is so nice, and the food is absolutely worth the price. Would definitely go again next time I'm in the area.

Good fun but very expensive for what it is. Nearly paid £50 for two drinks, beef burger and chips. Wouldn't recommend eating here.

Finally got to try this games cafe with friends. They have a great variety of games, we could have stayed longer than the allocated 5 hours you’re allowed! Cute living room type vibe here. The disappointments were the food (very basic, bland, small portions and overpriced too) and the service was rather slow too. There was one lady serving for the whole afternoon so understandably would take a while to take orders etc. There was also quite a musty smell but I guess that’s the build up of all the games. Overall I would return but would probably eat elsewhere!

Bouncy Boots at The Library Pot

Emily was amazing!!! Such a great cafe and fun cosy vibe. We had a great time!

This is a real gem. If you are a fan of board games you won't regret reserving an afternoon or evening session - it was quiet the evening we were there but apparently it's usually necessary to reserve a week or two ahead. We had dinner for two with a nice bottle of wine, plus the opportunity to try three new (to us) games: Ingenious, Arboretum and Splendor. (All good but especially Arboretum.) Emily and her colleague (sorry - didn't get his name) we're super friendly, helpful, attentive and welcoming. The games menu is really helpful for deciding what to play, and they've added lovely touches like rules summaries for games that have unclear rulebooks or a pre-separated deck for the two-plsyer variant of Arboretum. Highly recommended. :-)

Went to The Library Pot for the first time today with my partner and it was a blast! The cafe wasn't very busy, so we got the host all to ourselves and she was very friendly and helpful explaining the games and chit-chatting. There's a huge selection of games, the food is absolutely delicious and the music really keeps the good mood up even if you're losing the game. A very welcoming environment for both the beginners and pros, definitely will be coming back again and hope to meet Eddie the cat one day 🩷🫶

Been to plenty of board game cafes in and outside London and I feel like this one needs a bit of love to be honest. Board game selection was very good, as is the staff on hand to explain rules etc. The real let down was the drinks and food — incredibly overpriced for what you get, and being forced to spend a certain amount of money in order to play a board game feels totally unnecessary and I have not come across that policy at any other board game cafes. So great for the actual board game experience with friends. Bad for food and drink.

Great fun and the staff are so helpful. Biggest collection of games I’ve seen, played some really different games to usual - had a blast!

Absolutely loved visiting and playing a game with dinner and dessert! A great way to try new games and we would definitely return if we visit London again! We loved that we could ask questions about the game rules if we got stuck as the staff were very friendly, knowledgeable, and passionate about the games. There was also no pressure on how long we could spend there. Food was delicious also (and loved that the dessert came dressed as a smiley face).

First time going to a board game cafe and was quite impressed! This is a hidden gem in Richmond, and perfect for a relaxed, cozy evening! (Went with a friend for dinner) The staff are super lovely, and there is a bell to call the staff with on your table! Haha The star of the show was the very large board game collection! We played- -Watermelon Chess (3/5) interesting concept, easy to play, wish the board was bigger so this game could carry on! -The Fuzzies (X2) - fan fave would recommend!! (5/5!) -Nice Buns (4/5); interesting strategy game! -Jenga (X2) (5/5); classic, very nostalgic play! 💕 Highly recommend getting the flower teas for the experience of unravelling! Food portions were small though, but cooked very well, with fresh ingredients!

The food we got wasn't great and was also expensive for what it was but the games were good and it was a nice atmosphere, but I do feel like they weren't direct about the pricing.

Very quirky place! Give it a go they are very knowledgeable on all games and can't be of enough help

Had a great time. Staff were amazing and so helpful and kind. Would strongly recommend

Very cute place with a large games selection. Staff are super friendly and helpful! Would highly recommend

One of my favourite places to visit. On Saturday I came along with my parents and partner, we had a blast with the board games. Amazing variety! Staff always welcoming and super funny! The food though-I could seriously die for the food they serve at this place! So authentic and delicious, it is always certain someone will find something to enjoy. (And omg they have boba and you can have it with oat milk?? They made my day :D )

This is quite the unique gem to find in Richmond. We had the best time, played tons of games we'd never played before and had some delicious food! The prices are extremely fair and worth every penny! The staff was fantastic, service was exceptional and you can just tell they truly enjoy what they do! We loved every second and would definitely return if we lived in the local area. A must see place! And the Katsu curry is divine!

Food is quite poor and overpriced. £6.50 per person to play a board game. Dark premises on a sunny day. I really would not recommend this place. Terrible value for money. Just go to a pub and play a board game without a ridiculous charge and the food will almost certainly be better.

Love coming here when we are in town. Great service. So friendly and helpful with game choices and rules when you're stumped. Everything was great, smoothie, cappuccino, teas. Panino, red soup, hummus and tortillas, duck bap buns and spring rolls. Got a great pin badge too. Will definitely need to do an evening session so we can sample the sake And wish we were closer so I could visit for the Mahjong evenings Also seasonal bunny ears were avaliable

Great vibes, loads of games, incredibly engaging and knowledgeable staff ☺️ they also organise tennis, walks and mahjong sessions ! Very pleased.

Wow we loved it at the Library Pot. Emily and Rob thank you very much for making our birthday into a celebration that we all could get involved in. To top it off we were able to join Saturday evening social tennis in the sunset, with the Library Pot. I have not laughed so much for awhile! We all enjoyed everything we ordered it was fresh tasty and delicious; and the atmosphere was relaxed and fun. Thank you very much for such a memorable afternoon.

A quirky place for lovers of boardgames as there are over 700 of them. The menu is varied with some tasty ramens, curries and Korean pancakes, as well as pizza and a decent selection of craft beers , wines and non-alcoholic beverages. Rob and Emily both have an extensive knowledge of their games and are always happy to recommend interesting options and talk you through the rules. My only slight gripe is that there is sometimes a little too much j-pop (sorry Emily!) though in general the eclectic playlists make a nice change from the usual Norah Jones coffee shop tracks.

It was ridiculously expensive for terrible, low quality. Items were slow to come out, and they brought me duck bao when I had ordered the vegan bao. They didn't say, and I had to check. It was clearly all pre-packed things thrown together. Overpriced, offensively pan-Asian food. Condensing service; they were rude, incompetent, and completely clueless. Struggled to cope with a pre-booked party that had already paid a large deposit and were out a lot of things on the menu. Would not return.

Amazing place! The Library Pot was my stepping stone for starting my social life around Richmond. As a foreigner is hard to make friends, more so when you get older. Though the library pot I met one of our best friends here in London, started playing tennis, learned the best bits of Richmond park... The Library pot is much more than a simple games-cafe, they do an exceptional community work and plus, the owners Emily and Rob are so lovely!

Shogi experience! I had a very meaningful time. You can play various board games in a very beautiful space. The people who gather are playing mahjong and shogi! The food is also authentically Japanese, making it one of the most recommended places to relax in London. It may also be a good place for couples to enjoy a quiet first date. When I went there, everyone was happily playing games. I will go again.

Good food, characterful atmosphere, very friendly service...but more important for real games players....incredibly knowledgeable staff.

friendly place, great food and drinks, extensive selection of games

I come every Wednesday and felt that It was a lot of fun playing different games and the food is good.

I've been going to the Library Pot for almost two years now, and it's always a fun time! The meet-up activities and mahjong games are my favourite , and the atmosphere is great for meeting new people. Highly recommend it for anyone looking to socialize and have a good time!

This place is awesome! I wish I lived closer to London to visit this place more! The food was great, lots on offer and very accommodating to veggie and vegan needs. The staff are very friendly and helpful, always there If you need and very knowledgeable about all games. Loved the music, beers and vibe. Can’t recommend enough Go GO go

This is such a fun afternoon or evening out! I couldn't recommend more highly :) We were taught two new board games and we're so impressed with the range left available. We will have to go back to try them all!! The food was also absolutely delicious. What a unique and fantastic local offering we are lucky to have!

Wonderful experience got a play a variety of board games with my friends and the food as highly recommended.

We had a great time at the Library Pot this past Saturday. Thank you so much for having us! We want to come back for the Mahjong lessons!!

Excellent broad game pub with friendly owners and a unique vibe. I regular the place.

We had a great time here recently, the service is absolutely fantastic. The team have such a vast knowledge of games that is so helpful in quickly picking up new games to play. Would fully recommend this to anyone looking for a fun and different way to spend a Saturday night!

I would rarely go out of my way to give such a high rating but the library pot truly deserves it! I had such a lovely date day here with my boyfriend, accommodated at the last minute by the owners. We love games but don't always have the patience to learn new games, however this was not a worry being at the library pot! We were provided with fantastic recommendations and Emily went out of her way to teach us the games and touch base, even to see which one of us was winning! They genuinely are passionate about games which shines through. It is rare to find a place in London with such a personal touch where your experience truly matters to the staff. I would definitely head back and would also recommend to anyone looking for a fun cosy activity. Thank you for a lovely experience and finding us a new game that we love!

The music was perfect fit. The workers were so helpful. The food was quick. The drinks were quick. I love a quirky / unique bar and this is just that !

An amazing night for New year’s eve ! We felt so welcomed, the food was amazing, i had the chicken curry which was so tasty ! There was a huge selection of games which we loved to choose from! We loved entering 2024 surrounded by the amazing people there ! Thank you so much for enlightening our NYE, that was not planned like this, after all being stuck in London was cool. Thank you from 4 French people that loved celebrating, cheering with you!

Super cute board game cafe near Kew Garden! Huge selection of thoughtfully sorted board games (number of players, difficulty, style, and tone). Extensive menu that's clearly labeled for gluten free/veg/etc. The proprietor was incredibly helpful and very aware of allergies, including awareness of gluten in a condiment! Also helpfully explained rules to us for a new game. Cannot recommend more!

It’s a really nice gaming cafe with a lovely atmosphere and friendly staff. I enjoyed my curry that I ordered. Only negative was my friends nuggets which she thought was a bit to highly priced. But other than that we had a great time. There’s loads of games to choose from and the staff are there to help if you need anything.😊

The Library Pot is a difficult place to review as a space necessary business in London is hard to judge. I arrived just after lunch on a weekday to find the cafe deserted. I was told that the tariff was £5 and a minimum £15 spend on food and drink. This seemed fair to me because I was intending to dwell and play board games for a few hours whereas people who wanted to come for shorter periods of time may not want to spend that much. A coffee was just short of the £5 mark but the quality of the food was good. The food (Bao Buns and Cheese and Ham Croquettes) was acceptable for the price. I should point out that if you are going to the Library Pot solely for food then the £5 charge is not needed. In summary the Library Pot has a very fixed set of uses which it fulfils. Unexpected menu items can be found like Asian and Vegan food and a bistro level of alcoholic and soft drinks. If you are looking for atmosphere then the cafe only goes so far and you may need to bring your own crowd.

Love this place food was delicious Japanese curry was recommended and so good. Great selection of drinks I had the warmed saki. Great atmosphere great hosts quirky decor and incredible original art works. Love the idea of food followed by an evening playing games to encampass a great night out can't wait to go back - visiting from NZ

Just an all round lovely experience.

Nice place with a great collection of games and decent food/drinks. The seats were pretty uncomfortable for a whole session and some of the games weren't put away nicely so we opened to pieces falling out everywhere, but it would be hard to keep on top of so many games! The staff were friendly enough, and one session is a really good amount of time to get some games in. The drinks were pretty expensive at just over £4 for a can/small bottle of pop and the food was tasty and not as expensive.

Thank you for a joyful evening of detective work, pirates and ramen noodles. We had a very good time at your place, the selection of board games is excellent and the food was very yummy, too.

Yes for board games it is great and there are SO many which is amazing. But, the food is horrendous. The bao buns are essentially the microwaved Itsu ones and they were microwaved or heated wrong to the bottoms was rock hard. The cat-su curry was a Linda McCartney burger on rice with a sauce, felt just heated up. Similarly with the Yakisoba noodles, it was the worst and I didn’t eat it. We didn’t have drinks just water from a broken jar. The woman was helpful with the games but I wouldn’t be back anytime soon. Also there were no lights on…

Extremely expensive for processed and food that wasn't fresh. Ordered the pizza and was obvious it was frozen and wasn't made fresh, paid £18 for it which is ridiculous

Loved it. Already feel like this is going to become a regular hang!

My visit to the Library Pot left me deeply disappointed. Not only were the prices unreasonably high for the portion sizes and drinks, but the staff also attempted to enforce a service charge, which goes against legal regulations. It was disheartening to witness such disregard for customer rights and decent costumer service. Due to the combination of hidden charges and their attempt to enforce them, I cannot in good conscience recommend this cafe to others.

Great place for a rainy day! The staff were really helpful in finding a board game and the food was really fresh and delicious

The place is good for playing games but the food is not worth it. I ordered ramen for 11.95 which is basically just a noodles with a bit of peas and corn and broth. It taste more like an instant noodles. It takes very long time for the food to arrive. Around 1-1 1/2 hrs. So far its the only disappointing restaurant i’ve been. The place is quite good. We enjoyed playing their board games which you need to pay £5 per person and you can stay for as long as you like.

Boardgames. Food. Drinks. What more can you ask for? Library Pot was definitely a fun new experience. They offer a great selection of board games to play. They also offer a pretty big selection of food and drinks. They also offer floral tea, which were really cool. The staff was friendly and was ready to help with game instructions if needed. It is £5 per person, and you have to spend an additional £15. Which is relatively easy since they are a bit expensive.

We had such a great time! So many games to play that they even have a menu of board games. The host helped us set up and explain the rules too! And he was fun!

Fantastic service and really nice owner. We will be returning soon, keep it up guys. You’re doing great work

We had a wonderful evening in this bar. The owner is very helpful and welcoming. Splendor rocks! I will definitely come back!

Great vibes! The staff are so friendly and attentive, and seem to know everything about every game there so can help you out with the rules if you get stuck :)

Lots of games, very helpful staff explaining the rules, good wine!

Brilliant board game cafe, with an incredibly knowledgable and helpful owner. Thank you for a great night!

Wonderful place, amazing owner. Lots of games and always a tip for a new game.

A great place from so many points of view: big selection of board games, great food and very friendly staff. It is very easy to forget what is the time

Lovely and cozy place. The selection of games is fantastic, the menu has a fun design (I really liked the way the games are sorted by complexity and number of players). The staff was great as well, excellent service. The £10 minimum spend per person doesn't sound nice though. Most of the time people will fancy drinking and eating anyway, so introducing the idea of a forced minimum spend is not the best, in my personal opinion, specially since there is already a £5 gaming table fee. I can understand it, and we all want places like this to prosper and last, and this is probably what the business needs to survive. So even if I don't specially like it, I can understand the need for it. A suggestion could be to just charge £15 per person straight from the beginning and offer a selection of drinks and food included in the price, as well as additional plates or drinks that can be paid separately. However, something that I didn't like at all was the £3 table service on top of the rest of the bill. I was disappointed that this wasn't mentioned anywhere, or explained at anytime, and makes me wonder why it isn't already included in the table fee. If you are telling the customer how much they need to spend in advance, then this should either be mentioned as well, be an optional charge, or not existing at all.

1 stars for the broad selection of games. 1 star for Rob the owner to explain games and kindly attend to us The burger picture proves the food was basically inedible… Also in 5 degrees today theres no heating at all, lady staff ‘if we were to put heating we will have to charge 25pounds for coffee’. Very sarcastically and cant understand of her attitude

We had a brilliant family evening. Every board game you can think of is available. Food excellent. Really quirky vibe to the place. Loved it.

Very close to the Richmond district line, The Library Pot is a gem. Emily is a wonderful host and the café organises DnD courtesy of Miles every Thursday from 6pm as well as many Mahjong 🀄 sessions. A good selection of boardgames. The teas are very good and the food is prepared with love and dedication for customer service. The place is very wittyly decorated, even the toilet is a TARDIS 😂. Well done guys, keep up the good work

So many games to play & social events in the lovely leafy Richmond area by the river and royal parks. Happy go lucky family of friends discovered here. Check out their Meetup groups for quick events to attend.

Great selection of games, broad selection of tasty Asian inspired food. Can get busy but that comes with success, so recommend booking. Worth a visit for a board game and food fix with friends!

Despite having lived in the area for several years, last weekend was our first time at the Library Pot. My family and I should've visited far sooner as we enjoyed the most brilliant afternoon playing a variety of games (all new to us until that afternoon). The shelves are overflowing with all sorts of offerings - My 8yo was present but there were numerous family friendly titles that meant he wasn't excluded - in fact, annoyingly, he won his fair share of games. The food was fantastic - the wife loved her Katsu curry, I wolfed down my tasty gyoza and chips, and my fussy-eating son didn't grumble about his chicken nuggets and rice dish - the music was great, and the guys that run the place are friendly, funny, and helpful (patiently explaining rules and offering suggestions to what game we should play next). Would recommend to all. We'll definitely be back.

Cosy games cafe, very close to Richmond station. They have a great selection of games with a decent food and drinks menu. The owners are very friendly and attentive. Worth a visit!

A cosy, relaxed place to spend an evening with a huge array of games. The menu has lots of veggie and vegan options and is really decently priced. It's run by very nice people too - they made a huge effort to make us feel welcome and recommended us games. We had such a fun evening - thanks!

I spent around 5 hrs here just playing games with my friends, it was such a nice way to spend the evening. Their snacks and hot drinks are nice as well. We ended up getting addicted to this game that Emily showed us. Great first experience and I would definitely go back.

Such a great place to spend an evening! Rob and Emily make it extra special, they're really friendly and take the time to recommend and explain new games. Good selection of food too!

Had a fantastic night here. The owners are absolutely fantastic and take the time to introduce you to new games and explain them in a way that is super easy to understand. Was very impressed by the atmosphere they created and would highly recommend.

Absolutely brilliant wee place, amazing food, huge selection of board games. The staff were brilliant, explaining games to help us along and even giving suggestions for games based on we've played and enjoyed before. Would definitely recommend an evening here, make sure you go with an empty stomach!

Great board game selection, staff are really friendly and helpful and there's a lot of information provided on the different games. The food we had was good and there's a good selection of teas, but there wasn't a lot of lunchy options, I really don't like the fact there's a minimum spend on food and drink per person and I found the decoration quite off-putting at first. However all in all good experience,

Lots of fun, and accommodating for large parties (10), Emily and the rest of the team were very nice 😊

Great pub to go with friends to play from a collection of hundreds of board and cardvgames. Friendly staff, great food and good selection of drinks.

Friendly service and great game selection

Great place to play board games - super choice of games, friendly and helpful staff and good selection of food and drink.

Lovely cafe with a great selection of games and very friendly helpful staff. Definitely worth a visit

An absolutely legendary place in the centre of Richmond to play board games, have a drink and eat great Japanese food! We spent the evening playing board games on a pre-wedding event. The staff were accommodating, really friendly and easy to talk to. Delicious food, and good selection of drinks, I would come back again soon! Thank you so much for a great evening!

Absolutely brilliant, went there for my birthday and was so good, I went back the next week with a different group of friends. There are 700 games to try out in different categories ranging from children's, adult party and classics to hard core board games. If you don't know what to play they're excellent at giving you recommendations depending on what you want from a game - there's literally someone for everyone (I was laughing so hard at Yogi and cockroach poker I got those aches at the back of my head from smiling so much). Nb also been there for a date night which was awesome fun too)

We love The Library Pot. Been a few times and we have so much fun. Owners are great and make you feel at home. It’s a wonderful place to hang out with family and friends. Time spent in there (4-5 hours) flies by because you’re having so much fun….Food is great with a good selection of drinks to go with it…Highly recommended.

I adore the Library Pot, it is a very popular board gaming café and bar - with good reason. The owners are some of the best people I know; friendly, accomodating, and thoughtful of others. Through the events they host, they have fostered a truly welcoming community, where everyone can find a friend in one another. Their food is organic, authentic, and reliably sourced. I cannot recommend them enough.

Homey cosy atmosphere with good food and drinks

We absolutely love coming to the Library Pot whenever we are in Richmond. It's such a hidden gem! Huge selection of games, very friendly and informative owners, fantastic food, lovely drinks. It ticks all the boxes. I also am very grateful for the lovely young lady who, if you ask, is more than happy to suggest new games and show you how to play. It led to an instant purchase of Splendor which is awesome.

Very friendly, bizarrely eclectic but excellent menu, and an extraordinary library of games. Highly recommended for a fun afternoon with friends.

Nice place to enjoy playing board games, great menu with vegetarian and vegan options.

Amazing games, incredible food and drink and the best staff

Absolute to be joy 🤩 at place. Great food, amazing chef and staff 🙏🏻🌹🌹🌹

Fantastic fun for the whole family. Some great games to choose from, relaxed atmosphere and great food. Cannot wait to come back

I love this place! I haven’t had so much fun in ages, I definitely recommend it. The demographic is very diverse and inclusive, fantastic service. Everyone was so amazing! I definitely recommend this place to friends, family and a romantic getaway!

An eccletic cafe just behind the high street full of colour with a varied menu inlcuding yummy vegan and vegetarian ! Went for my first japenese class and its was an informal, fun style of setting to teach. Will defintely be going back. ありがとうございました Arigatōgozaimashita 私の名前はティナです Watashinonamaeha tinadesu

Such a great experience I had here with my friends . The staff were lovely. The games master made the evening great as he advised on games , explained the rules . Definitely will be back

The venue seemed cool for gaming and had a nice ambience inside. However, that menu is way too long and the prices are too high in my opinion.

An absolute joy to visit. Went for the first time today and had the one of the best afternoons since moving to London. It's rare to go somewhere where the staff are so genuinely friendly and helpful. Food was so delicious and reasonably priced and the atmosphere great. They have literally hundreds of games, all categorised in the menu to help you select which type of game to play. Thank you for a wonderful evening. 10 on 10. Will definitely be back!

Great place, very homely feel. Hosts are lovely and were always around to help with game selection. Good range of vegetarian/vegan food. Highly recommended!