I Learned to Play Ping Pong and Had Some Great Eats at This Funky New Bar in Boston, Massachusetts

I have to admit that I’ve never been much of a ping-pong player. While I have joined in on a few rounds in friend’s basements or neighborhood bars over the years, ping-pong was never a sport that I excelled at (although, in all honesty, I don’t really excel at any sports). However, whenever I hit the ball around with friends, I always have fun. So, when I recently found out about a funky ping-pong entertainment venue called SPIN Boston, I decided that it was time to give the game another try.

Last week, my husband and I braved the bitter New England cold and headed into the city for a date night at SPIN Boston. The bar is located on the edge of the bustling Seaport District and is just a short walk from the South Station T-stop.

We quickly located SPIN halfway down Melcher Street. We walked in and were greeted by a lively environment full of neon lights, cool murals, and vibrant decor. The sounds of bouncing ping pong balls filled the air and we could smell delicious food being served up to hungry guests. This was definitely not the ping-pong experience that I remembered. 

I’m not sure what I originally envisioned, but SPIN Boston takes ping pong to a whole new level. First of all, this place is massive. There are seemingly neverending rooms full of Olympic-grade ping-pong tables, fully-stocked bars, and cozy dining spots. The venue also has some cool, private areas where you can host a corporate event or party. The entire space is focused on having fun and being social. 

We checked in at the front desk and our friendly hostess led us over to our individual gaming area which included a ping-pong table, couch, and a dining space. It was situated right across from one of the bars, which was extra convenient. The space could easily hold a bunch of people, but since it was only the two of us, we had lots of extra room (which turned out to be a good thing, because we sent several ping-pong balls flying off the table).

Before we started playing, we decided to order our meal. The beverage menu was made up of some amazing craft cocktails, beer, wine, and non-alcoholic beverages. I opted for a Margherita and my husband went with the exotic “Marty Reisman" cocktail. Food choices included fresh farm-to-table starters, pizza, sandwiches, and shareable dishes.

After our cocktails were delivered, it was time for some ping-pong. It took me a few minutes to warm up, but I actually got the hang of the game rather quickly. My husband even told me, “You know, honey, you are not terrible.” I decided to take this as a compliment. After a while, we were hitting shots like we were pros. The best part was that we didn’t even have to chase any of the runaway balls. If we overshot, we just grabbed another ball from one of the overflowing buckets at our station. Every so often, a staff member came by with a professional ball scooper and placed the little orange balls right back in our buckets.

We worked up quite an appetite after completing a fierce first match. Luckily, it was time to eat. While I am always a bit skeptical about bar food, I have to say that everything we ordered was top-notch. I quickly devoured my signature SPIN burger and fries and my share of our loaded tostones appetizer. My husband’s pork belly bao buns were as equally delicious. 

After eating all that food, our stomachs were stuffed, but we still ended up playing another match. We even got to try out some of SPIN's pro paddles. We didn’t keep score, but with my new-found mad ping-pong skills, I’m sure I was the winner.

Then, it was off to explore the rest of the venue. Several couples and groups of friends were participating in their own ping pong games in various areas of the establishment. While the cold temps kept the place quieter on this particular night, we could easily see how the venue fills up quickly on busier afternoons and evenings. Along with the ping-pong tables, guests can enjoy games like Giant Uno, Jenga, and Connect Four. The venue often hosts special theme nights and specials, and on the weekends, the high-energy vibes amp up as a house DJ entertains the crowd.

We ended our visit by posing in the signature ping-pong bathtub and ducking in the photo booth for a souvenir picture. Our visit to SPIN Boston turned out to be such a fun experience. It definitely got me reconsidering the game of ping-pong. We will return with friends and family soon for more competitive fun and amazing food and drinks.

Have you paid a visit to SPIN Boston? Where else do you go to play ping-pong or other games? More information about this incredible venue can be found on the SPIN Boston website and the SPIN Boston Facebook page. For even more entertainment in the Seaport District, be sure to check out the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema and the newly-opened Museum of Ice Cream. And if you are visiting the area with kids, SPIN Boston is always a fun stop after a visit to the nearby Boston Children's Museum and the Boston Tea Party Ships and Museum.