I remember going to skate at QUEENS ice rink in Queensway about 35 years ago. I had not been back for a while, so when we were invited to come to the launch of The SIN BIN, London’s first curling bar and diner, which opened in collaboration with one of our favourite burger restaurants, MEATliquor, I jumped at the chance of revisiting one of my old haunts.

To say the place has changed would be an understatement. Built in 1930 as London’s premier ice rink, it had its first facelift in the 1990s to include bowling alleys and arcade games and in the last couple of years it has been completely modernized again, now also including a branch of MEATliquor. This place will keep everybody happy on an activity filled afternoon or evening out.

The SIN BIN is the latest watering hole at QUEENS Skate Dine Bowl a rink side dive bar running the whole length of the ice rink, also brought to you by the guys from MEATliquor. Expect neon lights, dark wood, and a jukebox full of tunes.

Here you can refuel and relax from your exercise on the ice with a beer, cocktail or burger and watch the action from behind the windows, which you can actually open so you can take photos of your friends doing a double toe loop, shout encouragement during a tense game of curling or just to cool down after eating a portion of the delicious hot chicken wings in house-made buffalo sauce.

The SIN BIN serves the full MEATliquor menu including the Hot Mess, hash browns with blue cheese sauce, japalenos, buffalo sauce and pickles; deep-fried logs of mac ‘n’ cheese served with marinara sauce and moreish sticky chicken wings with a honey and mustard kick. Also on offer are their infamous burgers, including the Dead Hippie, with not one but two, mustard-fried beef patties with dead hippie sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles and minced white onions while vegetarian and vegan options are available too.

The cocktails are excellent too, I enjoyed the Margarita inspired Fallen Angelita, the refreshing and fruity The Cartel and their take on an Old fashioned the St. Lawrence with maple syrup. My friend, who was my plus one for the night, loved The Bramble, which isn’t on the menu, but if you ask nicely……….

If you hear ice rink you automatically think ‘skating’, but you can also try your hands at the city’s first & only on-real-ice curling experience with ten lanes brought to you by the team behind Sliders. At the opening of The SIN BIN we were joined by members of the female and male English Junior Teams who gave guests lessons on how to sweep and how to slide the stone into the house. My friend took a shot at it and enjoyed it immensely. He says, ‘If you get the chance to try it out, volunteer and go on the ice ….it was such great fun and added a unique dimension to a great night out’. And he wasn’t half bad at it either!

Further expansion plans are underway with the imminent arrival of five private bowling lanes, The LIQUOR LANES. The space will be inspired by the classic film The Big Lebowski, so gather your bowling dudes and girls and toast with White Russians straight out of a scene of the Coen brothers’ crime comedy.

But there is more!

QUEENS Skate Dine Bowl is London’s only ice rink to guarantee a snowy Christmas and will also offer on-ice sing-a-long sessions – whatever the London weather throws at us.

From 19th November QUEENS custom made snow cannons will transform the venue into a winter wonderland and give you a magical ice-skating experience you can’t find anywhere else in London. QUEENS is decking their super-sized skating hall, so guests can showcase their ice-skating finesse in the snow, straight out of a scene from Frozen.

If you like a sing-song, you are also at the right place.

Belt out your best Mariah Carey and Wham! renditions whilst skating at QUEENS weekly sing-a-long sessions on the ice. Taking place every Saturday, it will feature screenings of the nation’s favorite Christmas classics.

Talking of Christmas MEATliquor’s has a brand-new festive menu, available in the restaurant and in The SIN BIN. New XXXmas drinks include “Pinot Grinchio”, a mix of Grey Goose citron vodka, apple liqueur, fresh apple, fresh lemon juice, passion fruit and pinot grigio and “XXXmas pudding”, a blend of mulled brandy shaken with fresh lemon juice, a hint of sugar cane, a dash of bitters an served in a pudding with a flamed orange twist.

MEATliquor’s XXXmas food menu offers delicacies like “Piggies In Blankets”, half-a-dozen Gloucester old spot chipolatas wrapped in Herons Farm bacon and served with a dab of English mustard; the “XXXmas Burger”, with free-range Herons Farm roast turkey and old spot sausage patty, crispy bacon, stuffing crumbles, gravy and cranberry sauce and the “Turkey Cheesesteak”, free-range Herons Farm roast turkey bathed in gravy with melted camembert, crispy stuffing crumbles and cranberry sauce while vegetarian and vegan options are available too.

Snow starts falling from 19th November
MEATliquor Christmas menu available from 19th November
Sing-a-long ice sessions every Saturday from 25th November
The SIN BIN is adults only
More information and to book at: www.queens.london

QUEENS
17 Queensway London, W2 4PQ
Email: info@queens.london
www.queens.london

Opening Times:

Midday till 11pm Sunday to Thursday.

Midday till Midnight on Friday & Saturdays.

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Twitter: QUEENS_london
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FB: QUEENS.skate.dine.bowl

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