The London Pub Guide

January 2026 Covent Garden

CAMRA's National Pub of the Year. A tiny, brilliant pub in the heart of the West End with an exceptional rotating cask ale selection.

December 2025 Limehouse

Owned by Sir Ian McKellen, this tiny Thames-side pub has been here since 1583. Dickens was inspired by it. The upstairs fish restaurant has river views.

November 2025 Blackfriars

An Art Nouveau masterpiece adorned with marble, bronze and mosaic monks. Saved from demolition by John Betjeman. The back grotto is breathtaking.

October 2025 Highgate

A Highgate institution and one of London's greatest gastropubs. The bone marrow starter and Sunday roast are both legendary.

September 2025 Highgate

Highgate's crown jewel, a gorgeous 17th-century pub with a beer garden backing onto Highgate Cemetery. Wood-panelled rooms and proper ales.

August 2025 Highgate

Highgate's crown jewel, a gorgeous 17th-century pub with a beer garden backing onto Highgate Cemetery. Wood-panelled rooms and proper ales.

July 2025 Hampstead

One of London's oldest pubs since 1585, with a sprawling beer garden on the edge of Hampstead Heath. Dick Turpin connections and dog paradise.

June 2025 Soho

Soho's most bohemian pub, where only half pints are served. De Gaulle drank here during the war and Dylan Thomas left his manuscript behind the bar.

May 2025 Holborn

One of London's most magnificent Victorian pub interiors, with ornate mirrors, etched glass and carved mahogany. A Sam Smith's pub with prices to match.

April 2025 Hackney

Michelin Pub of the Year. The beef and barley bun with horseradish cream changed what pub food could be. Inventive British cooking at its finest.

March 2025 Islington

George Orwell's actual favourite pub. Tiny, atmospheric and timeless, with a beer garden that feels like a country village.

February 2025 Fulham

London's only Michelin-starred pub. Extraordinary seasonal British game and a legendary Sunday roast that is worth booking weeks in advance.