It doesn’t take much rewinding to find the time when gastropubs — dreadful word — didn’t exist. Once, of course, pubs served beer and hard liquor but food was hard to find; there might have been roast potatoes on the bar, rounds of sandwiches (ham or cheese, never the twain to meet), packets of nuts. There were a few places with plastic menus that had pictures of burgers on them.
Things change and today, wet-led pubs are the minority. Even those that trade mostly in drinking probably have a half-decent pie in their midst. And then there are gastropubs abound, each focusing as much on their kitchens as their bars, with menus as considered as any restaurant and befitting of a proper evening out.
Most credit the Eagle in Clerkenwell with being the first gastropub in Britain. It was founded by David Eyre and Mike Belben, who took over the premises in 1991. Today the pub remains exemplary: a gastropub in its truest form. On the menu are dishes such as flame-grilled mackerel on cous cous, rich tortilla with smoked almonds and parsley salad, and ham with carrots and cannellini beans; the cooking is proficient as it is of fine value — gastropubs marry high quality with casualness. Or the best ones do.
And here are those that have helped to further galvanise the term gastropub in London. Customers will find well poured beers, excellent wines, and menus that care about produce, mostly but not exclusively classic British in their consideration, from fish and chips to mighty steaks and everything in between.
1. The French House
Not long after the Eagle opened, in 1992 Fergus and Margot Henderson opened the dining room above the French’s beloved ground-floor boozer (Margot remembers keeping baby Hector in the leeks). Since then, the room has always drawn a big name (Florence Knight, under Russell Norman, got her start here). Today, helmed by the brilliant Neil Borthwick since 2018, the upstairs dining room promises everything one could want from a long, indulgent lunch or dinner: expertly executed French-infected fare — sea bass with sauce vierge, scallops in seaweed butter, pork slathered in mustard, that sort of thing — a wine list packed with classics, and the chance for some excellent people watching (though it’s unlikely here that any of them will be vegetarian, for whom this place is not suitable). Come, drink too much, and maybe have the calves brains, if Borthwick has them on.
49 Dean St, W1D 5BG, frenchhousesoho.com
2. The Waterman’s Arms
“Barnes?!” seems to be the usual response when the Waterman’s Arms — and its locale — come up. But only the most churlishly committed Zone One type would question whether it’s worth the journey. Here are ice-cold martinis, curried scallops, chicken spit-roasted and served with an onion broth, basil peaches. There’s a daily-changing board for steak. And there is the look of the place: it is a beauty. Nights here do not shout but hum harmoniously along.
375 Lonsdale Road, SW13 9PY, watermansarms.co.uk
3. The Eagle
As mentioned, many believe the Eagle to be the gastropub “origin story”. Founded in 1991 by restaurant manager Michael Belben and chef David Eyre, the pub helped to democratise good food during a time where approachability was hard to come by, when top ingredients were the preserve of fine dining establishments. Today, the Eagle is more than three decades old and still going strong. The menu changes daily and the chef chalks it up on the blackboard five minutes before service, lunch and dinner. Customers might get ham with carrots and cannellini beans, pan-fried plaice, or chorizo with sherry and garlic.
159 Farringdon Road, EC1R 3AL, theeaglefarringdon.co.uk
4. The Devonshire
The Devonwhere? The Devonshire — the Dev to its endless swell of fans — is the place that did the impossible: it made the Piccadilly end of Soho cool again. A pub on the ground floor, the two floors above make the restaurant, with a roof terrace above that (also for food). Ashley Palmer-Watts, who spent two decades at the Fat Duck, honed the menu, which suggests simple English classics — pea and ham soup, scallops, suet pudding, steak, lamb chops, Sunday roasts. These are expertly executed, but not elevated: there has been no messing around, no tweaking, no “modernising”. Everything is just the definitive example. Having an in-house bakery, butchery and a whopping great wood ember grill helps.
17 Denman Street, W1D 7HW, devonshiresoho.co.uk
5. The Marksman
There are few things more romantic than sharing a big, steaming pie — and this east London boozer is perhaps the best place to do it. Though that’s not all it’s good for. Cosseting and casual on the ground floor, refined and elegant on the first, here you’ll find seasonal plates of broadly-European produce cooked with delicate care and attention. What’s more, they always have an excellent rotation of delicious low-intervention wines by the glass.
254 Hackney Road, E2 7SB, marksmanpublichouse.com
6. The Cow
What is west London about? Head to the Cow on any given Thursday night and the answer can be found. It is a room of people alternatively good-looking, interesting-looking, rich and poor-looking. There are shabby millionaire artists next to nepo babies and fashion sorts who you half-suspect might spend most of their time sniffing away their wages. Across both floors, Guinness and oysters are a must, but otherwise, it’s all comforting bits — chicken Kiev, sausage and mash, fish stew, steak pie. But it’s done beautifully, and there’s style here. And feeling.
89 Westbourne Park Road, W2 5QH, thecowlondon.com
7. The Plimsoll
Arguably a pub rather than a gastropub; a pub with tremendous cookery. But let’s not lose sight by poring over meaning. Just know that at the Plimsoll, the burger is glorious, as are the deep-fried potatoes, the buttered langoustines, the terrine topped with pickles and fried eggs. More than anything, the Four Legs brigade care so dearly for produce, yet do so calmly, in any old pub — a good pub, mind, with Guinness and crisp IPAs.
52 St Thomas's Road, N4 2QQ, @the.plimsoll
8. The Camberwell Arms
Somehow elegant and rustic all at once, Mike Davies’ pub and dining room rebooted the Camberwell food scene just over a decade ago. And thank goodness, because we’re not sure where we’d be without the scotch bonnet pork fat on toast. Don’t fancy a pint? They always have a brilliant clutch of cocktails that they change up regularly.
65 Camberwell Church Street, SE5 8TR, thecamberwellarms.co.uk
9. The Wells
The Wells offers respite, escape: it is the countryside come to town. A pub of two halves, downstairs is a well-heeled, Hampstead take on a boozer (and a free house, so the choice of beer and wine is excellent). Head upstairs and a true beauty of a restaurant is found. It helps the building has handsome Georgian bones, with light fluttering in through great arched windows, but the food from chef Greg Smith suits its surrounds: here might be sea bass on tagliatelle, under an olive, fennel and romesco sauce, or chicken in its own jus, or simply expert sausage and mash. Service is quiet, unobtrusive, and the wine list has its treasures. Beth Coventry, who oversees it all, has created a wonder.
30 Well Walk, NW3 1BX, thewellshampstead.co.uk
10. The Canton Arms
Between Vauxhall and its heaving drag shows, and Little Portugal, that Superbock-fuelled playground in Stockwell, is this gem of a place. It is called the Canton Arms, one of a four-strong group that defines what it means to be a gastropub today. That is to say, good beer, slapdash service, excellent food prepared with refinement but not pretence. Hot and sour braised cuttlefish: £10; Saddleback pork tonnato, trimmings and all: £10; turbot, lamb, various other sharing dishes, each cooked well, each generous.
177 South Lambeth Road, SW8 1XP, cantonarms.com
11. The Parakeet
You might come to the Parakeet and never eat, given one half of the place is — praise be — a pub proper, a sliver of wood and bar stools and Victorian glass panels. It is somewhere to drink, to settle in, to stay till midnight and leave a little on the wonk. But to miss the restaurant would be a waste: from a tiny kitchen flickering with flames and mystic with smoke, chefs Ben Allen and Ed Jennings turn out modern British and European plates, whatever that really means — but things like lamb chops blackened on the grill and served with oyster sauce and fermented green tomatoes, or wood-roasted asparagus with flecks of crab meat. It is a lively, thrumming room to be in.
256 Kentish Town Road, NW5 2AA, theparakeetpub.com
12. The Princess Victoria
When Anthony Bourdain made an episode of his hit TV show Parts Unknown in London, he visited the Princess Victoria with Nigella Lawson. They had pints of Guinness, whitebait, and shared a scotch egg. If their being there isn’t encouragement enough, let it be known that this Shepherd’s Bush pub has been in situ since 1829. It is one of a group comprising numerous light and airy boozers, all softly upmarket, with wines and lots of gin and with food menus that define what it is to be simple, crowd-pleasing and affordable.
217 Uxbridge Road, W12 9DH, princessvictoria.co.uk
13. The Tamil Prince
Desi pubs in London have a unique heritage, set up as they were to ensure equal drinking rights at times when discrimination against the Indian and south Asian community was rife. The Tamil Prince is a modern take on one. Here in residential Islington you’ll find the vibrant flavours of South India served up by former Roti King chef Prince Durairaj – who particularly enjoys offering a taste of his home state, Tamil Nadu. Order the king prawn and curry leaf varuval, and get the half-rack of lamb chops to share as well.
15 Hemingford Road, N1 1BZ thetamilprince.com
14. The Drapers Arms
Two decades in and the Drapers — where on any given night, someone from the hospitality industry will be hanging about — stays much as it always has. The premise is simple, and therefore almost invulnerable: in handsome rooms, both in decor and proportion, warm staff offer a menu that’s both strictly traditional (beef tartare with dripping toast; baked camembert with bone marrow and pickles; suet crust steak and Guinness pie) and ever-so-slightly playful (‘nduja-soaked mussels; hake with an aubergine puree, roast datterini and smoked oil). The Sunday roast is famous, insofar as a roast can be. The wine list is long but with a focus — namely, forgoing any crap.
44 Barnsbury Street, N1 1ER, thedrapersarms.com
15. The Audley
Still a reasonably new addition to London, the Audley feels like it’s been a part of the city for years. But it is a new iteration of a very old thing, where sweeping Victorian mahogany and a grandly restored 19th century clock encounter the footsteps and eyes of today’s Mayfair set. They demand good Guinness and even better sausage rolls; cockle popcorn, pints of prawns, Welsh rarebit and shepherd’s pie are likely to follow. This is British food and head chef Jamie Shears does a prime job. March any foreigner who declares British food “poor” here, right here, and prove them wrong.
41-43 Mount Street, W1K 2RX, theaudleypublichouse.com
16. The Prince Arthur
Modernity and tradition entwined make for a solid foundation in the gastropub arena. Enter the Prince Arthur, a place of old wood and grand signage, of new-age cocktails — palomas and honey-imbued rum drinks — and distinctly Hackney-ed menus from an ever-changing roster of chefs. And so, perch next to one of the old, elegant windows, on a lovely chair, and enjoy, perhaps, asparagus with gribiche, hen of the woods with sorrel, and pan-fried Cornish turbot with fancy rice and salsa rossa.
95 Forest Road, E8 3BH, theprincearthure8.com
17. The Hero
The Hero is here also representing the Pelican (45 All Saints Road, W11 1HE, thepelicanw11.com), as the pair are sisters doing similar, albeit it not identical, things. The Hero, the newer of the two, is also the better looking one (in fact, according to our review, it might just be the most beautiful pub in the world), and more ambitious in scope. Downstairs are snacks that might turn into full meals — cod cheeks with curry sauce, quail — while upstairs is the stunning grill, which when it opens will do meat and fish over an open grill. Above that is a cocktail bar, with vinyl record players. It draws a stylish west London set.
55 Shirland Road, W9 2JD, theherow9.com
18. The George
As with the Hero, the George here is also representing its sibling, the Cadogan Arms (298 King’s Road, SW3 5UG, thecadoganarms.london). Both are owned by the trio of siblings behind JKS (also responsible for the likes of Gymkhana, Trishna and Beranjak), and this dynamic duo offer plush, olde worlde pub vibes and refined yet hearty grub. The beef and Guinness pie is always a solid choice, best washed down with one of the capital’s best Irish coffees (or two).
55 Great Portland Street, W1W 7LQ, thegeorge.london
19. The Harwood Arms
If it seems contrary to put London’s only Michelin-starred pub so far outside the top 10, then it in part reflects that over the years, the Harwood seems to have moved farther and farther from being a pub of any kind, even an upmarket gastropub. It simply feels like a restaurant wearing pub clothes. But it is a very good restaurant. A daily-changing menu has a steady-eyed focus on quality and the provenance of the meat and game it champions: director Brett Graham (arguably better-known for the three-star Ledbury) is a stickler for having the very best. Traditional British dishes dominate the menu, things like blue cheese tart, shoulder of deer, roasted monkfish. There’s an excellent Scotch egg, too. To the Hardwood’s credit, a vegetarian menu can also be dusted off on request.
Walham Grove, SW6 1QJ, harwoodarms.com
20. The Anchor & Hope
One of those pubs that helped refine and redefine what a gastropub is. While it might not seem especially groundbreaking today, its quality remains. Here, daily-changing menus (both for lunch and supper) offer strongly Mediterranean-inflected dishes: farinata, ratatouille and labneh, say, or french beans, with an anchovy dressing, Parmesan and buttered almonds. An extremely solid spot, though the bill can add up (your mileage may vary; this is admittedly down to greed).
36 The Cut, SE1 8LP, anchorandhopepub.co.uk
21. The Princess of Shoreditch
This regal-looking boozer — all spiral staircases, high windows and polished wooden floors — has a noble lineage of appointing top talent in the kitchen. Previous head chefs include Ruth Hansom and Simon Bonwick and the latest name shaking the pans is Nikita Pathakji, former junior sous chef at Kitchen W8 and the 2022 winner of MasterChef: the Professionals. It’s early days yet for the chef, but scorched Cornish mackerel with crispy broad beans, and Welsh lamb with charred gem and anchovies look set to continue the tradition of modern British cooking that is still approachable enough for a pub.
76-78 Paul Street, EC2A 4QB, theprincessofshoreditch.com
22. The Red Lion & Sun
Yes, this Highgate mainstay is regularly cited as having one of the capital’s best Sunday roasts, but if you ask us, it’s the brilliantly prepared fruits de mer you should be ordering. From fish soup served with croutons, rouille and fistfuls of Gruyère d’Alpage cheese to lobster prepared Singapore chilli style, every day promises something different (and most certainly delectable).
25 North Road, N6 4BE, theredlionandsun.com
23. The Gun
Known for hosting some of London’s best pop-ups and residencies, this Hackney watering hole recently showcased Sho Foo Doh, which saw chef Fumio Tanga and team dish up Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki and quirky takes on Japanese classics. Newly in situ is Rake, a concept from chefs Jay Claus, Peter Ward, and Syrus Pickhaver, who have spent time at the likes of Acme Fire Cult, Brat, and Quo Vadis. The menu focuses on classic British cooking, using whole beast butchery and Cornish fish. DJs arrive come evening.
235 Well Street, E9 6RG, thegunwellstreet.com
24. The Guinea Grill
As former manager Oisín Rogers left the Guinea to run the Devonshire, Christiano Pellizzari had the unenviable job of attempting to fill his shoes. Pellizzari’s first job after taking over the taps was to refresh the restaurant (to Rogers’ plans, the rumour goes). The historic grill is London’s oldest steakhouse and after doubling up its cover capacity, the rooms feel electric. Perfect pints of Guinness and great grills are served in a warren of reddened spaces which feel like a continuation of the original Fifties dining space. The Guinea isn’t a spot for an express lunch: everything from the plush dining room to the hefty Arthur Price cutlery encourages guests to take their time. Linger slowly with classic beef carpaccio or prawn cocktail, before diving into a steak menu which can hang with some of the best in town. Pellizzari is a safe pair of hands.
30 Bruton Place, W1J 6NL, theguinea.co.uk
25. The Coachmakers Arms
Some 140 years after first opening as a pub, the Coachmakers Arms was chosen by the Cubitt House group for something of a glow up. The ground floor renovation was first, simple upgrades of fixtures and fittings lent a level of luxury previously unseen in the Marylebone boozer. The dining room upstairs didn’t quite work though, until a few years later when a second set of upgrades came into play: now the first floor restaurant is a dream. Vibrant green walls pop against the white tablecloths, with floor-to-ceiling windows drenching the room in afternoon light. The food? That comes from Ben Tish, Cubitt House group head chef, at his pubby best, so expect prawn cocktails, grilled rump steaks, sausage rolls and pies. The rest of the group, which includes the Princess Royal, the Barley Mow, the Grazing Goat and others, offer similar quality and can be likewise counted on.
88 Marylebone Lane, W1U 2PZ, cubitthouse.co.uk
26. The Duke of Cambridge
Britain’s first organic pub, but don’t let that put you off. This spot is meticulous about both seasonality and its sourcing, and are big on sustainability too (they have the accolades to show for it). It all comes out in the food, which is done straightforwardly enough to let those ingredients shine. Expect things like a fish of the day with seasonal vegetables, or chicken finely crisped and under a seasonal pesto. It’s now owned by the Culpeper Group, but deserves its own entry.
30 St Peter's Street, N1 8JT, thedukew1h.co.uk
27. The Compton Arms
Tiny, the Compton: a cluster of tables between which smiling staff weave as diners hunch up. But it is worth shrinking yourself for, especially at present: the Compton does kitchen residencies, and at the time of publishing haver Tiella in, where chef Dara Klein does rustic, Pugliese cooking. There might be beautiful pasta e fagioli or tonnarelli all’Amatriciana on the menu. Frills are not easily found, but comfort is. It is a pub to travel for, to delight in. Why not higher? With kitchens changing (before came the Four Legs boys), the Compton Arms doesn’t have its own identity in the same way as say, the Drapers does. But what’s there now really is very good indeed.
4 Compton Avenue, N1 2XD, comptonarms.co.uk
28. The Chamberlayne
Not somewhere shilling bells and whistles, the Chamberlayne. It’s just a very decent neighbourhood pub, moderately upmarket to look at but cosy and cosseting too. The menu works the same way. This is somewhere for a dozen oysters, scallops drenched in garlic and parsley butter, fine roast chicken. The wine list is decent enough, the cocktails stand up to scrutiny. The place has character, and a good following: lots of locals with dogs in. Somewhere you want to be.
83 Chamberlayne Road, W10 3ND, thechamberlayne.com
29. The Three Falcons
Up where the Edgware Road becomes Maida Vale, around Little Venice, is this Indian pub with rooms. It stretches around the corner of two streets, benches each side; it is a place for locals to gather, and so they do. Not just a restaurant, it’s a proper pub — there’s often sport on — but eating is hard to resist, given the smells that come from the kitchen. The kid goat curry is the star, with the prawn Goan curry vying for the lead. Platters are there for the hungry. There is what they call an “English menu” for those curry-adverse, but we haven’t tried it. There seems no reason to.
1 Orchardson Street, NW8 8NG, threefalcons.com
30. St John’s Tavern
Archway isn’t short of pubs but most are simple boozers. No bad thing, but those hoping for a martini (made with vodka distilled up the road in Highgate), a Negroni, an extensive wine list and higher-end eating might venture to the St. John’s Tavern, a stunningly beautiful pub adored by moneyed locals, of which there are plenty. On the food menu are varied, Spanish-proding dishes, from scallops in chilli butter to Iberico pork collar and apple mostarda. Word to the wise: visit on a Monday or Tuesday and enjoy two courses for £20. The ox cheek croquettes are a must.
91 Junction Road, N19 5QU, stjohnstavern.com
31. The Bull & Last
Just the ticket after a yomp across Hampstead Heath — the closest Zone 2 London comes to a country walk — the Bull and Last does a convincing impression of a rural pub-with-rooms, over the road from Parliament Hill Fields (there are seven bedrooms, should one wish to make a mini break of it). Weekend breakfasts and Sunday roasts aside, the menus are classic gastropub modern Med: stuffed courgette flowers; mullet carpaccio. Too nice to eat inside? Pick up a hamper for a picnic on the Heath.
168 Highgate Road, NW5 1QS, thebullandlast.co.uk
32. The Sun
While slightly less refined than the other Camberwell establishments on this list, The Sun is still well above average in the sustenance department. Expect exemplary iterations of pub classics such as Welsh onglet steak with chips and lashings of pepper cream sauce, and a bargain bangers and mash for only £8.50. The best bit? There’s a great big beer garden to laze about in afterwards.
61-63 Coldharbour Lane, SE5 9NS, suncamberwell.com
33. The Spread Eagle
A fully plant-based pub might seem a bizarre idea, what with the connection of staples like prawn cocktails, grilled meats, burgers and pies, but the Spread Eagle manages a plant-based offering that remains as classically pubby as possible. The meat of the sausage rolls are replaced with seasonal gourds (hence, squashage roll) and broad bean puree with confit garlic replaces welsh rarebit. It’s clever stuff walking the tightrope of delicious vegan food that doesn’t lecture the diner. A Homerton must.
224 Homerton High Street E9 6AS, thespreadeaglelondon.co.uk
34. The Churchill Arms
Not to say the Churchill’s food isn’t good — it is — but the Churchill gets a decent placing here in part because it seems to have been the first pub in the London to serve Thai food, since sometime in the late Eighties and praiseworthy in itself. Because, crikey, has it caught on. Why does it work? Well, the restaurant area is a moment of calm compared to the madness of bar, and the spice is a good counterpoint to the pints. The pad-kee mao is the best of what’s there, but it’s all good, and all cheap.
119 Kensington Church Street, W8 7LN, churchillarmskensington.co.uk
35. The Hare & Billet
A beacon of hope in sleepy Blackheath’s bleak dining scene, The Hare and Billet truly does have something for everyone — whether you’re after a bougie fish finger sandwich, a 2000-calorie roast chicken, oxbridge sausage and chestnut mushroom pie, or a delicate little beetroot, apple and goats cheese salad. Whichever you choose, don’t leave without trying the quirky chicken liver filled profiteroles with cherry compote and chicken crackling.
1A Elliott Cottages, Hare & Billet Road, SE3 0QJ, hareandbillet.com
36. The Culpeper
Inordinately popular, the Culpeper, a corner site with a curved central bar, long communal tables, sleek tiling, exposed walls. Here is a pub where orange wine follows house lager, where cocktails lean heavily into new east London. Yes, this is a considered sort of place for young professionals — City types mingle with graphic designers. All eat the food: moreish Comte croquettes; bisque with crab and fennel; Caesar salad. Ellis used to live in the top floor flat next door; a blue plaque is expected any day now.
40 Commercial Street, E1 6LP theculpeper.com
37. The Jugged Hare
Jugged hare is a dish of wild bunny braised in its own blood and served in a jug, which gives a clue as to the game-inspired menu of this food-focused pub by the Barbican. There is, though, plenty else to eat on the foraged and farm-to-fork menu if it isn’t huntin’ and shootin’ season: black pudding croquettes, Herefordshire snails with garlic and parsley butter, wild Suffolk venison offal with pickled mushroom sauce. Not, perhaps, cooking for the faint-hearted, though there is plenty of Dutch courage by way of the easy-to-navigate wine list.
49 Chiswell Street, EC1Y 4SB, thejuggedhare.com
38. The Baring
Rob Tecwyn, the head chef here, is one to trust. Before getting the Baring going, he’d made a name at Highgate’s Bull and Last (see above), and before that at Moro and Morito. Once a decrepit backstreet boozer, Tecwyn two years ago scrubbed it down, painted it up — presumably not on his own, but possibly — and from his kitchen offers unusual touches alongside the staples: apricot ketchup dolloped alongside friggitelli peppers stuffed with Merguez sausages, but also the more expected rib of beef with chips and hispi cabbage. It is, then, in that sense democratic, serving food that might appeal broadly.
55 Baring Street, N1 3DS, thebaring.co.uk
39. The Royal Oak
One might be forgiven for thinking that proximity to one of London’s premier historic centres for food would enure the local boozers to serve top-rate food. Unfortunately, most of the pubs around Borough market serve food that is indistinguishable from the traits of the market itself; namely overpriced and underwhelming. The Royal Oak then is much a needed breath of fresher air. The CAMRA-approved pub is, as all good pubs are, full of nooks and crannies to get tucked into, and packed with original features from 1790, when the pub first opened. The Sunday roasts are stuff of legend here, reasonable too as roasted meats, Yorkshire puddings and all the correct trimmings come in at £20 or less.
44 Tabard Street, SE1 4JU, royaloaklondon.co.uk
40. The Norfolk Arms
Somewhere in the depths of pub chat is the notion of a “hidden gem”, a misnomer here really as a pub can’t truly be that hidden if it’s been trading for the best part of 20 years. We digress. The colourful stickers anointing the window from various local and national food-led awards indicate a level of cookery well above an average pub. In fact the fare leans deeply into a vast array of tapas, found in few other places across town. There are some 50+ tapa to choose from, with boquerones, morcilla sausage, rollmop herrings, fennel and blood orange salad, octopus and baby back ribs all lending a surprising spanish authenticity to this charming corner pub. Bloomsbury is exceptionally well served thanks to the Norfolk.
28 Leigh Street, WC1H 9PF, norfolkarms.co.uk
41. The Garrison
It’s a looker, the Garrison, with light streaming in over its whitewashed interiors. The feel here is decidely more restaurant than pub, with the tables sat close together, and diners waiting for tables in the doorway (prices, too, reflect its restaurant feel). Its famed for its Sunday roast — but, as you’ve seen, where on this list isn’t? — but it’s the seafood here that’s particulary good, with bass and bream and mullet arriving whole on the plate and all under scatterings of pickled fennel and cucumber salad. No surprise this one has a loyal following, one that’s kept it busy since 2003.
99 Bermondsey Street, SE1 3XB, thegarrison.co.uk
42. The Holland
Looks-wise, sort-of Kensington Hero-lite (as in, of Maida Vale, number 17). This part of Kensington is hardly a thriving gastronomic metropolis, and so the Holland is a particularly welcome addition. Their menu is one of “British ingredient-led” food — obviously, it’s a gastropub — but it’s all done well (the confit duck, in particular, is excellent). There’s a £15 two-course set lunch menu which offers extraordinary value.
25 Earls Court Road, W8 6EB, thehollandkensington.co.uk
43. The Sekforde
Once a community pub, the Sekforde had a refit and reopened in 2017 with an intensely elegant look. It is a pub, and can be used for a pint alone, but it feels somewhere to eat: its looks encourage luxuriating. This Sunday roast is one that really does live up to its reputation, while the rest of the food is happily classic — things like French onion soup, braised lamb shank, Eton mess. They do them well.
34 Sekforde Street, EC1R 0HA, thesekforde.com
44. The Cavendish
Gorgeous Marylebone may be, but packed to the gills with great places to eat it ain’t. The Cavendish is pub downstairs, restaurant upstairs, and the bar leans more towards cocktails and wine than pints of bitter (in fact, they don’t serve it). The menu here is safe — burrata, sea bream carpaccio, tuna salad, steak — but notably well-executed. It’s comfortable, dog-friendly, and its somewhere that’s easy to linger. It may go drinks to food and back to drinks again. And there’s something quite lovely in that.
35 New Cavendish Street, W1G 9TR, 35newcavendish.co.uk
45. The Faltering Fullback
A proudly Irish pub dishing up all the Brit-Thai hits, there is little not to love about this ivy-clad gem tucked away in residential Finsbury Park. Less fancy, more fun, it’s a wonderful place to catch ‘the game’ while washing down chicken satay, green curry and pad kra pow with more Guinness than is socially acceptable. Pleasingly, the menu boasts plenty of vegan options, too.
19 Perth Road, N4 3HB, falteringfullback.com
46. The Gladstone Arms
A more traditional desi pub than the other two on this list, the Gladstone is one such pub that holds a special place in the hearts of those who know it. Called simply, “the Glad” by locals, this boozer opened nearly 100 years ago but is now run by siblings Megha and Gaurav Khanna who oversee the Glad’s famed roster of live music and selection of changing local beers. Gipsy Hill, Meantime and Hammerton are usually on, as is a food menu of Indian favourites; curries, yes, but also goat sliders, tempura chicken buns and keema pao. The whole thing is a marvel.
64 Lant Street, SE1 1QN, thegladpub.co.uk
47. Lore of the Land
A bad habit of catching fire aside, there’s much to admire about Guy Ritchie’s place is Fitzrovia. It’s like the stars of his films sometimes are: brooding, handsome, lively. It does, too, in places feel set-designed: the wood panelling, the turquoise walls, the jumble of art on the walls. There is a sense of stardust here, from the Gritchie Brewing Company beers to the Ryan Renolds gin, to the rumour that David Beckham is a regular. Michal Kaszuba is the chef here, who offers a modern, inventive take on pub fare: he’ll grill a pork loin, then plate it up with homemade kimchi, soy-glazed beans and add a mushroom broth, or he’ll do something as simple as a chicken liver parfait and pair it with blood orange. In game season, expect venison from Ritche’s Wiltshire estate.
4 Conway Street, W1T 6BB, gritchiepubs.com
48. The Duke of Wellington
In Marylebone, a pub of burgundy and blue, with an extensive wine list put together by publicans who know their stuff. On the menu, terrines and tartares, braised pork faggots and a hefty burger, as well as fine cask ales — this is a proper gastropub. Its sister site, the Albert Arms in Southwark, is worth visiting, too. There, the menu is a little more tempered (south of the river, you see), but possibly more enlivening thanks to kimchi spring rolls and cheddar and Marmite croquettes. Either pub is a solid example of progressive, higher-end pubbing, and if nothing else both offer decent fish and chips under £20, pies, pints and excellent service to boot.
94A Crawford Street, W1H 2HQ, thedukew1h.co.uk
49. Grove House Tavern
It’s the sandwiches at Peckham’s Grove House Tavern that impress most. Here, in the confines of an exceedingly pubby pub — pool table, darts, a mismatch of regulars and SE15 vacationers drinking decent pubs — are glorious sub rolls from Mondo, a pop-up turned permanent fixture thanks to rampant popularity. No wonder: fillings change regularly but are always moreish and well crafted. A recent combination saw salami, mortadella, and capicola (lovingly dubbed gabagool here, possibly in homage to Tony Soprano) mixed generously with fior de latte, hot and sweet peppers, pesto, red onions, rocket, and olive oil. Perfect with a pint, obviously.
26 Camberwell Grove, SE5 8RE, grovehousetavern.co.uk
50. The Butcher’s Tap and Grill
Tom Kerridge was the first chef in the country to win two Michelin stars for a gastropub, at the Hand and Flowers in Marlow; this Chelsea corner site finds him in more down-to-earth mode, right down to the sports on the TV (easily ignored). Steaks and chops are the house speciality — check out the cuts of beef, lamb and pork hanging in the meat-ageing cabinets — but treacle beef kebabs, macaroni cheese balls, sticky toffee pudding and ace cocktails all deserve the slight diversion off the King’s Road, too.
