Situated just a ping pong ball’s throw away from Holborn station, Bounce is built on the same site where table tennis was originally trademarked by J Jaques & Son Ltd in 1901. Complete with blue plaque, the venue is home to a swanky cocktail bar, an up-market pizzeria, a DJ booth and 17 table tennis tables – including an official London 2012 table.

Drawing on the success of similar venues stateside, it’s the brainchild of entrepreneur and accomplished table tennis player Dov Penzik and the co-founder of All Star Lanes, Adam Breeden.

Adam said, “Ping Pong is such an accessible sport, and we believe the most fun sporting activity there is and Bounce is taking the game back to its roots by combining the sport with socialising, entertainment and a touch of glamour and on the very birthplace of the game!”

For more info, visit bouncelondon.co.uk

Other activity bars in London:

Bowling at All Star Lanes
There are no bright lights or flashing arcade games at All Star Lanes – this is boutique bowling! There are four lanes in Holborn, six each in Bayswater and Brick Lane and a whopping 14 at Westfield. Each has a modern American restaurant and cocktail bar, as well as private rooms.
allstarlanes.co.uk

Table Football at Bar Kick
Mostly famous for their many football tables, Bar Kick also offers basement events, lovingly cooked food and cocktails. It is also a great place to watch live football and every 3D match available is shown in the basement
cafekick.co.uk/bar-kick

Snooker and Pool at the Hurricane Room
Open 24/7, the Kings Cross Hurrican Room has recently undergone a £500,000 refurbishment. The swish venue now houses 10 snooker tables, six English pool tables, nine American pool tables and two poker booths. Coaching available.
hurricaneroom.co.uk

Karaoke at Lucky Voice
Lucky Voice bills itself as the UK’s Number One karaoke experience. Hire a private karaoke room for you and your friends in either Soho or Islington, choose from thousands of songs to sing and use the “thirsty” button for waitress service. Discounts and special offers available online.
luckyvoice.com

Darts, Pool, Table Football and a Nintendo Wii at The Bell
The Bell is an independently owned Victorian pub on the fringes of the City. But don’t mistake this for just another city pub as it’s far from it, according to management. Traditional pub grub and space available for private hire.
thebellpub.co.uk

Indoor Golf at Urban Golf
Urban Golf offers a virtual golf experience on simulators, so no matter what the weather you can try your skills on more than 50 of the world’s top courses. Whether you head to the Smithfield, Soho or High Street Kensington branch, you’ll find about seven simulators and a full bar and menu too. Coaching available.
urbangolf.co.uk

Do you have a favourite bar that does more than serve great drinks? Let us know in the comments below

Swedish dance troupe Bounce’s Insane in the Brain opened this week at Sadler’s Wells’ West End venue, the Peacock Theatre.

It’s generally ballet that fills my dance card so I was eagerly anticipating this modern, street-dance version of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. And I was pleased, if not surprised, to see the audience was a bit younger and more diverse than you often get at traditional ballet performances.

This high-energy show had some fantastic choreography and use of props. The bed scene, with its percussive repetition and alternating light effects was one of my favourites. The slanted backdrop was used for some excellent acrobatics and I loved the dance-offs. I would, however, have liked to see a few scenes made a bit shorter, and the dancers really cut loose in some parts where they seemed to be holding back – this may have been opening night jitters though.

Music was a mix of hip hop (Missy Elliott, Dizee Rascal, Notorious B.I.G), cheesy chartoppers (Lionel Ritchie’s Hello, Maniac and Fame), classical compositions (Greig), metal (System of a Down) and, of course, the title track by Cypress Hill.

A clever inclusion was a short film halfway through - starring the Bounce dancers - which meant the cast could take a well-earned breather without the audience being disrupted by an interval. Plus, they sat right in front of us, so that was quite cool.

If you like things a little bit electro, a little bit shocking, you’d be crazy to miss Insane in the Brain in London until the 3 October (then at various venues around the UK until 21 November).