‘Let’s play’: Goodtime Games, West Didsbury, reviewed

What: Goodtime Games

Where: Burton Road, West Didsbury

Food/ Drink type: Lunch, dinner, pizzas, cocktails, coffee

When: Mon, Weds, Thurs: 5pm-10pm // Friday: 5 - 10:30 pm // Saturday: 10:30am - 10:30pm // Sunday: 10:30am - 10:00pm

Independent or chain: Independent

Decor

This board game café, with walls stacked to the rafters with options, is a great way to change up a night and incorporate good food with a fun activity.

I first was introduced to this place when a friend went on a date. As someone who didn’t like the awkwardness of small talk, he enjoyed the idea of having something else to focus on. Whether it’s a first date or a fiftieth this place does give you something outside the generic “how was work today” and gets you thinking outside the box.  

I was sceptical about Goodtime Games; with so much emphasis on the activity side of things I worried the food and drink would be more of a side dish to the main event. Was this a fun and delicious dining experience or a one-time novelty?

The Main Event

While the menu is fairly limited - pizzas, flatbreads, nachos, and sides - the food that arrived was surprisingly delicious, with homemade pizzas, particularly the margherita (£10), that put some of the larger pizza restaurants in Didsbury to shame thanks to one of the best base sauces I’ve had. The pesto, tomato and feta flatbread (£7.50), while a little dry, was covered in a delicious pesto and sundried tomato. I would get this again, however next time I would take them up on the offer of adding feta. How foolish I was.

The pizza and flatbread that was shared lasted all of five minutes and, of course, it was only right to wash it down with a few cocktails. For the price, two for £12 during happy hour, I expected a premade mix of sweet juice. However these were fresh and punchy. The pina colada almost made me forget about the February rain.

I visited twice with two different groups, each creating a different experience. First, as a group of five girls in the early evening, drinking smoothies and chai lattes (£3.60) and putting the world to rights over a few games of cards. The staff here were quite persistent for us to play the more challenging or unusual games and were instructive in explaining the rules.

The drinks here again were good, with my friends commenting how it is one of the best chai lattes they'd ever had. It would seem this place doubles up as an activity, pizza place and barista-made café.

My friends who shared the sticky toffee biscoff cake (£4) were certain that “there is no way vegan cake tastes like this”. Meanwhile Ollie, a rugby player and keen meat eater was almost offended that he had been tricked into liking vegan food. Surprises all round. 

After a few different board games, and happily a couple of wins, we called it a night and paid a very reasonable bill, all agreeing to come back here again with our partners or other groups of friends.

The following week I returned with my partner, a lot more into games than I would consider myself to be. The atmosphere was very different from the quiet early evening I had come into before and instead we secured the last table in a bustling environment with music, laughter and the occasional disgruntled whisper from someone on the losing side. We both had a great evening, despite the fact I may have lost a couple of times.

Judgement Day 

If you're looking to dress in your Sunday best and have a fine dining experience this is not the place you go. However if you want good quality food and fun, I recommend Goodtime games. A new activity, change in environment, nice atmosphere, and of course a good meal - this is somewhere I would come back to. Only next time I will win more. 

Goodtime Games, 212 Burton Rd, West Didsbury, M20 2LW