As you descend down into Bounce, you can’t help but feel the happening vibe. The guests look excited, the staff are energetic and the graffiti walls are just pure Shoreditch.
In fact one of the most exhilarating part of the experience, is when they dim the lights in the latter part of the evening and switch to UV ping pong, you can admire the flourescent graffiti artwork on the walls as well as having a futuristic game of ping pong.
The best part about it is, it isn’t about winning but more about the social experience. Each table can accommodate 20 guests with full table service and staff eager to take your drinks orders. Even if you are lacking in sporting prowess, you can enjoy the challenge, as they have ball collectors who rapidly pick up stray balls and replenish your supplies.
The real surprise of the evening is their restaurant. With a lengthy selection of artisanal pizzas, you might expect the dining area to resemble a pizzeria. Instead they have comfortable leather seating, polished wooden tables and quirky art decorations on the wall like retro ping pong games. The only minor issue is it does get very noisy if you are after an intimate chat as the fantastically funky music from the ping pong area filters into the restaurant.
No expense is spared with the quality of the dishes here. They use the best salmon here from H. Forman and the beef carpaccio is barolo cured (barolo being the king of Italian red wines). The dishes here taste as great as they look and there is a healthy combination of vegetables that goes with all their starters.
We tried the sea trout and the sea bass for the main courses and the kitchen handled both fishes extremely delicately, Both were cooked to the right temperature and the fresh tasting meats were combined with flavoursome sauces such as salsa verde and lobster bisque. The head chef here understands the most common mistakes with fish are its overcooked or the tastes are just too bland.
Don’t be tempted to skip dessert as my Italian guest commented the cinnamon and orange panna cotta might be one of the finest you will taste in London with its silky, smooth texture.
With thanks to the expert recommendation of their staff, we managed to sample a bottle of Huia sauvignon blanc, which had big aromatic flavours. As soon as the bottle is opened you can instantly smell the gooseberries. It was the ideal pairing with the fish dishes although being so quaffable, you can easily enjoy it on its own along with your game of ping pong.
It probably isn’t what the owners are going for, but the food here is more fine dining than pizzeria. With such fantastic food, a great social experience with their ping pong, this is the ideal venue whether you are looking for a team bonding experience or just with friends looking for a quirkier, more exciting experience.