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12 of The Best Pubs in London

Click on the image below to be save the Google Maps list with all of these pubs on, so you can easily find them when you're out and about:

1. The Sherlock Holmes [Charing Cross]


Despite being right by Charing Cross, the Sherlock Holmes has somehow managed to not become too well known to tourists, which means both that it's not too busy and that it's affordable (by central London standards). The pub has a complete recreation of Holmes and Watson's study and sitting room... so if you watch the show, it's a good pick.


2. The East India Arms [The City]


The East India Arms in on Fenchurch Street and has been serving workers in The City (and possibly lost tourists) since 1829. It’s believed to stand on the same site in Fenchurch Street, previously occupied from at least 1645 by The Magpie Ale House, hence the banner calling it’s Britain’s oldest brewery. It takes its title from the British East India Trading Company, whose old premises are right next door.


3. The Black Friar Pub [Blackfriars]


Built in 1875, this is a Grade II listed public house on Victoria Street, just by Blackfriars station. The pub is on the site of the old Blackfriars monastery and the decoration both inside and outside certainly reflects this! The pub almost got knocked down in the 1960s, but it was saved by a campaign lead by poet Sir John Betjeman.

4. The Old Coffee House [Soho]


A bit olde worlde inside, the Old Coffee House is actually a pub, which is just my kind of coffee house. They offer a great selection of beer. I've heard bad things about the service, although I've never had any complaints myself.


5. Mr Fogg's Tavern [Covent Garden]


Mr Fogg's Tavern is based on the expeditions of fictional explorer Phileas Fogg, and is one of the quirkiest pubs in Covent Garden. The pub has a Victorian feel to it and offers a huge selection of Gins from all over the world.


6. The Anchor Bankside [near Borough Market]


A tavern establishment under various names has been at the pub's location for over 800 years - it's where Samuel Pepys saw the Great Fire of London in 1666, and is the sole surviving pub of the riverside inns that existed in Shakespeare's time when the Thames was London's main highway.


It's a bit of a tourist trap because of its location and history, and probably not worth it for the food (which isn't that great in my opinion), but it's a nice place to get a drink.

7. The Nickel Bar at the Ned [The City]


The Ned is a very expensive hotel & members' club in the City of London with nine restaurants, indoor & rooftop pools, a gym, spa and hammam. Fortunately for us common folk, two of the bars are public, (although from my limited experience there, everyone is dressed as though they could afford a membership, so you might want to dress up a bit than your standard pub trip).


Set in a former bank HQ designed in 1924 by Sir Edwyn Lutyens, the hall - which feels kind of like a very upmarket Mercato Metripolitano - echoes with live jazz music. The drinks are about £10 each.


8. Coach & Horses [Mayfair]


The pub is thought to be the oldest on the street and looks much as it did on its opening day as a coaching inn back in the 1770s, built to provide people travelling via horse and carriage somewhere for them and their tired horses to rest, which makes it one of the oldest unreconstructed taverns in the area.


9. Owl & Hitchhiker [Archway]


Formerly The Edward Lear, the refurbished Owl & Hitchhiker is a nice spacious pub with a good drinks selection including some pretty rare beers and ales, a wide range of vegan options on the menu and quirky interior including arcade cabinets and a table tennis table for entertainment.

10. The Prospect of Whitby [Wapping]


The Prospect of Whitby is London's oldest Riverside pub, dating back to about 1520, and it's been frequented in its past by the likes of Princess Margaret, Samuel Pepys and Charles Dickens.


It's had a few names over the years, including 'The Pelican' and later 'The Devil's Tavern', and it gets its current name from a vessel once moored round the back. The area also interestingly has history of piracy - the pub itself was itself a target in 1953 when staff and patrons were forced to the floor by armed robbers and their earnings and valuables were stolen.


11. The Holly Bush [Hampstead]


The Holly Bush on 22 Holly Mount is one of Britain's most famous pubs. It's a traditional 18th-century, Grade II listed pub with a cosy interior, and is in the perfection location to visit after a walk in Hampstead Heath.


12. The Dickens Inn [St Katherines Docks]


The (very pretty) Dickens Inn used to be an 18th century warehouse, named as such because it was supposedly regularly visited by Charles Dickens. The building is thought to have housed tea since late 1700s, but was reconstructed in the 18th century to turn into the three storey balconied inn it is today.


It's a particularly good spot for summer because of its two large beer gardens with views of the docks, BBQ food and both areas can be booked for private parties during summer.

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