Lady’s Guide to the Best Pubs in London

Today I want to bring you my guide to the best pubs in London. From high-end gastropubs to traditional boozers, there are a lot of great watering holes in the UK capital.

Best Pubs in London

Have you ever wondered what people around the world are doing at the the exact moment you’re doing something?

When it’s 4pm on Saturday in London, I wonder if people in San Francisco are waking up to their morning coffee, and if others in Seoul are out dancing all night.

My friend Jessica wondered this too, and came up with the idea of having four bloggers around the world write about what they’re doing at an exact moment in time. This is that moment.

London Pubs

There are a lot of things I could be doing in London at 4pm on a Saturday, but if I’m honest, I’m usually at the pub.

This is partly because it’s always raining and I need to take cover, and partly because the national sport of England is getting outlandishly drunk on every imaginable occasion (2pm on Tuesday? Sure, I’ll have a beer. 11am on Sunday? Pour me a pint, sir.).

But it’s really because pubs have always been hubs of social interaction in the UK. It’s a unique phenomenon that I’ve never found anywhere else, and it works amazingly well.

Every person has her or his “local”, as they’re called, and everyone ends up there at, say, 4pm on Saturday.

Ever since I moved to the UK, I’ve enjoyed exploring the best pubs in London. These days most of them have gone gastro, serving food in addition to the traditional ales and lagers.

Some, like the Harwood Arms in Fulham, have gone all-out with the foodie concept; it was the first London pub to be awarded a Michelin star.

Others, like the Duke of Hamilton in Hampstead, once tried harder to stick to their booze-only roots, but you can get Sunday Roast there now.

Regardless of style, I love the best pubs in London not only for their social function, but also for their coziness in the cold and openness in the sun.

I’ve spent countless snowy Saturdays defrosting in front of a fire at the Holly Bush, one of the best and most atmospheric pubs in Hampstead.

I’ve also spent many summer Saturdays sipping Pimm’s and other classic English drinks in the beer gardens at the Windsor Castle in Kensington and The Engineer in Primrose Hill.

And that’s to say nothing of London’s historic pubs, some of which date back centuries. Over in the City of London, Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese—which was rebuilt in 1666—always awes me with its maze of tiny rooms.

Out east in Rotherhithe, The Mayflower pub marks the spot where the Pilgrims took off for America in 1620. It’s one of the best pubs in London for history lovers.

Across the river in Wapping is The Prospect of Whitby pub, which was built in 1520 and is supposedly the oldest riverside pub in London.

Then come historic numbers like The Gun in Canary Wharf. This place is a favorite for its atmospheric interiors and deck on the Thames. It’s packed on weeknights with the banking crowd, which spills out from nearby skyscrapers after work.

And that’s to say nothing of historic pubs like The Grapes in Limehouse. Built in 1583, it’s one of the oldest pubs in London. Right on the Thames, it has great ambiance and heritage interiors upstairs and down.

Then there are the pubs with eye-catching facades, of which there are many. The flower-fronted Churchill Arms in Kensington is beautiful year-round. It also gets decked with Christmas lights and trees during the festive season.

I also love the stunning facade of The Roebuck in Borough. I can’t help photographing it (and the smiley face at the top) whenever I pass by. It’s one of my favorite pubs near London Bridge.

Not far away, the Lord Clyde also has an attractive exterior. It’s a great local pub, too. If you want to go somewhere close to Borough Market but a million miles from the tourist crowds, it’s just the spot. It’s one of the best pubs in south London.

But perhaps the best pub facade of all is that of the Sherlock Holmes pub near Charing Cross station. This beauty is not only eye-catching on the outside, but it also has a small Sherlock museum on the top floor. It’s worth a special trip if you’re a fan of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s famous detective.

Speaking of pubs with intriguing interiors, the Princess Louise in Holborn is worth popping into. Built in 1872, it has a series of stunning wood-paneled Victorian rooms to explore. It’s one of my favorite pubs in London when it comes to aesthetics.

Top Pubs in London

And maybe that’s why I’m in a pub at 4pm most Saturdays. Not so much to take cover from rain or get unnecessarily drunk, but to explore more of London.

It’s one of the best ways I’ve found to get under the skin of the city, and a great way to soak up the local culture in each neighborhood.

I may sometimes be jealous that my counterparts in San Francisco are waking up to views of the Golden Gate Bridge or that my fellow bloggers in Seoul are dancing the night away, but I think I have it pretty good right here at the best pubs in London.

If you want to see more, I’ve written a lot about the city’s pubs. You can take a look at my pub itinerary to get started. You can also do my free self-guided City of London pub walking tour.

If you’re interested in finding a pub you can call home-away-from-home, check out my post about the top pub stays in London. I hope you find the perfect one for you!

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