Games, drinks, and tentacles – Fond memories made in Taverna

When I first entered Taverna, a board game café close to the railway station, my initial thought was: “Is that Cthulhu above the counter?” I had never been in a board game café before, and I was surprised by how well the place was decorated with games in mind. Another thing that surprised me was the amount of board games. Meters and meters of bookshelves filled up, by the window, by the roof… games all around.

The environment at Taverna was inspiring, to say the least. Do you know that generic tavern music from a role-playing game? That flute was playing in the café. Listening to that music I had a feeling that if I had arrived at that café with a barbarian, a half-elf, and a dwarf, it would have been a completely normal Tuesday. The barkeep would have a quest for us: “There are several huge rats ravaging our village. There’s a reward for slaying them.” As I was imagining an exclamation point above the barkeep’s head, he asked what I would like to order – a bit less exciting a question than I had in mind. Yet, I ordered a soft drink and headed to our table.

We were a group of five friends. Some of us had played board games for years whereas some had little to no experience beforehand. We were sitting there like Sir Arthur and the knights of the, well, regular table. Deciding on a game is too big of a task for me, so I retreated to a unisex loo. There I was greeted with a text that said: “Winter is coming.” We’re in Finland after all, Jon the toilet wall, so you’re not wrong. Winter is always coming.

Returning to our table, I saw that there were multiple games chosen, almost one per player. There was something casual, something party, a bit of strategy, and a tad of bluffing. Taverna has, according to themselves, over 600 board and card games for all ages and skill levels. Whether that is an exaggeration or not, there was a whole lot to choose from, and we found the ones fitting our group. A table reservation lasts four hours, and what a great four hours we had.

For a regular student, I have quite a few board games at home. However, I visit Taverna every now and then because apart from the fun times, there is also a benefit. If I find myself eyeing a board game in a store or on BoardGameGeek, I always check if Taverna has it – and usually they do. It costs less to test the game in there, and it’s easier to decide whether the game is for me or not by playing it. (Who would have guessed?)

Time has passed and my Lovecraftian understanding has gotten better so that I don’t mix up Cthulhu and some random octopus. Our group of friends is still around, and we visit Taverna from time to time, always trying something new and taking a rematch in some games we have played earlier. This café has a special place in my heart, even though I have suffered many excruciating defeats there.

 

Pictures: From Taverna, taken by the author.

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