Ping, 180 Earl’s Court Road, London SW5
9QG
28/11/2012
She said: Having been to Bounce a few
weeks earlier this would always be compared in its ping pong/dining/drinking
experience. On first impressions there was some unnecessary ‘cool’ ticks like
bouncers at the door and over-trendy waiting staff but once we were seated in
Ping – a more casual trend-image-seeking versions of Bounce, it was actually a
rather enjoyable experience. The Noci E Pera Pizza I went for was very good and
complimented nicely by my Espresso Martini and the bonus here is that the ping
pong is free to play, though there are fewer tables than Bounce and they are
close together. My ping pong had improved since Bounce which helped the whole
experience and I wouldn’t let the bouncer and initial club-like feel put you
off this otherwise fun, alternative night out – also cheaper than Ping at £30
for two this time including alcohol!
He said: Having moaned that Bounce was
pricey [see below], we then found Ping on the opposite side of town. It’s free
to play, and the food and drinks are cheaper. She will confirm that I never
admit I’m wrong but, in this instance, I guess it’s not all about price. There’s
no question that Bounce is the true temple to table tennis. Ping is more of a
trendy bar with tables, but the formula still works. And there’s something
about the tables being fewer and much closer together that actually makes it
more social, and more likely that you’ll end up hanging-out with a bunch of new
people. Unless you’re Type A and go postal with all the balls from other tables
interfering with your game. Stick with Bounce if you want to deploy your killer
volley six foot back from the table.