Toca Social London O2 Review
Have you heard of Toca Social? I hadn’t until late last year, but as soon as we saw pictures, I wanted to find out what it was like (and if it was suitable for kids) for my football mad son. It’s an interactive soccer bar that opened in the O2 last summer and on the face of it, it looks amazing for football fans.
It describes itself as “The new entertainment concept transforming how we meet and play. Built around accessible and interactive football-based games, our stylish venues give players of all kinds a place to come together and put their name in lights.”
All sounds very impressive – but what does that actually mean and is it any good? As we visited recently for my son’s birthday, I thought I would share our experiences of what it’s really like...
What is Toca Social O2 Like?
Spoiler – It’s brilliant!
My son is obsessed with football – watching it, playing it, talking about it, at nine years old, it’s his whole world at the moment. So, when my husband found videos of Toca Social football online, we thought it would be the perfect treat for his 10th birthday.
It’s a new concept that I’d never heard or seen before, but basically the venue is sectioned into boxes, that you hire out as a group, to then play football games in, against a large interactive screen.
These boxes are all around the edge of the venue, with then a central restaurant and bar bringing it all together. The boxes although key are just one part of the whole experience that makes up Toca Social.
What are the Games Like at Toca Social?
Before we visited, I booked online and paid for a box for 90 minutes. On their website you choose from 60 to 90 minutes of play and you can have up to 12 players in your box. Once there, you simply add all the members of your party to the system and then choose and control the games you play, using a large touch screen system on the wall. (It’s pretty self explanatory, but is also all explained by a host who talks you through at the beginning)
Then all you need to do is choose the game to play.
The games are great. Each player is called up in turn, ready to take their shots once the ball appears. There’s all sorts to choose from – including target games where on the impact, shapes that appear like atoms, split all over the screen, with escalating points to achieve as the pieces get smaller and smaller. Or, a favourite when we visited – elimination rounds where your profile pictures are all cleverly displayed as target shapes that then break up and disappear along with your lives, as your opponents hit them.
Although you can have up to 12 players per box, we had seven and that felt a really nice number (Going with children especially) It meant they never had to wait too long for a turn and the 90 minutes duration, meant we got to have a go at all the games, a good few times.
I would say with older groups or if you’re going just with adults, larger parties would be fine. I would certainly be very happy having a turn and then enjoying a drink from the bar in between. Its got a really nice feel and the design is sleek and modern – Although children are allowed, the look throughout is a step up from sports venue with elements of a industrial luxe sports bar with pops of neon and funky finishing touches.
Speaking of the little extras, the one my kids enjoyed the most was the sweet treats in the dessert room. There was pick and mix, Ice-cream sandwiches, S’mores and bubble tea, all the perfect pick me up after not wanting to leave the box when our time was up. We also had lunch and again the food was good quality and came quickly. The children’s meals were quite fun too, they came in special boxes with a mini bouncy ball for the kids to play with. There were also a few other things dotted around to play on – foosball, arcade games and a selfie booth.
All in all, I was really impressed with Toca Social at the O2. You can tell when you go, how much they have thought not just about how it looks but also the all round visitor experience – From walking through the entrance tunnel at the beginning to cheers and flashing lights, to the boot room football boot choice and helpful friendly staff, we all loved it.
Is Toca Social for Children or Adults?
Before booking, as a lot of their Socials are focussed around nights out at Toca Social, I wasn’t sure how appropriate it would be for children. But as soon as we arrived, although there was a real mix of groups – families, teens and what seemed to be a couple of stag parties, it was a fun and friendly atmosphere and we felt comfortable from the beginning.
Toca Social Age Limit
There’s no age limit at Toca Social during the day, as long as they are old enough to kick a ball, children can play – but they do also have a no children policy after 4pm too. I think that’s quite good to know if you’re planning on going as a group of adults. If you go for the evening, you also then know its not going to be full of noisy kids which I like. I can imagine its a pretty different atmosphere on a weekend evening too. The bar certainly looked well stocked with a very appealing cocktail list to enjoy!
Where is Toca Social London?
Toca Social is located in Greenwich in the O2 and really easy to find. Previously I’ve only been to the O2 for concerts or events, so associate it with being crazy busy and rushing around. It was nice to see it on a normal day (Didn’t know there was so much you can do there actually) and how easy it is to access from the East. We got the train to Stratford, hopped on the Jubilee line and then its just a ten minute walk to the venue.
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