London Pubs

London Pubs

02 April, 2009
by: Spoonfed Team

Visitors and locals looking for a London pub with character and history are spoilt for choice by the capital’s various watering holes - and you never have to go far for a pint in London. In a city as old as London, many pubs boast a 100 year legacy – so many that this birthday boast has become common place.  Much more impressive are the 400 years that some London drinking venues have managed to notch up. Steeped in a vibrant past, these historic London pubs offer an excellent way to pass an hour or two with a couple of mates and a few drinks.

Here are Spoonfed’s pick of the best historic London pubs

Ye Olde Watling
29 Watling Street EC4M 9BR
Where: City
Best for: great views of St Paul's Cathedral, particularly at sunset. Ye Olde Watling has existed in one form or another on this very site since 1668 (when, rumour has it, it was built by Sir Chirstopher Wren) and today it is a friendly place serving well-kept real ales.

Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese
145 Fleet Street EC4A 2BU
Where: Blackfriars
Best for: those with strong constitutions who will have no problem navigating the many dining rooms and narrow corridors after sinking a few Sam Smiths ales.  This central London tavern is one of the few that truly deserves the moniker “Ye Olde” as there has been a pub at this location since the 1500s and its current incarnation has been a well known watering hole since the 17th century.

George Inn
77 Borough High St SE1 1NH
Where: Borough
Best for: a unique glimpse into Britain’s literary history and the chance to drink or dine in London’s only surviving galleried coaching inn. This pub was a favoured haunt of Charles Dickens and also commemorates the now absent Tabard from where Chaucer began his journey as chronicled in ‘The Canterbury Tales’.

The Dove
19 Upper Mall W6 9TA
Where: Hammersmith
Best for: an unspoilt riverside location with an impressive history of celebrity clientele that features the likes of Graham Greene and Ernest Hemingway. This pub’s claim to fame extends to an inclusion in the Guinness Book of Records for the smallest bar in Britain and as a favourite viewpoint for the passing University Boat Race.

Holly Bush
22 Hollymount NW3 6SG
Where: Hampstead
Best for: relaxing after working up an appetite with a stroll on Hampstead Heath. This superb pub is famous for their Sunday roast, with their oak flooring, wood panelling and open fireplace creating a cosy atmosphere.

Anchor
34 Park Street SE1 9EF
Where: Borough
Best for: a quintessentially English experience and a popular tourist hangout, recent additions to the pub include a chip shop and a tea room. This historic pub is nestled on London’s South Bank and features stunning views of the River Thames.

Museum Tavern
49 Great Russell Street WC1B 3BA
Where: Bloomsbury
Best for: a spot of culture and classic English meals. This elegant pub is pleasantly situated opposite the British Museum and previous clientele include Arthur Conan Doyle and Karl Marx.

Seven Stars
53-54 Carey Street WC2A 2JB
Where: Holborn
Best for: soaking up 400 years of British history in a comfortably quaint setting. The Seven Stars is one of a handful of local buildings to survive the Great Fire of London (1666) and continues to fend off the competition with a great selection of food and real ales.

The Prospect of Whitby
57 Wapping Wall E1W 3SH
Where: Wapping
Best for: savouring the period features and enjoying the riverside view. This pub was a well known London haunt for smugglers and villains, but eventually became notorious a favourite venue of Judge Jeffreys who was famous for his excessively harsh and gruesome punishments during the Monmouth Rebellion (1685).

Ye Olde Mitre
1 Ely Court EC1N 6SJ
Where: Holborn
Best for: a centuries old drinking den that has kept it traditional atmosphere with a constantly changing menu of real ales and Cribbage on offer instead of a television.

Jerusalem Tavern
55 Britton Street EC1M 5UQ
Where: Clerkenwell
Best for: sampling some real ale from their own St Peter’s Brewery in a relaxed and social environment. This pub was converted from an 18th century clockmaker’s shop and shares a wealth of history with the surrounding area.

If this doesn’t satisfy your thirst then stop by some of the more modern drinking venues in London including The Globe, The Green Dragon,  Wilmington Arms or the Royal Vauxhall Tavern.
Still thirsty? Check out all London Pubs.


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Spoonfed Team