Summary

• London is home to over 3,500 pubs; 11 London boroughs actually gained pubs in 2024 even as closures accelerated nationwide.
• London has some of the oldest continuously operating pubs (featured in our list), but it’s not the birthplace of the earliest British drinking houses, which were established in villages by Roman settlers.
• Central boroughs like Westminster, Camden, Islington, and Southwark continue to be pub heartlands, with hundreds of venues.
• The capital’s pub scene ranges from historic boozers to modern gastropubs, craft beer dens, and large-format social spaces.
• Londoners today are open to premium alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, bold new beer choices, and better food.
• Whether you’re after a legendary ale, plant-based small plates, or an iconic venue for the ‘gram, this guide to the best pubs in London highlights the truly unique London pubs worth seeking out.

Note: All information was correct at the time of publishing but may be subject to change.

When you’re on the lookout for a truly special pub, you’re not after just a pint or fish and chips; you want a story. The best pubs in London are living stories of the city’s culture, full of their own eccentricities, legends, and loyal crowds.

So, whether you crave a legendary cask ale, a riverside sunset, or a conversation in a snug that’s older than your family tree, this list of London’s best pubs is for you.

How We Selected our 10 Must Visit Pubs in London

We considered the following factors to rank them:

• closeness to central London, as that’s where most people look for interesting pubs to add enjoyment to their visits or daily life;
• authentic uniqueness whether in history, theme, architecture, or awards;
• outstanding drinks selection or food reputation;
• local and national acclaim (including CAMRA, Michelin, or press);
• and the kind of atmosphere that welcomes both regulars and newcomers.

Also read: 10 Best Singles Bars in London To Mingle This Year

1. The Harwood Arms, Fulham – London’s Only Michelin-Starred Pub with 4.6 ★ on Google | 1,600 Reviews

 

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The Harwood Arms is London’s only Michelin-starred pub. This legendary Fulham backstreet venue is renowned for seasonal British “comfort food” that’s as refined as any top restaurant but served in a classic, dog-friendly Victorian pub.

Key Info:

Price Range (Drinks) – Draught pints £7–£7.50; cask ales £7; wine by the glass from £10–£31, bottles £40–£1,000+; spirits £8–£45 per 50ml; soft drinks £4–£6

Food Options – Michelin-level seasonal British menu; venison Scotch eggs, wild game, Cornish seafood, signature roasts, and superb desserts; bar snacks plus a la carte dining available

Address – Walham Grove, Fulham, London, SW6 1QP

Why Visit

• London’s only Michelin-starred pub; world-class food with a true pub soul
• Game-focused, seasonal menus; changing dishes highlight British produce
• Dog-friendly, relaxed vibe; classic pub atmosphere meets destination dining

2. The Harp, Covent Garden – CAMRA National Pub of the Year Winner with 4.6 ★ on Google | 3,598 Reviews

 

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A fiercely traditional, beer-first London pub and the first in the capital to win CAMRA National Pub of the Year, The Harp is a narrow, Victorian-era ale house devoted entirely to conversation, cask beer, and proper pub culture.

Key Info:

Price Range (Drinks) – Pints typically £5–£6 despite its central location; specialty or stronger brews slightly higher; widely regarded as excellent value for Zone 1

Food Options – Snack-focused rather than meals; hot sausages served in baps or baguettes plus classic pub snacks like pork pies, scotch eggs, crisps, and pickled eggs

Address – 47 Chandos Place, Covent Garden, London, WC2N 4HS

Why Visit

• Elite real ale and cider; 8–10 rotating cask ales plus one of the West End’s strongest traditional cider and perry selections
• Distraction-free pub culture; no TVs, no music, no football, just conversation and atmosphere
• CAMRA National Pub of the Year, Evening Standard Best Pub in London, and London Cider Pub of the Year

3. Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese, Fleet Street (City of London) – A 1667 Great Fire Survivor with 4.4 ★ on Google | 6,827 Reviews

 

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Rebuilt in 1667 after the Great Fire, Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese is one of London’s most atmospheric historic pubs. It’s a labyrinth of wood-panelled rooms, low ceilings, sawdust floors, and deep vaulted cellars.

Key Info:

Price Range (Drinks) – Pints typically £4–£5 due to Samuel Smith’s Brewery pricing; notably good value for the City of London

Food Options – Traditional British chop-house cooking; steak and kidney suet pudding, chops, fish and chips, Sunday roasts, and classic cellar-bar snacks

Address – 145 Fleet Street, Wine Office Court, London, EC4A 2BP

Why Visit

• Drink in 17th century spaces dating back to the Great Fire era and even earlier monastic cellars
• Associated with Dickens, Dr Johnson, Conan Doyle, Mark Twain, and W B Yeats
• Unfiltered old-world atmosphere; no music, no TVs, no Wi-Fi, just fireplaces, history, and conversation

4. The George Inn, Southwark (Borough) – London’s Last Galleried Coaching Inn with 4.3 ★ on Google | 7,095 Reviews

The George Inn offers a rare glimpse into how travellers drank and stayed in the age of horse-drawn transport. It was rebuilt in 1676, is now Grade I listed, and London’s last surviving galleried coaching inn.

Key Info: 

Price Range (Drinks) – Pints generally £7.00–£7.80; cocktails around £14; pricing reflects landmark status and central location

Food Options – Full traditional British menu; pies, fish and chips, steaks, generous Sunday roasts, plus vegetarian and vegan options

Address – The George Inn Yard, 77 Borough High Street, Southwark, London, SE1 1NH

Why Visit

• The only remaining galleried inn in London with wooden balconies and a cobbled courtyard
• National Trust landmark: preserved as one of the most historically important pubs in the country
• Courtyard experience: large outdoor space that becomes one of Borough’s liveliest drinking spots

5. The Grenadier, Belgravia – London’s Most Famous Haunted Pub with 4.6 ★ on Google | 2,552 Reviews

Relax and spend your Sunday with us. pic.twitter.com/p56SujuwqZ

— The Grenadier (@GrenadierPub) July 31, 2022

Hidden in a cobbled mews near Belgrave Square, The Grenadier began life in 1720 as an officers’ mess for the Foot Guards and remains one of London’s most characterful and secretive historic pubs.

Key Info: 

Price Range (Drinks) – Lower mid-range ££; premium ales, well-chosen wines, and classic spirits

Food Options – Proper British pub cooking; famous beef Wellington, seasonal mains, strong Sunday roasts, and traditional puddings

Address – 18 Wilton Row, Belgravia, London, SW1X 7NR

Why Visit

• Haunted-pub legend; home to the ghost of Cedric, one of London’s most famous pub hauntings
• Banknotes pinned by visitors to “settle Cedric’s debt” create a unique visual spectacle
• Regimental history, memorabilia, and a timeless gentlemen’s-club atmosphere

6. The French House, Soho – An Iconic ‘Half-Pint’ Bohemian Landmark with 4.5 ★ on Google | 1.9k Reviews

 

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A Grade II–listed Soho institution founded in 1891, The French House is one of London’s most culturally important pubs. It is famous for its fiercely protected bohemian spirit and WWII history. It became a magnet for French expats living in London because it was known to serve wine, an uncommon tipple in Britain at the time. The pub then came to be known unofficially as the ‘French house’, but it was only in 1984 that it started to use the appellation officially.

Key Info: 

Price Range (Drinks) – Lower price category for the bar; beer served only in half-pints; wine bottles roughly £50–£150 in the upstairs dining room, 30 types of champagne on offer and a wine list that will satisfy the most fastidious oenophile

Food Options – Serious French bistro cooking upstairs; seasonal, hand-written menu; steak frites, salt cod beignets, braised ox cheek, aligot, and fresh madeleines

Address – 49 Dean Street, Soho, London, W1D 5BG

Why Visit

• HQ for Charles de Gaulle and the Free French during WWII; literary and artistic haunt for Dylan Thomas, Francis Bacon, and Lucian Freud
• No music, no screens, no phones, and half-pints only, creating a rare conversation-first pub environment
• French food compared to Michelin-starred kitchens

7. The Audley Public House, Mayfair – The Art-Filled Mayfair Revival with 4.3 ★ on Google | 1,437 Reviews

 

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Dating back to 1730 and rebuilt in 1888 by the architect of Lord’s Cricket Ground, The Audley is a historic Mayfair pub reimagined as an art-led social hub.

Key Info: 

Price Range (Drinks) – Pints around £7.25; wine from £9.50 per glass and £39–£125 per bottle; Champagne up to £125

Food Options – Elevated British pub cooking using produce from the group’s Somerset farm; oysters, Scotch eggs, pies, fish and chips, and highly regarded Sunday roasts

Address – 41–43 Mount Street, London, W1K 2RX

Why Visit

• Recognised in the Guinness Harp Guide as one of London’s best pours
• Features a striking site-specific ceiling artwork by Phyllida Barlow
• No reservations, live pianist on weekends, and a polished yet relaxed crowd

8. The Dove, Hammersmith – Home to the World’s Smallest Bar with 4.5 ★ on Google | 2,905 Reviews

The Dove is an iconic Grade II–listed riverside pub dating to the early 17th century. It’s been owned by Fuller’s since 1796 and famed for its “ye olde worlde” charm and its Guinness World Record–holding smallest bar in the world, tucked into a snug just four feet by seven.

Key Info: 

Price Range (Drinks) – Generally, on the higher side for West London; pints average £6.23; focus on Fuller’s cask ales, house classics, and contemporary craft brews

Food Options – Refined pub classics made fresh daily; highlights include fish & chips, seafood linguine, brisket burgers, and changing seasonal specials, with food served noon to 9/9:30pm

Address – 19 Upper Mall, Hammersmith, London, W6 9TA

Why Visit

• The smallest bar room in the world, complete with flood marker and historic plaque
• Linked to Charles II and the creation of “Rule Britannia,” plus centuries of colourful tales
• Multilevel outdoor space with some of London’s most beautiful Thames views—especially for the Boat Race or sunset pints

9. The Red Lion, Westminster – The Ultimate Politicians’ Pub with 4.2 ★ on Google | 5,260 Reviews

 

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The Red Lion is a Grade II–listed Victorian pub in Westminster with tavern history on this site since at least 1434. It is now the ultimate “politicians’ pub” at the epicentre of UK power, just steps from Parliament and Downing Street.

Key Info: 

Price Range (Drinks) – Mid-range for central London; pints £6–£7, with Fuller’s London Pride at £5.95 and Guinness at £7.05; cocktails from £11 and house wine from £7 per glass

Food Options – Fuller’s Ale & Pie collection; hand-crafted pies with mash and gravy, beer-battered fish & chips, creative snacks like Haggis Scotch eggs and Marmite roast potatoes, plus generous Sunday roasts

Address – 48 Parliament Street, London, SW1A 2NH

Why Visit

• Legendary haunt of MPs, ministers, and journalists, with a real Parliamentary division bell
• Served every British Prime Minister until Edward Heath, as well as Charles Dickens
• Three floors of ornate interiors, bar-backs, etched glass, and rare political memorabilia

10. The Churchill Arms, Kensington/Notting Hill – A Stunning Flower-Covered Pub with 4.5 ★ on Google | 8,267 Reviews

 

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Dating to 1750, The Churchill Arms is a wildly eccentric London landmark, famous for its overflowing floral displays, a riot of Churchill memorabilia, and the unique blend of classic British pub and London’s first-ever Thai kitchen.

Key Info: 

Price Range (Drinks) – Average pint in the area is £6.73; spirits (e.g., double Maker’s Mark) just over £11; Thai Iced Tea £4.95; considered reasonable for the area given the setting

Food Options – London’s first Thai pub kitchen; Pad Thai, curries, roast duck, and authentic Thai specialties (£14–£16); traditional desserts like apple pie and chocolate cake

Address – 119 Kensington Church Street, London, W8 7LN

Why Visit

• Spends £25k+ annually on flowers, Chelsea Flower Show winner, 80+ Christmas trees in winter
• Part museum, part local legend, with a cardboard Winston watching over the bar
• The only pub in London that feels like a botanical garden, WWII museum, and Thai café all at once

So, London’s pub scene is endlessly surprising, and these ten stand out for all the right reasons. Whether you’re visiting London’s top places as a tourist or thinking of moving here, the above listed pubs are not to be missed! 

If you think more pubs should be added to this list of the best pubs in London, write to us.

Author Profile

Manuela WillboldOnline Media & PR Strategist

As a London-based Chief Marketing Officer at the digital marketing agency ClickDo Ltd I blog regularly about London, lifestyle, technology, business and many more topics.

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