93 Best Bars in London, England

In a neighborhood filled with financial institutions, ancient churches, and ye olde pubs, The Anthologist makes for a pleasantly light-hearted, energetic place to drink, eat, and dance the day away. The City is famous for its sleepy weekends, but this is when The Anthologist comes into its own, closing on Saturdays to save its energy for its famed Sunday boozy brunch, which often comes backed by the likes of live gospel choirs and international DJs. The venue doubles as an all-day restaurant but tends to get most lively during the evening.

This elegant faux-speakeasy might be London's tiniest cocktail lounge. Book one of the handful of tables or a seat at the diminutive bar to sample perfectly made twists on classic cocktails, like the Heather Negroni which adds heather flowers to the traditional recipe.

Inside St. Pancras International's renovated Victorian station, this pub is the perfect place to grab a pint and some superior pub fare.

With its Lutyens Blue walls, Edwardian plasterwork, white onyx bar, and black crocodile-print leather floor, this hotel bar oozes sultry sophistication. Immaculate service, an excellent seasonal cocktail list, and an extended glass pavilion make this an ideal spot for a romantic tête-à-tête, complete with a background soundtrack of lounge and deep house music. If you're feeling peckish, there is elevated bar food such as brie grilled cheese sandwiches and Aberdeen Angus sliders.

Drawn by its reputation for featuring indie stars of tomorrow (think the likes of Jessie J, Laura Marling, The Killers, and Foals), non-mainstream crowds flock here, one of the finest small clubs in London. Weekend pop-punk and hip-hop club nights upstairs host live bands as well as DJs who rock the decks.

This boho-chic Irish pub is all about the Guinness and the superb, if pricey, seafood. Whether you're in the unpretentious downstairs saloon bar or the more formal dining rooms upstairs, the atmosphere is always warm, welcoming, and buzzing. It's also been a favorite haunt of fashion glitterati such as Stella McCartney, Victoria Beckham, and Alexa Chung.

With 37 beers on tap and 350 more in bottles (one brewed exclusively for The Craft Beer Co.), the main problem here is knowing where to start. Luckily, friendly and knowledgeable staff are happy to advise or give tasters—or why not sign up for a guided tasting session? A huge chandelier and a mirrored ceiling lend antique charm to the interior, and a smattering of tourists and beer pilgrims break up the crowds of Leather Lane workers and locals. As is the case with many pubs in this neighborhood, they are closed on weekends.

A beautiful example of a High Victorian pub, The Dog and Duck has a majestic interior overflowing with thousands of ornate glazed tiles, etched mirrors, chandeliers, and polished wood, although it's often so packed it can be hard to get a proper look. There's a fine selection of real ales at the bar and a restaurant serving superb pale ale–battered fish-and-chips with mushy peas. Originally built in 1734 and patronized by painters and poets like John Constable and Dante Gabriel Rossetti, the cozy upstairs dining room is named for writer and Dog and Duck regular George Orwell.

Run by the same family for nearly three decades, The Dublin Castle has hosted almost every modern British rock group you care to name, including Madness, Blur, Coldplay, and the Arctic Monkeys. With four bands on the bill almost every night, and DJs taking over afterward on Friday and weekends, there's something for most tastes at this legendary venue.

Not every pub is also a Grade I–listed, National Trust property, but this is London's last surviving galleried coaching inn. Dickens once frequented the inn's Coffee Room (now the Middle Bar) and name-checked The George in Little Dorrit. The gallery overlooks a cobblestone courtyard where plays may have been performed in Elizabethan times (galleried inns were frequently used as production venues), although the current building dates back only to 1677 after the original was destroyed in a fire. The interior is a maze of 18th-century low-ceilinged rooms replete with wood-paneled walls and period features. The cozy Parliament Bar, where passengers would have waited for the coach, is on the ground floor, while a restaurant is upstairs on the galleried level. Luckily the pub is not just a museum piece—it also has modern amenities like a beer garden and Wi-Fi.

This is the sort of friendly flower-decked locale you might find on some out-of-the-way backstreet, except that it's right in the middle of town, between Trafalgar Square and Covent Garden. As a result, The Harp can get mighty crowded, but the squeeze is worth it for the excellent beer and cider (there are usually 10 carefully chosen ales, often including a London microbrew, plus 10 ciders and perries) and a no-frills menu of high-quality British sausages, cooked behind the bar.

A short walk up the hill from Hampstead Tube station, the friendly Holly Bush dates back to the 18th century and retains something of the country pub it was before London spread this far north, thanks to the stripped wooden floors, walls paneled in dark wood, and big open fires. The combination of great ales and organic, free-range gastropub food makes it perennially packed with locals. Try the wild mushroom risotto with spinach and poached duck egg or the pan-seared venison with a hazelnut crumb roast pumpkin purée and pickled cherries; don't miss the hot cider in the wintertime.

Charles Dickens and his contemporaries drank here, but today's enthusiastic clientele make sure this intimate and eternally popular pub avoids the pitfalls of feeling too old-timey. One interesting feature: for private chats at the bar, you can close a delicate etched-glass "snob screen" to the bar staff, opening it only when you fancy another pint.

If you find yourself craving a drink at 11 am, this traditional London pub, dating back to 1638 (although the name was changed in 1890), is for you. The early opening hour is not because it caters to alcoholics but for the Borough Market stallholders, who have already put in several hours by opening time (in fact, the pub is actually also open weekdays from 6 am to 8:30 am for this very reason). The S-shaped Victorian-era bar, with its walls and ceiling covered in pump badges and beer mats, is packed when the market is busy but calms down during off-peak hours. There are 12 real ales on draught, and decent pub grub using seasonal produce from the market is served in the restaurant upstairs. The pub also provided the location for the Third Hand Book Emporium in the movie version of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

With a solid claim to being the oldest pub on the Thames, this deeply atmospheric riverside inn dates back to the mid-16th century (although it was rebuilt in the 17th) and comes with exposed beams, mullioned windows, open fires, and nautical design touches. You can sit outside on the heated-deck jetty that overlooks the Mayflower's original mooring. When the ship sailed for America in 1620, it was here that Captain Christopher Jones took on the 65 passengers who became some of the original Pilgrims (Jones is buried in the nearby church of St. Mary's in Rotherhithe; legend has it that he moored here to avoid paying taxes farther down the river). The Mayflower, formerly known as The Spread Eagle, is also the only pub licensed to sell U.S. and U.K. postage stamps (inquire at the bar), a tradition dating back to the 1800s when time-pressed sailors were able to order a pint and a postage stamp at the same time.

In a quiet corner of Mayfair, the cozy little Punch Bowl dates to 1729 and the interior remains steadfastly old-fashioned, with a painting of Churchill, candles, polished dark wood, and engraved windows. Try the place's own ale, made specially in Scotland by Caledonian. A dining area at the rear buzzes at lunchtime with locals who come for the upscale English pub food, and there's a fancier restaurant upstairs.

Queen Charlotte, the wife of "mad" King George III, is said to have stored food for him here in the basement while he was being treated nearby. The interior of this tiny pub preserves its antique feel, with dark wood and old posters, and in the evenings fills up quickly with office workers, medics, and students from the nearby hospitals. It's located on the corner of pleasant Queen Square; if the weather's good, grab one of the outside tables.

Given its proximity to both the Houses of Parliament and Downing Street, it's no surprise that this traditional old boozer should be so popular with politicos of all stripes. Portraits of former prime ministers—several of whom also drank here—line the walls, and the bar room is one of a handful of premises outside the Palace of Westminster fitted with a "division bell" that recalls members of Parliament to the chamber for important votes.

There's been a tavern with this name on this site since 1788, but the interior of the current pub dates back to the 19th century; its specially commissioned engraved glass panels and dark wood detailing are a perfect example of Victorian pub decor. You'll find a few wines available by the glass, but the star here, as is the case at most traditional pubs, is cask beer. For those on the hunt for a simple, inexpensive meal (no mean feat in this part of town), classic pub grub is served until 3 pm each day. The leather banquettes fill up fast when the after-work crowd descends.

Perched on top of Richmond Hill, The Roebuck has perhaps the best view of any pub in London. The most sought-after seats are the benches found directly across the road, which look out over the Thames as it winds its way into the countryside below. Friendly and surprisingly unpretentious, given its lofty surrounds, it is well worth the long climb up the hill from the center of Richmond.

Both the terrific views over the rooftops of Shoreditch and the California-chic decor make this bar at the One Hundred Hotel the ultimate location for a sunset. Tables on the terrace are first-come-first-served.

Originally established in 1602 to cater to Dutch sailors, this charming hostelry somehow survived the Great Fire of London to become the little gem it is today. Located at the rear of the Royal Courts of Justice, you can often find barristers and their clients celebrating or drowning their sorrows. Scrumptious pub food is also served.

Ideal as a refueling point when you're hiking over Hampstead Heath, this atmospheric oak-beamed pub has been serving customers since 1585 and comes with a gorgeous garden that was immortalized in Dickens's Pickwick Papers. Other notable former patrons include infamous highwayman Dick Turpin as well as local resident Keats and fellow poets Shelley, Blake, and Byron. Fresh takes on traditional pub food and a wide selection of cask beer ensure a crowd, especially on Sunday. And if you've brought your furry friend along, there's a doggy bath in the garden.

The Victorian Gothic interior of this bar, café, and arts center combo hosts intimate music gigs, art exhibitions, workshops, and more. The food is Caribbean-influenced, and the atmosphere, especially in the outdoor courtyard, is friendly and relaxed.

Although the number of bells in its name has varied between 8 and 12, depending on how many bells were used by neighboring Christ Church Spitalfields, this pub retains its original mid-Victorian interior and tiles, including a frieze depicting the area's French Huguenot silk-weaving tradition on the north wall and particularly fine floral tiling on two others. Urban legend says that Jack the Ripper's third victim, Annie Chapman, had a drink here before meeting her gory end. The pub is also depicted in Alan Moore's acclaimed graphic novel From Hell.

A music venue since 1954, this is the last survivor of the coffeehouse scene of the 1950s and '60s that spearheaded Britain's folk revival (it also inspired the Los Angeles music club of the same name). Among the notables who have performed here either at the beginning of their careers or at informal after-gig shows are Charlie Watts (before he joined the Rolling Stones), Bob Dylan (under the name Blind Boy Grunt), Joni Mitchell, Paul Simon, and Jimi Hendrix, along with folk legends Sandy Denny and Burt Jansch. More recent headliners include Florence Welch, Paolo Nutini, Ed Sheeran, and Adele. The menu leans toward British and French-inspired comfort food.

Epitomizing a new breed of Brixton bar, the compact Three Eight Four is known for its innovative cocktails and tapas-style shared plates. The cocktail menu changes seasonally but always involves specialty spirits and unusual mixing techniques—try the Ziggy Stardust, a combination of  infused-in-house citrus vodka, creme de cassis, pomegranate, lemon, and egg white, with David Bowie’s trademark red lightning bolt stenciled over the top. The distressed brick walls and moody lighting contribute to the postindustrial vibe.

With its excellent vista of the Thames, there is no more handsomely situated pub in Greenwich than the Trafalgar Tavern. Open at 11 am every day, it's still as grand a place as it ever was to have a pint and a quick tasty meal.

Like any London neighborhood, Mayfair has its fair share of pubs but few can compare to the charm and location of Ye Grapes. Poised in the heart of the delightfully quaint Shepherd Market, the place sells itself almost entirely on atmosphere alone. The bar serves a comfortingly familiar list of ales, beers, and wines—and there's an excellent Thai food menu—but it is the village-style location and warm local crowd that warrant seeking it out when in need of liquid refreshment.