Let’s get quizzical: Thanet’s best pub quizzes

We’ve tried hard not to admit it to ourselves but summer is over. There are bright sides to this though. Honestly there are. One of them is the return of pub quizzes, which for the most part halt for the summer months. Who wants to be thinking when the sun’s out? Not us. But as the weather turns colder, we’re always keen to find things that are fun and keep up warm. Quizzes do both. We don’t know what the science is, but we’ve never shivered our way through a quiz.

The great news is that Thanet is absolutely brimming with great pub quizzes, with nights designed to test whatever your strongest area of general knowledge is. Music? Yes. Pop culture? Yes. The names of Thanet village? Sure. Your ability to turn a teammate into an animal using only newspaper, bin bags and silver foil? That’s not an area of general knowledge, but there’s more than one opportunity a month to do that.

So, grab your coat, put your phone away, and get yourself down to one of these great pub quizzes. 

Mr Teds

We love Mr Teds. His raucous quiz nights are always a huge amount of fun. As well as your standard quiz questions, music and picture rounds, you’ll also find yourself doing life drawing and costume making. There are catchphrases to learn, a prosthetic vagina and probably some ventriloquism too. Shots will be liberally handed out to teams who impress Mr Teds on the way, and the winners take away (or immediately consume) a bottle of prosecco. 

Such is the popularity of these nights that Mr Teds tours around the country each month, which includes dates in all three Thanet towns. During the second week of each month, you’ll find him at the Horse & Groom in Ramsgate on Tuesday, Margate’s Rose In June on Wednesday, and Neptunes Hall in Broadstairs on Thursday. 

Entry is £3 per person, and it starts at 7.30pm (don’t turn up late and disrupt the opening performance). Contact your pub of choice to book a table for your team. Follow Mr Teds on Instagram. 

Xylo, Margate

Another absolute favourite of ours is Xylo’s Ultimate Quiz. A bold title in a town with a thriving pub quiz scene, but they really do pull it off. If you’re a music fan, then this one is a real must, as it’ll test your knowledge of song lyrics and observation skills while watching a music video. Don’t just arrive with a load of music nerds in tow though, because there are also rounds going deep into local Thanet knowledge and beer. 

This one takes place at 8pm every penultimate Thursday of the month. Entry is £2 per person, with the winning team taking all the money. Second prize is free entry next time. Email bookings@xylobrew.com or book at the bar. Follow Xylo on Instagram. 

The Shakespeare, Margate

A relative newcomer on the Margate pub scene (it just celebrated its first birthday), The Shakespeare has nonetheless built itself a solid reputation for holding a great quiz. Hosted by Linguist Laura, it tests what you have stored in the back of your brain with some tricky questions, and also has a round of Play Your Cards Right for a cash prize. There are a range of other prizes too, including “crisp tapas” for your team.

Takes place every last Tuesday of the month, with an entry fee of £2.50 per person. Start time is 7.30pm. DM on Instagram to book. Follow the Shakespeare on Instagram. 

Camp, Cliftonville

Cliftonville’s small but perfectly formed queer bar Camp is home to the Pop Culture Pub Quiz, hosted by sibling duo Jesse and Derek Dupreez. Arrive ready to test the furthest reaches of your pop culture knowledge and be prepared for things to get rowdy. The winning team gets a round of drinks and the chance to take home the pot of entry cash. The chance, you say? Yes, there are no guarantees and you will be made to work for your money. There will be dart throwing. Last winter there were multiple rollovers and the prize fund grew to life-changing (depending on your definition of life-changing) levels. 

This is held on the first Monday of each month. Entry is £2 per person and it gets started at 7pm. DM on Instagram to book. Follow Camp on Instagram. 

George & Heart, Margate

The George & Heart’s monthly quiz remains on hiatus for a little longer, but we’re promised that it will be back in December. There will be trivia, of course, but your brain will also be tested with various weird games where you can win bonus prizes. If that’s all too much for you, you can just admire host Owain’s lovely, sparkly gold jacket. 

It usually happens on the last Wednesday of each month, but in December this year that’s Christmas Day, so keep an eye out for the date announcement. It costs £2 per person to enter. Follow the George & Heart on Instagram.

Sundowners, Margate

Monthly quizzes are all well and good but what if you find one you like and can’t wait four whole weeks for the next one? Well, if your fave is Kitty’s Kwiz at Sundowners on Margate’s seafront you are in luck, because it takes place weekly. There are prizes on offer throughout the night, and a cash jackpot for the winners. 

Takes place every Thursday at 7.30pm and costs £2 per person to enter. Call 01843 229420 or DM to book. Follow Sundowners on Instagram. 

Tap Room, Cliftonville

We said the Xylo quiz was a must for music fans, but if we put you off by pointing out that there would be questions about other things too, then the Tap Music Quiz is the one for you. It’s all music all the time. Think you know music? Well, here’s where you’re going to find out. 

This one happens on the last Thursday of the month, starting at 7.30pm. Entry is £2 per person, with all proceeds donated to War Child. DM to book. Follow the Tap Room on Instagram. 

The Royston Coffee & Alehouse, Broadstairs

The Royston’s popular quiz runs year round with no time off for the summer, so perfect if you want to keep your trivia skills sharp during the warmer months. There’s a cash prize for the winning team, drinks for the runner up, and the losing team gets something too. Unfortunately, it’s a bottle of Buckfast wine, but maybe that will spur you on to be smarter next time. There’s also a charity raffle.

Takes place every second Wednesday of the month and has an early kick off at 6.30pm. Tickets are £5 per person and can only be booked with cash at the bar. All proceeds go to charity. Follow the Royston on Instagram. 

Churchill Tavern, Ramsgate

Always a sell out, this quiz is known for being a lot of fun but very difficult. The winning team gets the glory, but not necessarily the cash prize. In order to keep things interesting, the team name that’s pulled out of a hat at the end of the night gets the money. There are other spot cash prizes through the night. 

This is another weekly one, taking place every Monday. Entry is £2 per person. Starts at 8pm but turn up early to ensure you get a table. Follow the Churchill Tavern on Facebook.