UK Pubs: London Pubs
Pubs in London, South East England
London has thousands of pubs, around 3,500, in fact. Visitors should try to visit at least one London pub on their trip to the capital to sample a uniquely British experience.
The quintessential British pastime of dropping into the "local" for a pint of beer is a great way to soak up the character of the different villages that collectively form the city of London.
As the capital's bars and clubs have mushroomed over the past two decades, the traditional pub may have lost some of its pulling power, but you'll still find yourself in the best place to catch the area's gossip and sports talk - and, of course, enjoy the finest beers and whiskies in the world.
All around London you'll find traditional pubs with bizarre-sounding names like "The Dog and Duck".
Some may actually be chain pubs, mass marketed to get tourists in who want an "authentic" British pub experience and it can be hard to tell the difference from the outside.
Although the tourist areas like Covent Garden, Leicester Square, Piccadilly and The Strand are clogged with a variety of pubs, it doesn't hurt to get off-the-beaten path in order to find your true British pub experience.
The general opening hours of British pubs from are noon until 11 pm, although recent changes to licensing laws mean that many pubs in London will stay open later.
A great area for sampling London pubs is Holborn (central London), which has an abundance of 19th-century style drinking dens. Of these the Princess Louise is the pick of the bunch - a temple of etched glass, bar lamps and wooden panels.
A recent refit has somehow made the place feel even more authentic, with drinkers partitioned off into their own private spaces. Make sure to check out the beautiful gentleman's toilets. They are actually listed as an architectural treasure.
Due to the capital's expansive public transport system of the underground, buses and trains workers are still able to go to the pub after work and get home without having to drive.
London Gastro Pubs
Over the last decade London has witnessed the proliferation of so-called "gastropubs" - the perfect combination of a British pub and haute cuisine. British pubs used to have a reputation for serving up awful food. The idea of the gastropub has really changed this, dragging pub dining out of the nineteenth century and into the twenty-first.
See a listing of good pubs in London.
The Aeronaut, Acton, West London
The Aeronaut is a recently opened half-pub-half-circus in Acton, west London. It replaced The Redback, which closed down in 2012. The place combines a classic pub with a cabaret and circus, situated in one half of the building.
The pub is on Acton High Street close to Acton Park and Acton Central overground station. Acton Town (on the Piccadilly Line) is the nearest tube station. Numerous London buses pass near to the pub including the E3, 9, 14, 70 and 207.
264 Acton High Street, London, W3 9BH
Tel: 020 8993 4242
The Bloomsbury Tavern, Holborn
The Bloomsbury Tavern on Shaftesbury Avenue in the heart of London's theatre district dates back to 1856. Originally known as the Black Lion, it was renamed in 1905. Legend has it that the pub was the last watering hole for condemned prisoners on their way to execution at Tyburn Tree in Marble Arch from Newgate Prison, once located where the present Old Bailey stands. Other pubs in the area also claim that rather grim distinction, however. The pub is halfway between Holborn and Tottenham Court Road tube stations.
236 Shaftesbury Avenue, London, WC2H 8EG
Tel: 020 7379 9811
Blue Anchor, Hammersmith
The Blue Anchor in Hammersmith also in west London is a very popular gastropub on the north bank of the River Thames.
It first opened in June 1722 and is located in what was the original village of Hammer Smith, and was one of the first public houses in the area, shortly followed by the Dove which is just a short walk westward along the river.
It serves a wide array of food and drink, both of which are of a very high quality.
13 Lower Mall, Hammersmith, London W6 9DJ
Tel: 020 3951 0580
The Cambridge
The Cambridge on the corner of Charing Cross Road and Moor Street is right next to the Palace Theatre. The Cambridge is popular with both theatergoers and the actors and staff of theatres in the area.
Along with some fine real ales, The Cambridge serves a full English breakfast, afternoon tea and Sunday roast.
The pub is a 3 minute walk from Leicester Square tube station and is close to Soho, Covent Garden and the gay enclave around Old Compton Street.
93 Charing Cross Road, London WC2H 0DP
Tel: 0207 494 0338
Crown & Anchor
The Crown & Anchor on the corner of Neal Street and Shelton Street in the Seven Dials area of the Covent Garden district is a popular pub with theatergoers, shoppers, tourists and workers in this lively area of the English capital.
There are downstairs and ground floor bars with the upper floor available for private functions. This free house pub serves a selection of British cask ales, continental lagers and serves British classics such as beer battered fish and chips, sausage and mash and a range of succulent pies.
The nearest tube station is Covent Garden Station and the pub is within easy reach of a number of London's attractions including Leicester Square, the British Museum, Trafalgar Square and The National Portrait Gallery.
22 Neal Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2H 9PS
Tel: 020 7836 5649
Dublin Castle
The Dublin Castle on Parkway is a pub and music venue in Camden Town. The pub was built for Irish labourers working on the nearby railway, hence the name. The Dublin Castle is associated with various bands, in particular, Madness. Both Blur and Travis played here and Amy Whitehouse was a frequent guest. Camden Town tube and Camden Road overground are the nearest stations.
94 Parkway, Camden, London NW1 7AN
Tel: 020 7485 1773
The Fitzroy Tavern
The Fitzroy Tavern in the Fitzrovia district of London is probably named after the Fitzroy family, the Dukes of Grafton, who owned much of the land here.
It opened first as a coffee house before becoming a pub in 1887, four years later. It was a regular watering hole for such artists and writers as George Orwell, Jacob Epstein, Nina Hamnett, Dylan Thomas, and Augustus John. It retains its Victorian interior which was tastefully refurbished in 2015.
16 Charlotte Street, London W1T 2NA
Tel: 020 7580 3714
George and Dragon, Acton
The George and Dragon is one of the oldest buildings, and the oldest pub, in Acton, having been established in the 17th century. It still has its original wooden beams and stone fireplace.
Unfortunately, the pub is squashed between Acton's betting shops, pound shops and even empty shops, but it still manages to maintain its place on the High Street, attracting a huge variety of customers.
The pub is very accessible by London Underground, from Acton Town, Chiswick Park, Turnham Green and Ealing Common stations. It is also very close to Acton Central overground station and the 207, 607, 427, 266, 70 and E3 bus stops.
183 Acton Lane, London W3 9DJ
Tel: 020 8992 3712
George Inn, Southwark
The George Inn in Southwark is on Borough High Street on the south side of the River Thames near London Bridge.
The pub dates from the medieval period. Currently owned and leased by the National Trust, The George Inn is the only surviving galleried London coaching inn.
'The George' was one of many famous coaching inns in Charles Dickens' time. In fact, Dickens visited The George and referred to it in his novel Little Dorrit. William Shakespeare also visited as the Globe Theatre was nearby.
London Bridge on the Jubilee and Northern lines is the closest tube station. Further south is Borough on the Northern Line. Several London buses run along Borough High Street including the numbers 9, 35, 56, and 148.
75-77 Borough High Street, Southwark, London SE1 1NH
Tel: 020 7407 2056
The Holly Bush, Hampstead
The Holly Bush in Holly Mount, Hampstead in north London is a historic pub. Originally a house dating from the late 18th century, and then used as Assembly Rooms for Hampstead's wealthy citizens, the first pub here dates from 1928. Since 2010, The Holly Bush has been owned by Fuller's.
The wood-paneled interior of the pub is an atmospheric place to eat and drink and The Holly Bush has gained a growing reputation for its fine beer, wine, and food.
22 Holly Mount, Hampstead, London NW3 6SG
Tel: 020 7435 2892
Horse & Groom, Belgravia
The Horse & Groom in Belgravia, not far from Buckingham Palace and Hyde Park Corner in London, is a delightful pub in a typical mews street in the area.
The Horse & Groom serves excellent food washed down with Shepherd Neame ales including Spitfire and a selection of fine wines, spirits and ciders.
Or drop in for a coffee and a read of the daily newspapers.
7 Groom Place, Belgravia, London SW1X 7BA
Tel: 0207 235 6980
The Finsbury
The Finsbury pub in Manor House, north London is a live music venue that hosts regular comedy nights as well as gigs, and also serves fantastic food.
The list of acts that have played the Finsbury's stage is extensive, and most recently includes some of the most exciting new names in the London music scene.
The nearest tube station is Manor House on the Piccadilly Line.
336 Green Lanes, London N4 1BY
Tel: 020 8809 1142
Nags Head
There has been a pub called the Nags Head at the present site on James Street in Covent Garden since 1670. The present Grade II listed building dates from 1900. A few yards from Covent Garden tube station and the piazza this McMullen owned pub offers fine food from midday to 8 pm and a range of McMullen beers. McMullen are a family-owned brewery in Hertfordshire.
10 James Street, Covent Garden, London WC2E 8BT
Tel: 0207 836 4678
The Sherlock Holmes
The Sherlock Holmes just south of Trafalgar Square and the National Gallery on Northumberland Street is a popular pub chock-full of Holmes' memorabilia. The menu includes favourites such as fish and chips and a Sunday roast as well as vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options. There's a beer garden and Greene King ales on tap. Charing Cross is the nearest station.
Spaniards Inn, Hampstead
The Spaniards Inn near Hampstead Heath and Kenwood House in north London is an historic pub. The first pub here dates from 1585, in fact.
The place has many literary connections. Both the poets John Keats and Lord Byron were among the clientele. Indeed, Keats is said to have composed Ode to a Nightingale in the pleasant garden at the back.
Bram Stoker of Dracula fame found inspiration here and the artist Joshua Reynolds drank at The Spaniards, too. The pub is also famously mentioned in Charles Dickens' novel The Pickwick Papers.
The nearest tube stations are Golders Green and Archway both some distance away. Golders Green Station is about 20 minutes on foot. Archway Station also on the Northern Line is 40 minutes away walking past Highgate Cemetery.
Hampstead, London NW3 7JJ
Tel: 020 8731 8406
Princess Louise
The Princess Louise in High Holborn central London dates from 1872 and is known for its beautifully ornate interior which is from the 1890s. An original London gin palace, the building is Grade II listed even down to the gents' marble urinals. There's a lot to admire here including the stained glass, brass, and mosaic floors.
Look out too for the snob screens - etched glass planes that allowed more upper-class drinkers to gaze at the working class section without being seen.
The pub's wood-paneled booths allow for an atmospheric and private night out. If it gets too crowded downstairs there is more room upstairs and also a few tables and chairs outside.
The pub is presently run by Samuel Smith and thus has a no music and no mobile phone policy.
Princess Louise, 208 High Holborn, WC1V 7EP
Tel: 0207 405 8816
Queen's Head, Chiswick
The Queen's Head is a popular pub in Chiswick, west London, known for the excellence of its food.
The establishment was originally opened as The Queen's Head in 1722, but was rebuilt in brick as the Hole in the Wall in 1925.
The Hole in the Wall became The Smokehouse for a short time and has now gone back to its original name.
With a wide range of lunches, dinners, children's meals and beverages, including an impressive wine list, on offer, the Queen's Head is a perfect place for all the family, including dogs, as the garden is spacious and welcoming. Your dog will even be treated to his/her very own refreshment.
The pub is a 10-minute walk from Gunnersbury Station on the District Line and North London overground line.
12 Sutton Lane North, Chiswick, London W4 4LD
Tel: 020 3819 6066
Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese
The Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese was rebuilt shortly after the Great Fire of London in 1666. There has been a pub at this location since 1538. Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese is notable for its lack of natural lighting inside which produces a sort of gloomy charm.
Inside posted plaques show famous people who were once regulars in their day. Several famous literary figures are associated with the pub including: Mark Twain, Oliver Goldsmith, Alfred Tennyson, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and Dr. Samuel Johnson, who lived nearby.
Charles Dickens was also known to visit the establishment frequently and it was famously alluded to in Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities.
The pub is currently operated by the Samuel Smith Brewery.
Blackfriars tube station is seven minutes on foot while the pub is even closer to City Thameslink Station.
Wine Office Court, 145 Fleet Street, London EC4A 2BU
Tel: 020 7353 6170
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