Lane7 brings its unique brand of bowling to Durham and I spent a night checking out what’s on offer; you’ll definitely be wanting to visit after reading this!
Over the last year or so, there have been so many new places opening in Durham making it the ideal location for a weekend city break. From Pizza Punks to Turtle Bay, Durham has started to attract bigger, cooler brands and none more so than the latest addition; Lane7. Originally opening in Newcastle, Lane7 has expanded its quirky brand of bowling across the country and thankfully brought it to Durham. Lane7 in Durham wouldn’t look out of place in Bristol or Shoreditch; polished concrete floors and, upstairs at least, spray painted graffiti across every wall.
LANE7 DURHAM
Lane7 Durham kindly invited me down to check out the venue before its official opening on 16th August and it’s safe to say that a very fun evening was had! That’s probably due to the fact that we had a baby free couple of hours…
Opening up in the old Fat Buddha restaurant in the Walkergate area of Durham, Lane7 has something for everyone and no longer do you have to travel up to Newcastle for a cool evening out. You’ll find 6 bowling lanes, two duckpin bowling lanes (something a little different to the usual!), pool tables, a cricket net, beer pong tables, smart dart boards and arcade machines. Not only that, the outdoor area offers great views across the new Milburngate development and I’m sure this has to be one of the best sunset spots in the city.
It had been a very long time since I last went bowling; for my 30th birthday at Lane7 in Newcastle, so I wasn’t quite sure how it would go down! I was gutted not to have got a strike but I did leave with aching hips and a win under my belt. Sorry Emma! We had darts lined up afterwards; different to the usual game of 501 whereby the dartboards are linked to tablets with four interactive games. We settled for one where the points you score knock down bricks and the first to get rid of them all wins. Unfortunately due to some teething issues, we didn’t manage a full game so had an extra drink in the sunshine instead.
Lane7 offers a good selection of beers and cocktails (I had the super sweet drumstick cocktail) but disappointingly they don’t seem to do food here. I don’t know whether there’s a plan to introduce it in the future but Lane7 has always been known for great food and some locations even serve up burgers from Almost Famous. If not, it just means that you’ll have to extend your stay in the city by grabbing food at one of the many lovely restaurants.
Opening Times:
Monday – Thursday 4pm to Late
Friday – Sunday 11am to Late
After 7pm every day, the venue is over 18’s only.
Does Lane7 Durham Offer Food?
This is one question that I had before I visited Lane7 as, having been to the Newcastle venue before, I was excited to experience more of the same high quality pizzas and burgers. One Lane7 even has its own Fat Hippo!
Unfortunately however Lane7 Durham, at this time, does not offer any food though there are plenty of eateries in Durham that you can visit before or after to make a night of it.
Can you wear your own shoes at Lane7 Durham?
Damn right you can, as long as they don’t have open toes or heels. So yes, you can wear your Vans (the extra grip will help you get that high score). Of course, if you’re a proper pro and desperately need some bowling shoes, Lane7 Durham has some available to use.
Prices
The prices aren’t that bad; for a game of bowling you’re looking at £8.95 per person, £15 for interactive darts if you book online and £20 for 30 minutes in the cricket nets (but that fits up to 4 people). If you’re visiting between Sunday and Wednesday you can get 2 games of bowling for just £13 per person. Here’s the full price list.
For more information on Lane7 in Durham, visit their website here.
I was invited to Lane7 in Durham and received complimentary games and drinks but all opinions are my own.
Awesome photos! What film simulation did you use for this one? It looks a little different to your Classic Chrome sim.
Thank you! Strangely it’s classic chrome as usual but I agree they look different – the one of the pool cues is under exposed a bit and looks beautiful!