The 17 best pubs in the City of London – picked by experts
The City of London has some of the best old boozers in the country, from sprawling Victorian gin palaces to squat little drinking dens squirrelled away down forgotten alleyways. We asked the reporters at City AM – who know the Square Mile better than anyone – their top spots for a cheeky pint. If you think we’ve missed one, why not nominate your favourite for our Toast the City Awards, celebrating everything that makes the Square Mile great. Just follow this link and tell us where you love to drink! Here’s our list of the best pubs in the City.
Old Dr Butler’s Head, Masons Ave
This great pub is located down a narrow lane flanked by two tall buildings, making it feel like it has literally fallen between the cracks. It was named after the physician William Butler, who invented a medicinal drink called Dr Butler’s purging ale. Thankfully there is no purging ale on tap today – but there’s a great selection of beer served in a fantastic old-fashioned boozer. The best spot is on the street outside where you’re shaded from the sun and shielded from the worst of the rain.
Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese, Wine Office Court
If you really want to step back in time, head over to Fleet Street where, tucked away down an alley, you will find this beautifully preserved pub rebuilt the year after the Great Fire. Once a favourite of Charles Dickens, G. K. Chesterton and Mark Twain, it’s a place of low, vaulted ceilings, hand-drawn message boards and atmospheric lamplight.
The Trinity Bell, Mitre Street
The Trinity Bell is a more distinguished affair than many of the spit-and-sawdust pubs on this list. It’s a great place to go for a lowkey lunch with a client who prefers pints to prosecco. The decor is chic and unfussy and there’s clearly care taken to elevate this from your average boozer, although this arguably comes at the expense of character.
The Crutched Friar, Tower Hill
This out-of-the-way pub is a bona fide hidden gem with some of the fastest bar staff in The City. The Crutched Friar comes into its own at this time of year with a great sun-trap beer garden that’s a brilliant spot to while away a Thursday evening. Inside is a nice combination of modern and traditional and you can get a quality pub lunch here too.
Lamb Tavern, Leadenhall Market
Located amid the Harry Potter-esque grandeur of Leadenhall market, the Lamb Tavern is one to take out of towners for a taste of the City of London that lives in the mind’s eye. It’s a smart old fashioned boozer with a heritage dating back as far as 1780, and it does a decent pub lunch if you manage to get a table.
The Hung, Drawn and Quartered, Great Tower St
A City AM favourite located a few paces from our old Fenchurch Street office, The Hung, Drawn and Quartered is a cracking little bar that’s guaranteed to be packed out come 5pm. It serves a quality pie and there’s a buzzy atmosphere, although it’s a little close to the tourist trail of Tower Bridge.
Bunch of Grapes, Lime St
By no means the most glamorous pub on this list, the Bunch of Grapes gets a mention for being perhaps the archetypal City AM boozer. Located within stumbling distance of at least three former offices, it has been the backdrop to clandestine meetings, romantic trysts and dramatic bust ups. If a pub is a collection of the memories made there, The Bunch of Grapes has it all.
The Banker, Cousin Lane
If you’re in the market for river views, look no further than The Banker, which is nestled on the banks of the Thames behind Cannon Street Station. The huge terrace is the big draw so head there on a sunny day for some of the best views in London.
Williamson’s Tavern, Groveland Ct
Despite lying being metres from the crowds of Watling Street, Williamson’s Tavern, to be found on a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it lane, is an oasis of calm. Now a Nicholson’s Pub – meaning you can guarantee a decent plate of fish and chips – it’s located down a red-brick alley that oozes period charm.
The Rising Sun, Carter Lane
Buried in the alleyways south-west of St Pauls you will find The Rising Sun, a pub with bags of character that’s a great place to hide from the rest of the world. It’s a traditional boozer, so expect, slightly sticky floors and slightly sticky regulars but there is nowhere better should you require a fortifying lunchtime pint.
Ye Olde Watling, Watling St
Classic City boozer Ye Olde Watling lies on the always-busy Watling Street, where hundreds of City workers congregate every summer evening to drink pints in the sunshine. It’s a proper old pub Built by Christopher Wren in 1668 and featuring lots of dark wood and cosy nooks, making it ideal even when the weather turns.
The Swan Tavern, Ship Tavern Passage
South of Leadenhall Market is The Swan Tavern, a great Edwardian City pub famous for the insurance brokers propping up the bar. It features marble-topped bars located across two floors and has all its original features still intact. Even better, there is a covered outdoor area and umbrellas, making it a great port in a storm.
The Bell, Bush Lane
Tucked away beside Cannon Street Station, The Bell is a small but perfectly formed pub that’s typical of the kind of characterful establishment that makes the City such a great place to drink. Its bijou bar is crossed with heavy, exposed beams and there’s a vaguely equine theme to the decorations. Upstairs there’s a small dining room should you get peckish. It served as the City AM house pub for at least five years.
The Blackfriar
Located on the south-west corner of the City, The Blackfriar is one of the maddest and most spectacular pubs in London. Built on the site of a medieval Dominican friary, every surface is decorated with intricate Art Nouveau carvings and the ceilings are covered with ornate mosaics. Secluded tables are hidden away in little marble nooks, making it a great place to explore. Worth a trip to admire the art alone.
The Jamaica Wine House, St Michael’s Alley
The Jamaica Wine House, which has been on the site in various guises since the 1600s, has plenty going for it but what really stands out is the worn-down flagstone on the threshold of the front door, smoothed and nearly hollowed out by the footsteps of thirsty City punters over hundreds of years.
The Ship, Talbot Court
Another 17th century gem that, like so many of the Square Mile’s best watering spots, is tucked down an alley just off Eastcheap. It has some of the most impressive original Victorian woodwork and stained glass in the City and its strange, warren-like layout means its full of nooks and crannies to explore.
The Ship, Hart St
The second pub called The Ship on this list, this Hart Street boozer is a bijou affair, with barely room to swing a pint, let alone a cat. It’s got character in spades, however, from the incredible frontage that literally recalls the prow of a ship to the cosy Victorian bar inside with traditional copper-topped tables and floral accents.
