Best Pubs in London

London has over 3,500 pubs — from historic coaching inns to Victorian gin palaces to modern craft beer bars — and the gap between a great pub and a mediocre one is significant. Here's how to find the good ones.

What to Look For

The hallmarks of a good London pub: real ale on handpump (cask-conditioned beer, served at cellar temperature), a mix of locals and visitors rather than exclusively tourists, original Victorian or older features where they survive, and a landlord or staff who know their regulars. Avoid anywhere with touts outside, menus laminated in plastic, or a doorman in a branded jacket — these are almost universally tourist traps serving expensive mediocre beer.

Historic Pubs Worth Visiting

The Lamb & Flag in Covent Garden (17th century, low ceilings, no piped music — one of the genuinely old ones in an area full of replicas). The Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese off Fleet Street (rebuilt 1667 after the Great Fire, with multiple bars on multiple levels descending underground). The George Inn in Southwark (a National Trust property and London's last surviving galleried coaching inn, 17th century). The Prospect of Whitby in Wapping (claims a history from 1520, reliable riverside terrace).

Riverside Pubs

The Dove in Hammersmith (tiny, famous, riverside terrace), the Anchor Bankside in Southwark (great views, mixed reviews for the beer), the Mayflower in Rotherhithe (near where the Pilgrim Fathers embarked). All have the view; quality of beer and food varies — the Dove is the most reliably good.

Great Beer Pubs

The Harp in Covent Garden (CAMRA Pub of the Year, extraordinary real ale selection in a tiny room), The Wenlock Arms in Hoxton (no-frills beer pub with a serious rotating cask list), Craft Beer Co. (several branches, very wide draught craft selection).

Tips

• Order at the bar — this is British pub culture. Don't wait at a table for someone to come to you unless table service is clearly indicated.
• The Harp in Covent Garden is the best real ale pub in central London — not glamorous, very good.
• Avoid any pub with a doorman in a branded jacket — you'll pay double for worse beer.
• Sunday lunchtime is the best time to experience British pub culture — the Sunday roast and a pint.