Recent social media posts
10/09/2026
DUSKVEIL / VAMPIRE MASQUERADE BALL / TICKETS ON SALE TOMORROW NIGHT AT 6:30PM
Shrouded from the waking world, the Courts of Duskveil are bound by an eternal ceremony. A precious few entrusted to reign over all who carry the Dark Gift, their savagery masked beneath games of opulence and excess.
Your invitation to join this ceremony comes laced with the most intoxicating blood, and the promise of a far greater power yet. Will you join those that conspire to steal the throne? Or relinquish these ambitions, drink deeply, and enjoy the many delights that the court has to offer...
This Halloween the shrouded halls of the Arcanist's Tavern will be transformed to play host to a decadent vampire ball. You are invited to adorn your finest wear, to join the immortal courts of Duskveil for an evening of intrigue and indulgence. With immersive actors, themed musical entertainment, food and cocktails, mystery trails, period ball dance classes, social deduction games, and more.
Tickets and event info will be available at: arcaniststavern.uk/events
09/09/2026
New Dates for Beginners nights now live!
We got regular beginners nights for D&D, Daggerheart and Vampire the Masquerade, so whether you are totally new to TTRPG's or would like to try a new system after playing D&D for a while, we got the right event for you!
And don't worry once you finished your session, there will be plenty of opportunities to play in your new chosen system, as we run regular one shots, story arcs and even a full blown drop in drop out campaign for these systems, so if you liked your taster, there is lots to sink your teeth in!
Artwork by Tavernkeeper Georgia
Tickets as always through the link in our bio and on Design My Night 🖤
09/09/2026
!!New "Month of Horror" Event Added!!
Call of Cthulhu-the Ball of the Yellow Sign!
Tickets Live: 10/09/26 - 6pm
Welcome to Jazz Era New Orleans, the Crescent City, where everything is excitement, mystery, and just a pinch of danger. With Mardi Gras approaching, everyone is busy setting up celebrations: parades and grand masquerade balls are being announced everywhere. A perfect moment, perhaps, for something sinister to lurk undetected. Something like an ancient cult, once thought destroyed, now seeking its revenge...
There's an odd question on everyone's lips: have you seen the Yellow Sign?
This is an 8h session on the 04/10/26 with our GM Chiara.
Call of Cthulhu is a horror game meant to take players into the dark, threatening world of the Mythos, building upon the works of authors such as H.P. Lovecraft, August Derleth, Robert W. Chambers, and many others.
Tickets available as always through the link in our bio and on Design My Night 🖤
08/09/2026
!!Month of Horror - New Event Added!!
The Confessors - A Vampire the Masquerade two part mini Chronicle
GM'd by Ella
Ticket
We are kicking things off with a bang for our October "Month of Horror" Series with this VtM 5e mini Arc!
"No one holds command over me. No man. No God. No Prince. What is a claim of age for ones who are immortal? What is a claim of power for ones who defy death? Call your damnable hunt. We shall see whom I drag screaming to hell with me."
This is a TWO PART mini Chronicle, taking place on both the 01th and 15th of October 2026. Your ticket will get you access to BOTH sessions.
Vampire the Masquerade is a storytelling game of Gothic Horror set in a world that looks like ours but hold deep wells of darkness beneath. Be a vampire. Fight for survival, power, and what remains of your humanity.
Artwork by Tavernkeeper Georgia
Tickets as always through the link in our bio and on Design My Night 🖤
08/09/2026
!!We still got a few last tickets left for our new D&D Adventure Arc by our GM Sammy!!
"Following a successful mission, a newly formed party kick back and enjoy a well earnt pint at a local tavern. However, they are soon pulled into a rather unusual emergency…"
Embark on a new D&D multi session journey full of mystery and magic. Roll Dice, uncover secrets, fight powerful foes and make a few friends along the way!
Please note, this ticket is for a multi-part event running on the following dates:
Tuesday 15/09 - 6:30PM
Tuesday 22/09 - 6:30PM
Tuesday 29/09 - 6:30pm
Your ticket will get you access to all sessions for the month.
Tickets available as usual through the link in pir bio and on Design My Night 🖤
03/09/2026
Adventurers, Get Ready for a Month of Horror !!
Here at the Tavern, we are known to tell a grim and horrifying tale every now and then, however this October, we will be dialling the spook up several notches.
For the whole month of October we will be running as many horror themed games and systems as we could possibly cram into our calendar, all culminating in "Duskvale" our all out Vampire Masquerade Ball on the 31st of October!
If all of this sounds like an adventure for you, then keep an eye out for our "Month of Horror" marked events, which will release over the next few weeks.
We have such sights to show you 🖤
01/09/2026
This Halloween the shrouded halls of the Arcanist's Tavern will be transformed to play host to a decadent vampire ball. You are invited to adorn your finest wear, to join the immortal courts of Duskveil for an immersive evening of intrigue and indulgence - with live music, food, mystery trails, ball dance classes, and more.
We'll be revealing more information soon, so be sure to watch this space to ensure your place amongst the undead aristocracy of this distant land...
29/08/2026
Adventurers, we got a little message for you from Elliot and Max from !!
They will be performing live together with from on the 12th of September in our Guildhall !!
If you haven't got tickets yet, go head to the link in our bio and quickly grab some through our events page 🖤
29/08/2026
Adventurers, we got a little message for you from Elliot and Max from !!
They will be performing live together with from on the 12th of September in our Guildhall !!
If you haven't got tickets yet, go head to the link in our bio and quickly grab some through our events page AND, if you use code INITIATIVE at check out, you get a nice 15% off!!
26/08/2026
!!New Event Added!!
Monsters Legacy: Chapter Eleven | 1999 | WWW.DEAD.COM
Tickets live: 27/08/26: 6pm
It’s 1999 and the world has entered the digital era. In a small town in Michigan a group of college students investigate an urban legend involving a haunted
website. Their investigation unravels into a real life conspiracy involving monsters, a secret society and the end of the world.
Monsters Legacy is a 12-part monthly campaign which uses a homebrew-legacy version of monster of the week RPG. Every session the story will continue - taking place decades after the previous game -allowing new players to enter at any time, or returning players to build a family tree of characters who are interconnected to the larger story.
Tickets available as always through the link in our bio or on Design my Night 🖤
17/08/2026
!NEW EVENT ADDED!!
Temple of Shoom - a Obojima short series
TICKETS LIVE: 18/08/2026 - 6PM
In a remote part of the Gift of Shuritashi, an ancient ziggurat stands, mostly submerged, in the deep waters of Lake Ellior, one of Obojima’s great lakes. The ziggurat is called Shoom.
You have been enlisted by the AHA (the guild of archaeologists, historians, and archivists) to accompany one of their members on an expedition into the abandoned site. What ancient secrets will you discover both above and below the water?
Temple of Shoom is an Dungeons and Dragons 3 part series taking place on the 8th, 15th and 22st of September using the Obojima- Tales from the tall grass supplement book.
Your ticket will be the same for all three games as these are meant to be played as a series.
Tickets as always through the link in our bio and on Design My Night 🖤
16/08/2026
!!NEW EVENT ADDED!!
Delta Green: A Night at the Opera - 2 Part Operation
This is a two part arc taking place on the 11th and 25th of September. Your tickets gives you access to both sessions.
TICKETS LIVE: 17/08/2026 - 6pm
The text comes through on the phone you hide from your partner: just a time, date and address. You know what it means. You make excuses and begin packing to leave; you don’t know what you’ll be asked to do, but you know it will demand lies, compromise, and perhaps worse. This time, the call will draw you into the unfinished business of someone who knew far too much.
This is a game of Lovecraftian horror and conspiracy, set in 2010s America. You play deniable Agents; seemingly ordinary people already enmeshed within the bureaucracy of the US Government. Your actual job, for which you receive neither pay nor recognition, is to ensure that horrors beyond comprehension are kept out of the public eye. Welcome to Delta Green.
This session includes an introduction to the system, which is similar to Call of Cthulhu. No prior experience is required, and premade characters are provided.
Tickets as always through the link in our bio and on Design My Night 🖤
15/08/2026
!! NEW EVENT: VAMPIRE THE MASQUERADE - AULD SANGUINE !!
Two part Chronicle: 17th & 24th of September
Tickets live: 17/08/26 - 6pm
It’s New Year’s Eve. You’ve been invited to a party to talk to Isabella, a friend of a friend. She’s being harassed by someone who knows far too much about vampires. Can you deal with this last piece of business before midnight and preserve the masquerade?
This is a TWO PART mini Chronicle, taking place on both the 17th and 24th of September 2026. Your ticket will get you access to BOTH sessions.
Vampire the Masquerade is a storytelling game of Gothic Horror set in a world that looks like ours but hold deep wells of darkness beneath. Be a vampire. Fight for survival, power, and what remains of your humanity.
WE HAVE ALSO ADDED ANOTHER DATE FOR OUR VtM BEGINNERS SESSIONS IN SEPTEMBER: 18/09/2026 - 6PM!
Tickets as always through the link in our bio or on Design My Night 🖤
09/08/2026
!! New Event - Blades in the Dark Beginners Night !!
Tickets Live 09/08/2026 - 6pm
Blades in the Dark is a tabletop role-playing game about a crew of daring scoundrels seeking their fortunes on the haunted streets of an industrial-fantasy city. There are heists, chases, occult mysteries, dangerous bargains, bloody skirmishes, and, above all, riches to be had...if you’re bold enough to seize them
Join our experienced game masters to prowl the sunless streets of the city of Duskvol as members of a criminal gang.
Blades in the Dark’s novel mechanics inspired a whole category of games, and are designed to create high-intensity campaigns about highly competent characters. Push yourself to succeed by taking on stress and skip the planning stage by using flashbacks to reveal that actually, you saw those problems coming all along.
08/08/2026
!!New Event - Call of Cthulhu: Beginners Night !!
Tickets live 08/08/26 - 6pm
Call of Chtulhu is a horror game meant to take players into the dark, threatening world of the Mythos, building upon the works of authors such as H.P. Lovecraft, August Derleth, Robert W. Chambers, and many others.
It is a game of dread, tension, and madness, where unspeakable horrors are revealed and the truths that should have stayed hidden come to light.
This is a beginner session meant to offer a guided introduction to Call of Cthulhu 7E. It is ideal for new players, those who have not played the latest version of the system, or those who have only played simplified, rules-light systems like Cthulhu Dark.
Tickets as always through the link in our bio and on Design My Night 🖤
07/08/2026
!! Free RPG Day Sessions !!
Tickets live: 08/08/2026 - 6pm
Free RPG Day is finally upon is!
As in previous years, we will be running some RPG sessions alongside the usual offerings of the Free RPG Day Kit!
These sessions are run at cost price, meaning that in the spirit of the Event, you will only pay the GM's for their fee and the Tavern wont take a cut.
We will be running: "Pirate Borg" & "Vaesen - a Nordic Horror role playing game".
more info's can be found in the event descriptions.
All tickets as always through the link in our bio or on Design My Night 🖤
06/08/2026
!! New Event - Bureau of Chronological Affairs: A Daggerheart Story !!
Tickets Live 07/08/2026 - 6pm
ALERT.
Temporal anomalies have been detected within secure Bureau areas.
New staff onboarding will continue as planned.
Please do not panic.
Please do not engage with unstable timelines without prior clearance.
Please monitor the Doomsday Clock.
Objectives:
Contain anomalies.
Secure the facility.
Prevent True Midnight.
"Bureau of Chronological Affairs: A Daggerheart Story" is a multi session adventure utilizing the Daggerheart System.
Sessions are Beginners Friendly.
The story will unfold over multiple interconnected 2-3 part monthly mini arcs.
Players can swap in and out at the end of each arc.
September Dates are 03/09 and 10/09
Tickets as always available through the link in our bio and on Design My Night🖤
Address
87-91 Hackney Road
London
E2 8FE
To reach your destination on Hackney Road in London, you have a couple of options for public transport and driving.
**Public Transport:**
1. **By Tube:** The nearest underground station is Bethnal Green (Central Line). From there, exit the station and walk east along Cambridge Heath Road until you reach Hackney Road. Turn left, and your destination will be on your right.
2. **By Bus:** Several bus routes serve Hackney Road. You can take buses 26, 48, or 55 to stops along Hackney Road. Check local schedules for the most convenient route based on your starting point.
**Driving/Parking:**
If you're driving, head towards Hackney Road via the A503 or A1209. There are limited parking options available nearby; look for pay-and-display bays or local car parks. Be mindful of any parking restrictions that may apply during certain hours.
Always check for real-time traffic updates and public transport schedules before you set out!
Opening Hours
| Monday |
2pm - 10pm |
| Tuesday |
2pm - 10pm |
| Wednesday |
2pm - 10pm |
| Thursday |
2pm - 10pm |
| Friday |
2pm - 11pm |
| Saturday |
10am - 11pm |
| Sunday |
10am - 10pm |
Alerts
Be the first to know and let us send you an email when The Arcanist's Tavern: Board Game Café posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.
Contact The Business
Send a message to The Arcanist's Tavern: Board Game Café:
What people say
The Arcanist's Tavern: Board Game Café on Hackney Road is a haven for tabletop gaming enthusiasts and casual players alike. This immersive café invites you to roll dice and uncover mysteries in a fantastical setting, complete with custom tables designed specifically for tabletop role-playing games (TTRPGs) and wargaming.
With an extensive board game library at your fingertips, there's no shortage of options to explore. Whether you're a seasoned gamer or new to the scene, the welcoming atmosphere encourages everyone to join in on the fun. Regular events like Dice Cult Tuesdays provide opportunities for dice slinging and meeple slaying, making it easy to meet fellow gamers and share in the excitement.
The café also hosts special themed events that celebrate creativity and community, such as cosplay gatherings where you can dress up as your favorite characters while enjoying a variety of board games. These events foster a sense of camaraderie among attendees, making it not just about gaming but also about building friendships.
Whether you're looking for a place to dive into an epic campaign or simply want to enjoy some casual gameplay with friends, The Arcanist's Tavern offers an enchanting experience that keeps you coming back for more.
