Back in the olden times, going into work on Tuesday meant picking up a free copy of Timeout before getting on the Tube to read all about the goings on in London. Now, there’s no print edition, but they still update their website every Tuesday. Recently, they published their indisputable, irrefutable and 100 percent accurate list of the the best 50 pubs in London.
My favourite beer blog, Boak and Bailey, posted this in response:
Remember, if you see a list in a newspaper you don't like, that's nature's way of telling you to make your own list. (We would like to read your list.)
boakandbailey.com/2018/10/on-l…
— Boak & Bailey (Jess & Ray) (@boakandbailey.bsky.social) November 5, 2024 at 6:55 PM
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Now I love hanging out in pubs, and I’ve spent most of my adult life in London, so here’s my own list of best pubs in London.
The Anchor & Hope, Clapton
There’s something about a drinking nice cold pint right next to a body of water that really elevates the whole experience. The Anchor & Hope is a tiny community ran pub, but spills out onto the path that runs alongside the River Lea.
You’ll see a lovely cross section of East London citizens taking up the picnic tables, while dogs and bikes fit in between any gaps. A mate was in there once by himself, when a group of people walked in and asked “Do you do coffee? And can I see the wine list?”, to which the old punk barmaid replied, “Fuck off back to Shoreditch”.
The Auld Shillelagh, Stoke Newington
A legend of an Irish pub in London. The Auld Shillelagh serves all the standard drinks that you might expect from an Irish pub, and although I’m not really a Guinness drinker, I have been reliably informed that they pour it well.
Once when I was in there on a Friday night a proper seafood seller was coming round, so I helped myself to a little pot of prawn cocktail. My only experience of the classic pub fish man, but it made me wish it was still common.
It also serves Nordie Tayto, which as you’ll see is a recurring theme when it comes to pubs that I enjoy.
The Blue Posts, Berwick Street Market, Soho
With an interior that looks like it hasn’t changed from the 70s, The Blue Posts feels like a proper old battle cruiser. It gets very busy in the evenings, but also a lovely spot to grab a table with a book during the day. There are several pubs called The Blue Posts all within or near to Soho, but it’s not really known why, so make sure you get the right one.
Bradley’s Spanish Bar, Tottenham Court Road
About as Spanish as San Miguel, Bradley’s is a little red oasis hidden away down a side street. An ancient looking jukebox sits just inside the door, where you might see a similarly aged regular sat at the bar. There isn’t much to the pub, but the history is an interesting one.
The Cock Tavern, Hackney Central
A craft beer pub in Hackney isn’t exactly original, but The Cock is one of the best. The beer selection is stellar, the decor is classic, the atmosphere is solid, and the ‘beer garden’ is laughably bleak. The eponymous Cock was even kidnapped, but eventually returned in September 2022
The Cross Keys, Covent Garden
Although the front looks overgrown, hidden inside is a carpetted cavern covered with plenty of tat. A lovely place to spend an afternoon taking it all in.
The Dicken’s Inn, Wapping
Sat within Saint Katherine’s Way, The Dicken’s Inn is another pub covered in plants situated near a body of water. When you’re stuck in the no man’s land of Tower Hill, this is a solid spot for a pint. If you sit outside you can also gawk at all the fancy boats docked up.
The Euston Tap, Euston
Outside the worst train station may be an odd spot for a great pub, and although the West Hall is small, the Euston Tap has more than enough personality to make up for the surroundings and the size. The selection is top notch and there is lots of space outside.
Exmouth Arms, Farringdon
London has plenty of nice pubs, covered in green tiles, sitting on the corners of nice streets, but the Exmouth Arms is special to me because it’s where my wife and I finished our first date.
Howl at The Moon, Hoxton
Most of the pubs on this list are simply here because I enjoy being in them, but The Howl is different. When I first moved to London, I lived behind the building facing it. Between Paddy’s Days, GAA finals, Ireland rugby games, and any night I fancied, I spent a lot of my time there. Eventually, I even became friendly with the owner. By no means a traditional take on an Irish pub, it is still an Irish pub, and was a little slice of home away from home when I needed it the most.
The Lamb, Highbury & Islington
There’s something special about a dimly lit pub at night, especially during the winter months. The Lamb’s black floor and ceiling make it feel darker than it really is, so it feels extra cosy. And they serve Tayto.
Lord Nelson, Southwark
A flat roof pub joined onto a block of flats is not a place you might expect to be on this list, but the Lord Nelson is a colorful spot filled to the brim with kitchy tat that turns it into a divebar down an otherwise non-descript street.
Mannions Prince Arthur, Tottenham Hale
Another microcosm of Ireland, this one ran by a Roscommon couple and in an area more known for warehouses, of both the industrial variety and 40 people living there variety. To my shame, I only discovered it recently, but it immediately became a firm favourite.
The Nag’s Head, Walthamstow
There aren’t many places that have as much unique personality as The Nag’s Head. The landlady, Flossie, is practically a celebrity, and you’ll see her there being followed around the pub by her poodles. Famously filled with cats, one by one they’ve all passed away over the years, so the bar is flanked on one side by a cat shrine, with a David Bowie shrine on the other. It all feels a bit like drinking in an Flossie’s living room. And best of all for a DINK couple living in Walthamstow, it’s a childfree pub.
In an interview on Timeout’s podcast, Love Thy Neighbourhood, Flossie revealed that when she bought the pub she got rid of the bar stools so women felt comfortable coming up to the bar, and started a rumour it was going to be a gay pub to scare off the old regulars for a bit. What a woman.
Pelt Trader, Cannon Street
When a pub becomes the office regular, it can lead to many nights filled with gossip and laughs, but when I worked above it, it felt like The Pelt Trader was even better than a normal regular. It boasts a fantastic beer selection and serves some of the best pizza I’ve had in London. The lads from our New York office said it was the best pizza they’d had outside of New York.
The Pride of Spitalfields, Spitalfields
Carpetted floors, red velvet seats, barebones decor, and ancient photos on the wall are hallmarks of a great pub, and The Pride of Spitalfields has them all. There’s even a pub cat who might steal your warm seat when you get up for another round.
The Seven Stars, Holborn
A weird little spot that you might miss walking by, unless you’re keeping an eye out for the strange collection of tat in the window. Green check tablecloths sit inside two tiny rooms and constant rotation of pub cats in ruffs have stood guard. A beatifully weird pub with a long and interesting history.
Tamesis Dock, Vauxhaull
Some pubs overlook The Thames. This one is in The Thames. A pub on a boat, or maybe the pub is the boat? Enjoying your pint while the waves gentely rock you is an odd feeling. If you time it right when the tide is going out, you can even feel the boat settling into its’ cradle.
The Toucan, Soho
There are plenty of pubs London that serve shit and unreal Guinness, but The Toucan is on another level. People spill out of the small ground floor room onto the street, while in the basement below, pint shaped stools painted like Guinness sit in front of another bar with a serious whiskey collection. My favourite thing about the pub is a quote on the wall in basement from former DUP leader Ian Paisley:
“There is nothing I’d like to see more, than the Devil’s Buttermilk be banned.”
The Wenlock Arms, Old Street
A proper pub on a lovely corner in a quiet Hoxton street. It’s an old spot with wonky floorboards, a fireplace, and a piano. Another one that sells Tayto too, but I’m an easy mark for that distinctive flavour with a pint in a nice place.
This is my list of 20. I probably could’ve put more down but I tried not to just list every pub I like. There’s also some that don’t exist anymore like Bree Louise. As Boak and Bailey said, share your list with the world.
Honourable mentions
- 🔗 I’m using BlueSky more and more. Follow me.
- 🎙️ I really enjoyed this episode of Twenty Thousand Hertz on Hans Zimmer’s work on the Dune films.
- 🎵 After a few bumper weekends of music, Lankum was definitely the highlight. A modern take on traditional Irish music. My parents weren’t into that stuff so I don’t really have an appreciation for it, but Kneecap has gotten me into a broader selection of modern Irish acts.
- 🎬 Small Things Like These was a brutal watch. I expected it to be better, and the ending wasn’t great, but it’s an important story.
- 🎬 Like everyone else, I watched The Substance. So fucked up. I loved it.
- 🎬 Most of the other things I watched over October to scare myself were dogshit. Immaculate was the only highlight.
- 📺 Everyone Else Burns Season 2 was great. Kate O’Flynn is hilarious.
- 📺 MAFS UK was an abomination. Nearly everyone should’ve went for therapy instead. Some proper bullying not being called out by the experts. I’m not sure I can handle another series.
- 📺 Taskmaster Season 18 is over. I’ve been a fan of Zaltzman for years so it was wonderful to see him on TV. Rosie Jones was disgusting and hilarious.
- 📺 The first episode of Dune Prophecy is out. I enjoyed it, and without spoiling anything I think they’re hinting at something not in the films yet but is in Dune Messiah. I hope they nail this. With Foundation being half amazing and half shit, I want a good TV sci-fi adaption to work.
- 🎮 Balatro on mobile is such an addiction. I’ve got to endless mode with a few decks, but I don’t think I have the time to craft crazy broken builds like I see online.
- 🎮 I finally finished Cyberpunk 2077. What an incredible journey.
- 🎮 I also gave Starfield a second chance, it’s OK, but compared to Cyberpunk it’s such a letdown and a missed opportunity. I’m looking forward to when someone can figure out how to make a better Starfield.
- 📚 After finishing Children of Ruin, I had to start Children of Memory instantly. I’m about 100 pages in and it hasn’t quite grabbed me yet, but I think I felt the same Children of Time so I’m determined to finish it.