The younger sister to the fashionable All Star Lanes in Bloomsbury, this is a boutique bowling alley that is less about the secondhand shoes and more about retro glamour. Perfect if you want to realise your secret Happy Days fantasy, this is high on fun and low on pretension.

The Venue
Boutique bowling sums up All Star Lanes perfectly. This bowling alley isn’t even close to those you will have visited as a teenager. Instead, this venue encompasses a refined bar and a retro ‘50s diner, providing a touch of vintage class to your bowling experience. Admittedly, its setting may instill a certain feeling of apprehension. You will have to look for this elegant venue under the unattractive Whiteleys shopping centre, but your hunt will be well rewarded.

If you are (as is recommended) opting for dinner before you test your skills with a bowling ball, you will be seated in diner-style booths kitted out with stereotypical white and red checkered napkins, complete with tall round stools, images of 1950s pin-ups and a black and white tiled floor. However, rather than being cheesy or cheap, All Star Lanes keeps it funky with modern twists, courtesy of its light wood partitions, sultry dimmed lighting and gleaming open plan kitchen. If you don’t wish to indulge in a meal, or just fancy a drink or two before the game (warning: this may impair your ability to bowl), you’ll find a trendily retro bar positioned on a platform lined with Chesterfield style couches. These surround low tables complete with small, red lampshades that wouldn’t look out of place in grandma’s living room.

However, it’s towards the back of the venue where you’ll spy the main attraction: the gleaming bowling lanes. Swap your stilettos for bowling shoes (made less painful by the fact they’re glossy, black versions that could just about pass for not being a fashion faux pas) and let the games begin.

The Atmosphere
Bouncing ponytails above pink chemise dresses with short white aprons and white shoes: this is the vintage uniform of the friendly staff at All Star Lanes – well, the women anyway. The illusion is almost perfect. Predictably, this venue is extremely popular with a huge range of people; even celebrities like Natalie Imbruglia, Kylie Minogue, Frank Lampard and Christian Slater have popped down for a game or two in the past. However, you’re far more likely to spy office groups, couples and clusters of friends, mostly in their thirties, and this is definitely a case of the more the merrier. Given the popularity and theme of the venue, it tends to get very busy and very loud at peak times, but the fun element is certainly guaranteed - no matter how bad your aim is!

The Food
All Star Lanes is a modern day replica of a classic American diner, so it’s no surprise the food is inspired by the fare served some fifty years ago in moms and pops venues from the Atlantic to the Pacific. It is easy to guess what’s on the menu: sandwiches (£7.25-£14), hand-carved steaks (£16.50-£24.50), seafood platters (£8.50-£32) and classics like spaghetti and meatballs, chilli con carne, macaroni cheese and the ubiquitous half-pound beef burger (£8-£17). On the side you can get fresh salads made with seasonal ingredients such as corn on the cob, shrimp cocktail, quesadilla and more. You’ll struggle to find anywhere closer to a real 1950s diner in London.

The portions are generous and even a simple sandwich becomes a main course in itself, with thick and tasty warm focaccia bread filled with layers of roasted onions, crispy bacon and whatever other ingredients you choose to fill it with. If your idea of an American diner includes unrecognisable meat alongside fat, soft chips, you will be pleasantly surprised since everything - from the salads to the sides - is cooked to perfection.

Particularly recommended, however, is their famed Surf and Turf. This is made up of tiger prawns and an 8oz sirloin steak with a selection of traditional sauces like peppercorn, bearnaise and lobster. The desserts are also particularly worthy of a mention, and include banana split, vanilla cheese cake, double chocolate brownie and peaches and cream sundae. It’s the banana spilt that stands out. The banana is barely visible under the layers of ice cream, whipped cream, caramel or chocolate sauce and sprinkles. It sounds like a heart attack waiting to happen – and certainly is – but the creamy rich flavours are delicious to the point of being addictive.

The Drink
Predictably, the bar here is an all-American affair: classic American cocktails combine with bourbon and American whisky for an eclectic, diverse drink menu.

You can choose from more than sixty cocktails (£6.50-£8), including historical American classics, many of which date back to the Prohibition period. Be sure to try the Clover Club (Beefeater gin, vermouth, cane sugar syrup, egg white and fresh raspberries), Ampersand (gin liqueur, sweet vermouth, cognac and orange bitters), and Whisky Daisy (whisky, honey, fresh lemon juice, Grand Marnier and sparkling water). The Clover Club is particularly delightful, with a delicately creamy flavour, counterbalanced by the tang of the gin. Other highlights include the bar’s own concoctions with names that carry through the theme of the bar like Cracked Thumb and King Pin, as well as the South Of The Border.

If you are dining there is also an excellent wine list including many American varieties. There aren’t a lot of options available by the glass (£4-£5.75) but bottles start from a mere £16, rising to £200 for a white or red reserve, thus accounting for every taste and budget. Alternatively, you can try an imported American (what else?) beer (£3.20-£4), taking your pick between Anchor Steam Beer, Sierra Nevada, Brooklyn Lager and others. You can otherwise stick to a retro drink and order cream soda (£3) or milkshakes (£3.50) with homemade ice cream and optional malt, served in tall vintage glasses. The bar truly caters to every taste and every mood: if you have scored poorly with the pins, a long list of bourbons is there to help you forget.

The Last Word
All Star Lanes provides a lot more than is necessary for a fun night out: the food is of the highest quality, the drinks are strong and delicious and the environment is stylish. If you want to bowl in West London, All Star Lanes is by far the best destination.

View®  Card offers venue information venue map view london review user reviews (13) image gallery (5)