Pub Guide - Central

There are an astounding 5,000 pubs and bars in London and at least one can be found on virtually every street corner. A good pub offers a warm welcome with a friendly atmosphere and a chance to enjoy a drink in an often typically British environment.

Drink & Pub Grub

The range of drinks on offer may include 'real ale', made using a traditional recipe often pulled from barrels, as well as a good selection of bottled lagers. Stout is also popular, the most famous of which is the smooth, dark Guinness. A refreshing, fruity cider is also pleasant on a hot summers day. Most pubs offer a tempting array of wines and spirits and you may even be able to try an exotic cocktail or two.

Until fairly recently pubs used to solely concentrate on drinks but most now serve a fantastic range of food – anything from a filling doorstep-sized sandwich to a full Thai banquet. Prices are often cheaper than many restaurants.

It would be impossible to list every single pub in central London but on these pages you will find a range of the more quirky establishments or those with an historical background.

The Albert

52 Victoria Street, SW1
Tel: +44 (0)20 7222 5577
Tube: St James's Park
The Albert is situated near to the Houses of Parliament and is a popular pub with MPs, indeed the division bell is rung in the bar to recall the MPs back to Parliament. There is a large staircase lined with portraits of former Prime Ministers leading to an upstairs restaurant which has a daily eat-as-much-as-you-like carvery.

The Anchor Bankside

34 Park Street, SE1
Tel: +44 (0)20 7407 1577
Tube: Borough
Tube/Rail: London Bridge
Positioned near to the Globe Theatre, this 18th century pub has a good riverside location with lovely views. Samuel Johnson is reported to have written part of his diary here.

Ben Crouch's Tavern

77a Wells Street, W1
Tel: +44 (0)20 7636 0717
Tube: Oxford Circus
A gothic themed pub complete with gargoyles and devil statues. Cocktails are served in test tubes and based around the Addams Family and the Seven Deadly Sins.

Bunch of Grapes

207 Brompton Road, SW3
Tel: +44 (0)20 7589 4944
Tube: Knightsbridge
Bunch of Grapes is a Grade II Listed pub with original Victorian decoration, including 'snob' screens which separated the Victorian gentlemen from the working classes.

Chelsea Potter

119 King's Road, SW3
Tel: +44 (0)20 7352 9479
Tube: Sloane Square
A former drinking den for the King's Road punks in the 1970s. It still attracts a bohemian clientele today.

The Churchill Arms

119 Kensington Church Street, W8
Tel: +44 (0)20 7727 4242
Tube: Notting Hill Gate
A traditional British pub which has extensive Winston Churchill memorabilia. Thai food is served in the pretty conservatory.

The Counting House

50 Cornhill, EC3
Tel: +44 (0)20 7283 7123
Tube: Bank
Traditional pub located in the former headquarters of Natwest bank. As with many pubs and bars located in the City, this venue is closed at weekends.

French House

49 Dean Street, W1
Tel: +44 (0)20 7437 2799
Tube: Leicester Square
In the middle of Soho, this is a former meeting place of Charles De Gaulle during World War II. Dylan Thomas and Francis Bacon also regularly drank here. The pub serves half pints only.

The George

75-77 Borough High Street, SE1
Tel: +44 (0)20 7407 2056
Tube: Borough, Tube/Rail: London Bridge
Now owned by the National Trust this is the last surviving galleried coaching inn in London, dating from 1676. It is said to be the site of the Tabard Inn where Chaucer's pilgrims gathered.

The Grenadier

Old Barrack Yard, off Wilton Row, SW1
Tel: +44 (0)20 7235 3074
Tube: Knightsbridge
Reputed to be haunted by one of the Duke of Wellington's soldiers who was killed for cheating at cards. The pub is decorated in patriotic red, white and blue and it houses a 200 year old pewter bar.

Jamaica Wine House

12 St Michael's Alley, EC3
Tel: +44 (0)20 7929 6972
Tube: Bank
A Victorian pub located on the site of London's first coffee house (1652) and once popular with rum merchants.

Lamb and Flag

33 Rose Street, WC2
Tel: +44 (0)20 7497 9504
Tube: Covent Garden
Due to its location right in the centre of Covent Garden, the Lamb and Flag can sometimes get very busy. It was once known as the Bucket of Blood when prize-fighters used it as their local.

Museum Tavern

49 Great Russell Street, WC1
Tel: +44 (0)20 7242 8987
Tube: Tottenham Court Road
Conveniently situated opposite to the British Museum . Karl Marx often used to drink here during breaks from the Museum.

Nags Head

53 Kinnerton Street, SW1
Tel: +44 (0)20 7235 1135
Tube: Knightsbridge
Hidden away in a peaceful mews close to Harrods, this pub feels as though it is in the middle of the country rather than a stone's throw away from bustling Knightsbridge. Inside, the pub has a genuine 1930's 'What the Butler Saw' machine and a one-armed bandit that takes old pennies. Unusual music is usually playing in the background such as folk or old show tunes.

O'Hanlon's

8 Tysoe Street, EC1
Tel: +44 (0)20 7837 4112
Tube/Rail: Farringdon
This genuine Irish pub is conveniently located for a visit to Sadlers Wells. The beer is produced at Mr O'Hanlon's brewery including a dry stout and an award-winning wheat beer. Oysters and home-made soda bread are a speciality and there is entertainment every Thursday evening from an Irish folk band.

Old Bank of England

194 Fleet Street, EC4
Tel: +44 (0)20 7430 2255
Tube: Temple
Situated on the site of a former branch of the old Bank of England, which was built to serve the nearby law courts. The vaults and tunnels below the pub are reported to be where Sweeny Todd butchered his clients. The pub serves traditional cream teas in the afternoon. Open weekdays only.

Seven Stars

53 Carey Street, WC2
Tel: +44 (0)20 7242 8521
Tube: Holborn
Situated near to the law courts, this historic pub was built in 1602. The walls are lined with caricatures of lawyers and judges and there are original posters of legal-themed British films. A speciality is the vintage port and fruit cake.

Three Kings of Clerkenwell

7 Clerkenwell Close, EC1
Tel: +44 (0)20 7253 0483
Tube/Rail: Farringdon
Inside, the pub is decorated with a number of papier-mache models including a giant rhino head above the fireplace.

Waxy O'Connor's

14-16 Rupert Street, W1
Tel: +44 (0)20 7287 0255
Tube: Piccadilly Circus
Huge pub on six levels in the heart of the West End. An unusual interior with stained glass windows and an enormous preserved beech tree. It has four bars and serves Irish inspired food.

The Windsor Castle

29 Crawford Place, W1
Tel: +44 (0)20 7723 4371
Tube: Edgware Road
An unusual pub filled with bric-a-brac including coins, statues, a grandfather clock and royal souvenirs. Outside there is a full-sized sentry box with a model soldier guarding the entrance. Serves Thai food.

Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese

145 Fleet Street, EC4
Tel: +44 (0)20 7353 6170
Tube/Rail: Blackfriars
The oldest parts of this historic pub date back to the 17th century and the period can still be felt in the decor with sawdust on the floor, Victorian paintings on the walls and large open fires. A wide range of luminaries have drank here throughout history including Dr Johnson, Dickens, Thackery, Conan Doyle and Voltaire.

Ye Olde Mitre

1 Ely Court, off Hatton Gardens, EC1
Tel: +44 (0)20 7405 4751
Tube: Chancery Lane
Founded in 1546 this is one of London's oldest pubs. Open weekdays only.