Hollywood Bowl Wigan

You'll find this place right on Wallgate, and while yes, it's primarily about knocking down pins, the bar here deserves proper recognition. The drinks selection goes well beyond your typical bowling alley fare – they've got craft beers on tap alongside the usual suspects, and the cocktails are surprisingly decent for somewhere you'd expect plastic cups and warm lager. The atmosphere gets properly buzzy weekend evenings when the lanes fill up with birthday parties and date nights gone wonderfully wrong. Staff actually know their way around the bar, and you can nurse a proper pint while watching your mates embarrass themselves in the gutter. It's that rare combination of genuine entertainment and decent booze that makes it work as more than just a novelty night out.