Clays is the first of its kind to use cutting-edge technology that fully simulates clay shooting. It’s something I have ALWAYS wanted to do and Clays have made it so easy and so fun!
The venue is located about a 5 minute walk from Moorgate station and 10 minute walk from Bank or Liverpool Street Station. As soon as you walk in, you’re greeted by security in a very instagrammable hallway which leads downstairs to main venue. They’ve used trees and greenery to create a pretty up market looking entrance and it follows through downstairs, with the décor in a classy combination of soft pink and rose gold. This isn’t any old clay shooting venue, you know!
So after checking in, the hostess took us to our shooting station. Each playing area (a peg) is brilliantly designed to safely accommodate a large group of friends in a way that feels private without isolating you from the vibe of the main bar area. There is ample room to hang out, drink and eat whilst you wait for your turn, which comes around surprisingly quickly! Many of the pegs contain comfortable seating areas so you’re not awkwardly waiting around if you do go with a large group.
Each peg has it’s on gun and It’s MUCH heavier than I was expecting! It is a bit of a pain, in the sense that after every two shots you need to “reload” which threw me off a bit. Luckily it’s not too complex and we all eventually got the hang of it.
There’s a screen on the side which lets you log in with your names (or any name you fancy!), take a photo and pick the game you want to play. The same screen can also be used to order food and drinks directly to your playing area.
There are a whole bunch of games, ranging from old-school clay capping action (with different colours, speeds, etc.) to ‘Moon Shot’, which cleverly balances the action by allowing the lower-scoring players to knock the leaders off their pedestal, keeping the game constantly competitive. My favourite was a peloton style bike race (the more you hit, the faster you go). I’d recommend starting with Peleton because you get the most ammo and it gets you in the flow of it.
The games can be played with two players (and groups of up to 20 players), however the real joy of Clays is in the competitive dynamics of playing in a group. They do prioritise groups bookings over groups of two (this isn’t something they’ve said but something I have noticed when booking. It is an 18+venue so no kids are allowed inside at any time either.
Prices? Was it worth it?
The pricing at Clays is weird to be honest, it changes depending on the number of people you go with. We went in a group of 8 and it cost us £10 each for 90 minutes of play time. Although time does go quickly, I did feel like it was enough time before hunger kicked in. For this price is was definitely worth it!
If you’re planning on going for a date, it works out £30 for two people which isn’t bad but it’s weird considering it’s £30 for 5 people too. Even still though, I think you get your moneys worth with all things considered.
Is the food halal?
No, sadly not.
How do I book a peg?
It’s super easy to book online via their website below.
Where: 55 Moorgate, London EC2R 6LL
Website: https://clays.bar/
Hello You
I’m Rosie!
