Places to drink

London’s Best Beer, Pubs and Bars homepage

Additions

Note this isn’t a comprehensive listing of recommended beer outlets in London! Instead it’s a list of potential additions to my book The CAMRA Guide to London’s Best Beer, Pubs and Bars. See the book for a definitive listing and top choices.

Central London

• Bloomsbury, Euston and St Pancras: Belgique Boutique W1 — closed 12/11
• Bloomsbury, Euston and St Pancras: Lamb WC1
• Bloomsbury, Euston and St Pancras: Lord John Russell WC1
• Bloomsbury, Euston and St Pancras: Queens Head WC1 *
• Borough: Roebuck SE1
• City: Banker EC4
• City: Magpie EC2 *
• Clerkenwell and Smithfield: Craft Beer Co EC1 *
• Clerkenwell and Smithfield: Old Red Cow EC1 *
• Clerkenwell and Smithfield: Pakenham Arms WC1 *
• Clerkenwell and Smithfield: St John EC1
• Covent Garden: Coal Hole WC2
• Holborn and Legal London: Old Bell EC4
• Holborn and Legal London: Olde Cheshire Cheese EC4
• Paddington and Marylebone: Leinster Arms W2
• Paddington and Marylebone: Victoria W2
• Soho and Leicester Square: Blue Posts (Rupert Street) W1
• Soho and Leicester Square: Byron (Haymarket) SW1
• Soho and Leicester Square: Cambridge WC2
• Soho and Leicester Square: Clachan W1
• Soho and Leicester Square: Coach and Horses W1
• Soho and Leicester Square: Crown and Two Chairmen W1
• Soho and Leicester Square: Nellie Dean of Soho W1
• Southbank: Kings Arms SE1

East London

• Bethnal Green and Mile End: Albion in Goldsmiths Row E2
• Docklands: Henry Addington E14
• Hackney: Off Broadway E8 *
• Leyton, Leytonstone and Walthamstow: Red Lion E11 *
• Olympic Park: Cow E20
• Olympic Park: Tap East E20 *
• Other locations — Dalston: Café Oto E8
• Other locations — Ilford: Bar IG2

North London

• Camden Town and Primrose Hill: BrewDog Camden NW1 *
• Camden Town and Primrose Hill: Sir Richard Steele NW3
• Canonbury and Barnsbury: Drapers Arms N1
• Canonbury and Barnsbury: George Orwell N1
• Hampstead: Duke of Hamilton NW3 *
• Hampstead: Flask NW3
• Hampstead: Garden Gate NW3
• Highgate: Bull N6 *
• Kentish Town and Tufnell Park: Tapping the Admiral NW1 *

Southeast London

• Camberwell, Dulwich and Peckham: East Dulwich Tavern SE22
• Camberwell, Dulwich and Peckham: Tiger SE5
• Camberwell, Dulwich and Peckham: Victoria SE15
• Other locations — Crystal Palace: Westow House SE19
• Other locations — Woolwich: Dial Arch SE18

Southwest London

• Kingston: Druids Head KT1
• Richmond and Kew: Botanist TW9 *
• Wandsworth: Old Sergeant SW18
• Other locations — Balham: Balham Bowls Club SW12
• Other locati0ns – Putney: Beer Boutique SW15 *

West London

• Chiswick: Tabard W4
• Fulham and Hammersmith: Blue Anchor W6
• Fulham and Hammersmith: Duchess of Cambridge W6 *
• Fulham and Hammersmith: Fest SW6 *
• Fulham and Hammersmith: Swan W6
• Twickenham and Hampton Hill: Rifleman TW2
• Twickenham and Hampton Hill: Roebuck TW12
• Twickenham and Hampton Hill: Sussex Arms TW2 *
• Other locations — Hanwell: Fox W7 *
• Other locations — Harefield: Old Orchard UB9
• Other locations — Teddington: Masons Arms TW11 *
• Other locations — Westbourne Green: Cow W2

Updates and revisions

Central London

• Clerkenwell: Old China Hand (p72) no longer intend to reintroduce food (08/11).
• Old Street: Wenlock Arms (p96). My expectation that the pub would still be open by the time the book was published turned out to be correct, though its future remains unresloved. A planning application to redevelop the site for non-pub use was rejected at the end of October 2011 by Hackney council, who declared the pub a heritage asset, though unlisted as such. However longstanding landlords Steve and Will are still keen to retire, and shortly after the rejection of the planning application was announced, a notification of demolition of the pub  was issued, apparently in a move to test whether the council would permit this or not. The council is now extending the boundary of the adjacent Regents Canal Conservation Area to include the pub. The latest developments are being reported on facebook — search for Save the Wenlock. In the meantime I advise checking before setting out.  (29/12/11)

North London

• Camden Town: Black Heart (p142). The beer selection has improved still further, with Redemption replacing Wells & Young’s on cask. (10/12/11)
  
• Canonbury and Barnsbury: Nobody Inn (p147). The pub reverted to its original  name, the Clarendon, in  November 2011, but continues to stock interesting beers.
• Hampstead: King William IV (p150). The pub attracted criticism in April 2011 by asking a breastfeeding woman to leave. This was only a few days after a Soho pub, the John Snow, not listed in the book, expelled a gay couple for kissing. I wrote a piece on the latter incident saying that it demonstrated why we still need places like the two gay pubs listed in my book — one of which, ironically, is the William. Oh for tolerance. More on the breastfeeding story here. (06/11)
• Stoke Newington: Palatine (p159). Sadly Rhys Rose, who was responsible for the adventurous beer policy here, had problems sustaining the project, and the pub is currently being handed over to new management. Currently it is only open intermittently and the interesting beers have gone. (07/08/11)

Southwest London

• Battersea & Clapham: Ink Rooms (p199). Closed Autumn 2011. (24/01/11)
  
• Battersea & Clapham: Nightingale (p201 and Top 25). Under new management, though I’m assured it will continue to be run as a community pub and the cask ale range is due to be expanded further. Previous managers Lee and Keris are now tenants of another Young’s pub, The Old Sergeant, Wandsworth SW18. (07/08/11).
• Richmond: Brouge (p208). Renamed Pig’s Ears Craft Beer Cellar with a more international and less of a Belgian theme though still under the same ownership. (16/02/12).
• Wimbledon: Brewery Tap (p212). Sadly closed in September 2011 when, despite a local campaign supported by CAMRA to save this 180-year old pub, Merton council granted permission to owning pubco Enterprise to convert the upper floor into flats and downstairs into a shop unit. Read more here. (03/01/12)