Best Pubs to Visit in London
From the riverside Dove to the Michelin-starred Harwood Arms, here are the best pubs to visit in London, chosen by the local guides who know them best.
The Best Historic Pubs in London: A Local Guide to 500 Years of Taverns
London is home to some of the oldest pubs in the world. A local guide’s pick of the most historic pubs in London, and the stories that make them worth a visit.
London is home to some of the oldest pubs in the world. Long before the city had skyscrapers, museums or the Underground, it had taverns. Walk into the right one and you are stepping into a room where Samuel Pepys drank, where Dickens wrote, where plotters plotted and poets argued until closing time.
After years of running pub tours through the city, we have a soft spot for the places that still feel alive, not just preserved behind glass. Here are the historic pubs we genuinely love, and the stories that make them worth a visit.
The oldest pubs in London
London’s oldest pubs are a fiercely contested title. The Old Bell Tavern (1670) near St Paul’s was built by Sir Christopher Wren for the masons working on the cathedral. The Old Cheshire Cheese (rebuilt 1667 after the Great Fire) sits in a narrow alley off Fleet Street and has barely changed since. Then there is The Grapes in Limehouse, a tiny riverside tavern with a Dickens connection, and The Prospect of Whitby (circa 1520), which claims to be the oldest riverside pub in London.
The truth is, the age of a pub matters less than the feeling inside it. A great historic pub has low ceilings, uneven floors, and walls that have absorbed three centuries of conversation. You can feel it the moment you walk in.
Historic pubs in the City of London
The Square Mile packs more history per square foot than anywhere else in the country. The Viaduct Tavern (1869) still has its original Victorian gin palace interior, complete with painted ceilings and a former debtors’ prison in the cellar. The Old Bank of England occupies a grand former bank building and pours a serious pint. And Ye Olde Mitre, hidden in a tiny court off Hatton Garden, is so tucked away that it was built for the servants of the Bishop of Ely, who were not allowed in the pubs of the city proper.
Soho and Covent Garden: the characters’ pubs
Soho has always been the wilder side of London. The French House in Dean Street famously served the Free French during the war and still doesn’t do pints, only halves, because General de Gaulle refused to serve full pints in his headquarters. The Lamb and Flag in Covent Garden was known as the Bucket of Blood in the 19th century, when bare-knuckle boxing matches were held upstairs. Both are small, atmospheric and full of character, exactly what a pub crawl through history should feel like.
What makes a pub historic, really?
It is not just the date above the door. It is the way the light comes through the etched glass, the worn stone step at the entrance, the smell of the wood and the ale. Historic pubs were built around conversation and community, and the best ones still are. That is why a guided walk through them feels different from reading about them. You are not just looking at old buildings, you are standing where real people lived, argued, fell in love and made history.
Looking for more spots to raise a glass? See our round-up of the best pubs to visit in London, from riverside classics to Michelin-starred gastropubs.
See them with a local guide
Every pub on this list has a story that takes an hour to tell properly, and our guides love telling them. On the London Pub and Historic Tavern Tour, we walk you through the city’s most atmospheric pubs, from hidden courtyards to grand Victorian gin palaces, with the tales that make each one worth the walk.
Prefer your history with a plate of something? The Pub Food Tour pairs the same historic pubs with classic British bites, proper pies and scotch eggs. Either way, you will leave knowing London a little better, and probably with a new favourite pub.
Read on
Cost of a beer in the UK
If you go to the UK as a tourist, it’s a good idea to try out some of the local beers. As we know, the pint is not just a drink in the UK.
A Short history of Pubs
For many people, the word pub is synonymous with the UK. And that’s for a very good reason, because taverns and pubs have been active here for centuries on end.
Best Pubs in Soho London
Soho is seen as the beating heart of the West End in London. It’s a place where you can find theaters, historic pubs and just a vibrant nightlife, overall. It’s a very good idea to check it out, and you can enjoy some amazing pubs in here as well.
