Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Retro Room?
The Retro Room is Belfast's first vintage video arcade premise. We've a wide selection of 70s, 80s and 90s original arcade cabinets, classic consoles, terrific tabletop games and some oddities too. We're striving for the 80s arcade atmosphere that those of us of a certain vintage remember fondly and that the kids have seen in Stranger Things. We think we've nailed it, we hope you agree!
What are the opening hours?
Currently the Retro Room is open to the public on the following days:
Friday 11am - 11pm
Saturday 11am - 11pm
Sunday 12pm - 8pm
Do I need to book ahead?
On our public days you don't need to book ahead however for our Special Events some will require booking ahead. We always send our special events details to our mailing list members first so make sure you're signed up to get first dibs on those tickets!
Such as our first Halloween Spooktacular over the Halloween weekend...
Where is Cityside?
Some of you might still call it Yorkgate. Here's how to find us
How does The Retro Room work and what does it cost?
Public Entry
First off, no coins are required we think that's just daft in this day and age and card readers to play these games are a rip off too. £1 or £2 for a game that typically lasts minutes isn't for us! We want you to have fun, not leave disappointed.
Instead you'll buy a ticket at the door and pay by the hour. Our introductory pricing is £7 per hour or £25 for an all day ticket (up to 12 hours of gaming goodness, come and go as you please!) Of course all of the games, consoles etc will be free to play once inside. That's it, no extras we promise!
Private Hire
The private hire of the arcade will cost £50 per head for a three hour session and you'll need a minimum of 10 people in your party. Bookings will be online or in person and in sessions (eg 11pm - 2pm, 2pm - 5pm etc). At the moment we're working off a maximum capacity of 50 people per booking however this will change in the coming weeks as we're launching an area outside the unit also. Consider it a conservative estimate at this point!
Bring your own will be a-okay for private events however there is a great bar and eateries on the premises at Cityside if you want to make a day or night of it! Obviously anyone consuming alcohol needs to be 18+ or we'll send the Chase HQ guys after you!
Private hire will launch from the 30th of September.
Age Policy
We'd really encourage that kids are 8+ (mostly because they need to be tall enough to play the games on a wee stool) but we won't have a strict limit. All kids under 12 must be accompanied by an adult. Our detailed venue policy is here
Is there parking?
Yep there's tons of parking at Cityside! Around 1000 car parking spaces in fact.
Mon – Fri: Up to 5 hours free parking, for customers whilst on site only.
Sat - Sun: All day free parking.
Is it close to the city centre?
Yep in fact we timed it! It's just over a 6 minute walk from the Cathedral Quarter or University of Ulster. It's a three minute drive or taxi ride. We're also right beside York Street Station so have excellent train links.
What types of games can I expect?
We have more than 50 vintage arcade games currently in as original as possible cabinets. We're 80s kids so we love the 80s games we remember from the arcades we hung out in but we're partial to a 90s machine or two as well. Expect big shooters a la Point Blank, drivers like Enduro Racer and Sega Rally, stone cold classics like WWF Superstars, Wonderboy, R-Type and others as well as a few curve balls.
We've a range of consoles too from weird and wacky very early Pong-a-likes to Master Systems, Megadrives, SNES, Dreamcasts, Xboxes and others and we'll always try to do something you can't do at home like our GIGANTIC Guitar Hero and others.
We'll also have a gaming area for tabletop games at the front of the arcade. We'll have tabletop classics from days gone past like Rock Em Sock Em Robots, Battleships, Operation as well as some more modern classics like Carooka and Binho as well as many more.
There'll no doubt be a tabletop football game or ten kicking around and a Subbuteo table too if Marty has his way! (hint there will be. Marty)
Are they really vintage arcade games?
They are, scout's honour. We don't buy Arcade 1Ups from Argos and call them retro machines. We're recreating the arcades of our youth from 1986 not a hipster's garage from 2021!
Can I hire the arcade for a private party?
Yep, private hire of the arcade for birthdays, stags and hens, corporate entertainment and more will be available Monday - Thursday each week. This will be booked in three hour sessions. Our private hires will start from the end of September. If you know your date already drop us an email to hello@retroroombelfast.com and we'll be happy to help.
Is it licensed to sell alcohol?
There's barcades (Arcade Club, NQ64 etc) and then there's arcades like they were back in the 80s. We wanted as authentic an 80s experience as possible and wanted it to be friendly to kids and teenagers also, they need somewhere to go too like we had when we were their age. Saying that there's a great bar just across the floor at Gallahers with pool, darts, football and a full range of beers, ciders and more.
Who's behind the Retro Room?
We're Marty and Cathy, two 70s and 80s kids with a passion for retro gaming. We've been thinking about opening a retro arcade in Belfast since we met in the early 2000s and now, we have!
How can I stay updated?
Join our mailing list or follow us on social media for timely updates on our events, new games as they arrive, 80s metal, the wonders of kale, football board games (what else) and so much more.