I tried Leeds' new arcade bar NQ64 and it's packed with games that brought me back to my childhood

Setting up shop on Merrion Street in the former Manahatta site adjacent to Roxy Ball Room and Mean-Eyed Cat is NQ64 - a well-established venue from Manchester that made a name for itself as the perfect blend of trendy bar and classic gaming.

Leeds may already have a gaming bar in the shape of Pixel Bar over on Great George Street, which focuses on more contemporary gaming with Nintendo Switch and modern X Box and PlayStation games, but NQ64 takes you back in time to the turn of the millennium and beyond.

At first glance, the simple signing on the red brick wall doesn’t give away too much, but as soon as I opened the tinted glass doors, I was transported to an alternate universe where neon colours and loud arcade machines were the hottest thing around.

The main room features seating booths with tables already splattered with brightly coloured words and drawings (which is encouraged as staff even provides you with neon pencils), and the large bar with an eye-catching selection of cocktails on display.

This is NQ64’s 12th site in the UK, and was originally founded by Matt Robson and Andy Haygarth in 2019 before rapidly spreading across the country.

The experience garnered over the past five years and 11 venues show - especially in the crafty drinks menu.

Inspired by video games and pop culture, I opted to try the (very) fiery “Mad Max Zombie”, a mix of house rum, grapefruit, pineapple, guava, orange, cherry and cinnamon fire, which is literally blowtorched before being served.

I paired that with a “Kirby” consisting of pink gin, poppy liqueur, grapefruit, lime, vanilla and with a blinking ice cube for added effect and the alcohol-free, CBD infused “Hits from the Pong” to loosen up before trying my hands at some of the 30 arcade games and nine consoles available.

The retro arcades and pinball machines are all activated with tokens, which can be purchased at the bar (£8.50 for 15), while the consoles, old X Box and PlayStations where one can enjoy classics like GTA San Andreas and The Simpsons Game, are free as long as you buy a drink at the bar first.

While I don’t mind a bit of solo gaming from time to time, arcades are meant to be played with a party of at least two. And so I brought a guest for the occasion and headed for the Mario Kart.

Having grown up in the late-90s and early 2000s sitting behind the wheel looking at the boxy graphics brought me right back to the turn of the millennium when I used to beg my mum for coins to spend at the local arcade hall.

After beating my guest at Mario Kart, we headed over to one of my all-time favourites: Guitar Hero. And while I can safely say that I can shred my way through Black Sabbath’s “Paranoid”, I still can’t get past the intro of The Strokes’ “Reptilia” on Hard difficulty.

We spent our remaining tokens to Dance Dance Revolution and some classic arcade machines including a zombie shooter game and some motorcycle racing - which, admittedly, we were both awful at.

There is enough to do here to merit more than one visit. Our two hours spent at NQ64 saw us try a fraction of the amazing selection of games, and I’m already planning my second visit. I refuse to give up on my rock star dreams.