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The 12 Best Pubs in London (2026)

Updated October 2026 · 12 picks

The best pubs in London in 2026 are Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese on Fleet Street, the galleried George Inn in Borough, the Lamb & Flag in Covent Garden, the flower-covered Churchill Arms in Kensington and the Holly Bush in Hampstead. For a riverside pint, go to the Mayflower in Rotherhithe or the Prospect of Whitby in Wapping.

London pubs have no table service as a rule: order and pay at the bar, and food is ordered there too unless a sign says otherwise. Most open around 11am or noon and close about 11pm, earlier on Sundays, and the City pubs can be quiet or even shut at weekends. For a proper meal, see our guides to the best Sunday roasts and fish and chips.

1. Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese — Fleet Street, The City

A warren of dark, fire-lit rooms rebuilt the year after the Great Fire of 1667.

$ Budget

Down a narrow alley off Fleet Street, the Cheshire Cheese is a maze of low-ceilinged, wood-panelled bars and vaulted cellars that has been serving drinkers since it was rebuilt in 1667. Sawdust, open fires and sagging beams make it feel like the London of Dickens and Dr Johnson, both of whom are linked with the place.

It is a Samuel Smith's pub, so the beer is all from the Yorkshire brewery and noticeably cheaper than most of central London. Head downstairs to the cellar bars, which are atmospheric and usually less crowded than the front rooms.

Good to know: Samuel Smith's house rules frown on phones and laptops in the bar — leave them in your pocket.

145 Fleet Street, London EC4A 2BU

Google Maps

2. The George Inn — Borough

London's last galleried coaching inn, owned by the National Trust.

$$ Mid-range

The George is the only coaching inn left in London with its wooden galleries still standing, wrapped around a cobbled yard off Borough High Street. Inside it is a run of small, creaky panelled rooms; outside, the courtyard fills with picnic tables on any dry evening.

The building belongs to the National Trust and the pub is run by Greene King, so the beer and food are standard pub fare — you come for the setting. It is a five-minute walk from Borough Market and London Bridge, which makes it an easy stop on a South Bank walk.

Good to know: Go mid-afternoon on a weekday to get a table in the yard without a fight.

75–77 Borough High Street, London SE1 1NH

Google Maps Website

3. Lamb & Flag — Covent Garden, Soho & the West End

Covent Garden's most characterful pub, hidden down a narrow lane.

$$ Mid-range

The Lamb & Flag sits at the end of Rose Street, a cobbled lane a minute from Covent Garden's piazza, and is one of the oldest pubs in the area. It once hosted bare-knuckle fights, which earned it the nickname the Bucket of Blood; today it is a low-beamed Fuller's pub with a small upstairs dining room.

After work the crowd spills out into the alley, pint in hand, whatever the weather. It is the best pre-theatre pint in the West End, and the Fuller's cask ales are well kept.

Good to know: Upstairs is calmer and has tables if the downstairs bar is three deep.

33 Rose Street, London WC2E 9EB

Google Maps Website

4. The Churchill Arms — Kensington

The famous flower-covered pub with a Thai kitchen at the back.

$ Budget

The Churchill Arms is the pub on half the postcards of Kensington: its facade disappears under hanging baskets and flowers in summer and under Christmas trees and lights in December. Inside it is crammed with Churchill memorabilia, chamber pots and copper pans hanging from the ceiling.

It is a Fuller's pub, so the London Pride is good, but the surprise is the Thai kitchen in the plant-filled conservatory at the back, which turns out good-value curries and noodles. It suits a casual dinner after Kensington Palace or a Notting Hill walk.

Good to know: Book a table for the Thai restaurant at weekends — the conservatory fills up fast.

119 Kensington Church Street, London W8 7LN

Google Maps Website

5. The Holly Bush — Hampstead

A snug Georgian pub tucked up a steep lane in Hampstead village.

$$ Mid-range

Up a stepped alley above Hampstead's high street, the Holly Bush is all small wood-panelled rooms, gas-style lamps and open fires — the archetypal London winter pub. It feels a world away from the city, though it is only a short walk from Hampstead Tube.

The food is a cut above the average, and it is the ideal place to finish a walk on Hampstead Heath. Expect a mix of locals, families at weekend lunch and walkers in muddy boots.

Good to know: Walk the Heath to Parliament Hill first, then come here for a late lunch by the fire.

22 Holly Mount, London NW3 6SG

Google Maps Website

6. Ye Olde Mitre — Hatton Garden, The City

A tiny tavern hidden down an alley that even many Londoners can't find.

$ Budget

Ye Olde Mitre is reached through a narrow passage off Ely Place, between Hatton Garden and Holborn Circus, and has the feel of a village pub that time forgot. Its small panelled rooms keep a preserved tree trunk that, legend says, Elizabeth I once danced around.

It is run by Fuller's, with a good range of cask ales and simple bar snacks such as toasties and pork pies. It is busiest straight after work on weekdays; at weekends it keeps shorter hours, so check before you make the trip.

Good to know: Look for the lamp and sign between 8 and 9 Hatton Garden — the alley is easy to walk past.

1 Ely Court, Ely Place, London EC1N 6SJ

Google Maps Website

7. The Black Friar — Blackfriars, The City

An Arts and Crafts masterpiece of marble, mosaics and jolly carved monks.

$$ Mid-range

The wedge-shaped Black Friar, opposite Blackfriars station, has one of the most extraordinary pub interiors in London: marble walls, bronze friezes of merry monks, mosaics and carved slogans, all from the early 20th-century Arts and Crafts movement. It was saved from demolition in the 1960s after a campaign backed by John Betjeman.

It is run as a Nicholson's pub with a decent range of ales and pub classics. Have a pint in the vaulted back room to see the best of the decoration.

Good to know: Come in the early afternoon when it's quiet enough to look at the details properly.

174 Queen Victoria Street, London EC4V 4EG

Google Maps Website

8. The Harp — Covent Garden, Soho & the West End

A narrow, award-winning real-ale pub just off Trafalgar Square.

$ Budget

The Harp is a long, thin bar with stained glass, portraits on the walls and a cosy upstairs room, a few steps from Trafalgar Square and the Coliseum. It is a former CAMRA National Pub of the Year and still one of the best places in central London for well-kept cask ale.

There is no kitchen to speak of — just sausages in a bun — so come for the beer. The crowd spills onto the pavement after work.

Good to know: Ask the bar staff what's new on the handpumps; the guest ales change constantly.

47 Chandos Place, London WC2N 4HS

Google Maps Website

9. The Mayflower — Rotherhithe

A low-beamed riverside pub near where the Pilgrims' ship set sail.

$$ Mid-range

The Mayflower stands on the Thames at Rotherhithe, close to where the Mayflower moored before sailing to America in 1620, and its dark, candlelit rooms lead out to a small wooden jetty over the river. It is one of the most atmospheric places in London to watch the tide go in and out.

The menu is solid British pub cooking, and in winter the fire makes it a fine Sunday afternoon refuge. It is a short walk from Rotherhithe Overground station.

Good to know: Ask for a table on the jetty in good weather — it is one of the few spots right over the water.

117 Rotherhithe Street, London SE16 4NF

Google Maps Website

10. The Prospect of Whitby — Wapping, Shoreditch & East London

Claims to be London's oldest riverside pub, with a pewter bar and Thames terrace.

$$ Mid-range

The Prospect of Whitby has stood on the river at Wapping for centuries and claims to be London's oldest riverside tavern. The flagstone floor, pewter-topped bar and river-view terrace — complete with a replica hangman's noose — give it plenty of character.

Food and drink are standard Greene King fare. Combine it with a walk along the Thames Path from Tower Bridge or the Overground to Wapping.

Good to know: Head upstairs or to the back terrace for the river view.

57 Wapping Wall, London E1W 3SH

Google Maps Website

11. The Spaniards Inn — Hampstead Heath

A historic coaching inn on the edge of the Heath with a big garden.

$$ Mid-range

The Spaniards Inn sits on the road between Hampstead and Highgate, where the old tollhouse still narrows the traffic outside. Inside are low beams and panelled nooks; outside is one of the largest pub gardens in north London. Legends link it to Dick Turpin and to the poets Keats and Byron.

It is a natural stop after walking to Kenwood House, which is a few minutes away across the Heath. Weekends are busy with families and dog walkers.

Good to know: Pair it with Kenwood House — walk across the Heath, see the paintings, then come here.

Spaniards Road, London NW3 7JJ

Google Maps Website

12. The Grenadier — Belgravia, Westminster & South Kensington

A tiny military-themed pub in a cobbled Belgravia mews.

$$ Mid-range

The Grenadier hides in Wilton Row, a quiet cobbled mews behind Hyde Park Corner, and is painted red, white and blue outside. Military memorabilia covers the walls, and the pub is known for its ghost story about a soldier caught cheating at cards.

It is small, so it fills quickly, but it is the most charming pint near Knightsbridge. Order a Bloody Mary, the house speciality.

Good to know: Arrive early on a Friday evening; once the bar fills, there's little space to stand.

18 Wilton Row, London SW1X 7NR

Google Maps Website

Frequently asked questions

What is the oldest pub in London?

Several pubs claim the title. Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese on Fleet Street was rebuilt in 1667, the year after the Great Fire; the Prospect of Whitby in Wapping claims to be the oldest riverside pub; and the George Inn in Borough is London's last galleried coaching inn. All three are still pouring.

Do you tip in London pubs?

No. You order and pay at the bar, and tipping for drinks isn't expected. If you eat a meal with table service, a 10–12.5% service charge is often added to the bill — check before adding more.

What time do London pubs close?

Usually around 11pm Monday to Saturday and 10:30pm on Sundays, with some open later at weekends. Pubs in the City of London often close early on Saturdays and some don't open at all on Sundays.

Can children go into pubs in London?

Under-16s can go into most pubs with an adult, especially for food, but each pub sets its own rules and many ask families to leave by early evening. You must be 18 to buy alcohol, and staff will ask for ID if you look under 25.

What should I order in a London pub?

Try a cask ale — a London bitter such as Fuller's London Pride is the classic — or ask what's on handpump. Samuel Smith's pubs, like Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese, only sell their own brewery's beers, at prices well below the London average.

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