If you want a proper game of pool, snooker or darts in Bristol, your two best bets are Supreme Sports Lounge in St Phillips, a family-run sports bar with 12 pool tables and 12 dart boards, and Maxi Lounge, a dedicated cue sports club with heated professional-standard tables. Both are within easy reach of Temple Meads.
Bristol's nightlife scene tends to get covered as cocktail bars and gig venues, but there's a solid, less glamorous scene built around cue sports and darts too, and it's grown up quite a bit from the traditional pub back room.
Supreme Sports Lounge
Based on Meriton Street in St Phillips, about five minutes from Temple Meads station, Supreme Sports Lounge is a 300-capacity sports bar built around pool and darts as much as watching the game. It has 12 pool tables and 12 dart boards, including interactive darts setups, alongside a serious sports-viewing offer: 15 fifty-inch TVs, a high-definition projector, and a heated outdoor area with its own screens up to 85 inches.
It's a good option if you want somewhere sociable to play with a group while also keeping half an eye on the football or rugby, rather than a purist's cue sports venue.
- Address: Meriton Street, Bristol, BS2 0SZ
- Nearest station: Temple Meads, about a 5 minute walk
- Good for: groups, watching sport alongside playing, casual pool and darts
Maxi Lounge
Maxi Lounge bills itself as Bristol's premier cue sports club, and the table list backs that up: four heated professional snooker tables of the kind used in televised tournaments, five heated steel block match tables, two American pool tables, five English 8-ball tables and a Chinese 8-ball table. It's a taproom as much as a cue sports venue, with 16 draught lines including local Bristol brews, and a rotating kitchen from local food vendors.
Membership isn't compulsory to visit, but it unlocks online table booking and discounts:
| Membership | Cost | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Mini | Free | Maxi Lounge app access |
| Maxi | £50/year | App access, online booking, 10% off drinks and sports |
| Super Maxi | £150/year | All of the above, plus private Star Table Room access, discounted coaching, event tickets and more |
If you're serious about your game rather than just after a casual frame, Maxi Lounge is the better fit of the two.
Which one should you pick?
| Supreme Sports Lounge | Maxi Lounge | |
|---|---|---|
| Vibe | Sports bar with pool and darts | Dedicated cue sports club |
| Tables | 12 pool, 12 darts | Snooker, American pool, English and Chinese 8-ball |
| Best for | Groups, casual games, watching sport | Serious players, coaching, tournaments |
| Membership | Not required | Free tier available, paid tiers unlock perks |
Both venues are a short walk or taxi ride from Temple Meads, making them an easy add-on to a night that starts elsewhere in the city centre. If you're planning a bigger night out, our guide to getting around Bristol at night covers your options for getting home afterwards, and our best sports bars in Bristol roundup has more places to watch the game if cue sports aren't the main draw. For a wider view of the city's after-dark options, see our nightlife guide.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to book a table in advance? At Supreme Sports Lounge it's generally walk-in, though booking ahead is sensible for groups or busy match nights. At Maxi Lounge, online table booking is a membership perk, so joining (even the free tier) makes booking easier.
Is Maxi Lounge only for serious players? No, it welcomes casual players too, but the table quality and membership structure are clearly aimed at people who take their game seriously, alongside a more relaxed taproom side.
Which is closer to Temple Meads? Supreme Sports Lounge, about five minutes' walk from the station.
Can I watch sport at either venue? Yes, both show live sport, though Supreme Sports Lounge is built more explicitly around big screens and multiple sports channels.
Do either venue serve food? Yes. Supreme Sports Lounge and Maxi Lounge both have food options, with Maxi Lounge's kitchen rotating between different local vendors.
Are there other pool or darts venues in Bristol? These two are the standout dedicated venues, but a number of pubs across the city also have pool tables or dartboards as a secondary feature. Check our best pubs in Bristol guide for pub-based options.