The Best Pubs in London for a Proper Pint

A proper pint is a modest ambition. It means beer kept well, a room that does not try too hard, and ideally somewhere to sit near a fire when the weather turns. London has plenty of pubs that manage all this, and the best of them tend to be the ones that have stopped trying to impress anybody.

This guide is sorted by area, so you can find something near wherever you happen to be. Opening hours, beer ranges and whether a fire is lit all change, so check before you go. CAMRA's WhatPub database is the quickest way to see what is on the bar.

Central: Covent Garden and Holborn

The Harp, Covent Garden

The Harp is on Chandos Place, and the Covent Garden estate directory calls it award-winning and traditional, with a note for its ciders and perries. Fuller's says the Evening Standard named it London's best pub for 2020, which is past recognition rather than current news, but it explains why the place is rarely quiet. Squeeze in early if you want a seat.

Ye Olde Mitre, Holborn

Tucked up Ely Court off Ely Place, Ye Olde Mitre is Grade II listed and sits on CAMRA's National Inventory of Historic Pub Interiors. Its own site, run by Fuller's, makes a point of real ales and home-made bar snacks, and Fuller's says the Society for the Preservation of Beers from the Wood named it London Pub of the Year for 2019. Do not confuse it with the Mitre in Richmond and Hounslow, which is a different pub entirely.

The Seven Stars, Holborn

On Carey Street, behind the law courts, The Seven Stars is a Grade II listed Real Heritage Pub on CAMRA's records, dating from at least 1602. Some claim it as London's oldest surviving pub. That is a claim, not a certainty, but the age of the place is not in doubt. Its opening hours have been shorter than most central pubs, so check them first.

North: Hampstead, Kentish Town and Hoxton

The Spaniards Inn, Hampstead

On Spaniards Road beside the Heath, this is a Grade II listed pub with traditional wood panelling. The Nudge describes snug, low-beamed rooms, and it features on both Londonist's real fires list and The Nudge's open fires list. CAMRA's listing shows cask ale. It is a bus ride or a walk from the nearest stations rather than a short hop, which is part of the point: come after a long stride across the Heath.

The Holly Bush, Hampstead

Another Grade II listed building, with an open fire downstairs and a second in the upstairs dining room, according to Fuller's. Stylist describes an 18th-century, wood-panelled pub with a fire, and Sunny in London lists it among traditional Hampstead Fuller's pubs. It is the sort of place that rewards a cold evening.

The Southampton Arms, Gospel Oak and Kentish Town

At 139 Highgate Road, within reach of Kentish Town or Gospel Oak, this is a small pub with Ale. Cider. Meat. painted on the side, as The Nudge notes. Londonist includes it in its 100 best pubs, Time Out lists it in its guide to pubs with open fires, and CAMRA says it has won a Greater London cider award. It is a good pick if you like to be offered a choice rather than a brand.

The Wenlock Arms, Hoxton

Time Out and CAMRA's London Drinker both report that the Wenlock Arms is CAMRA's North London pub of the year for 2026. That is a recent and rather useful endorsement for anyone who wants cask ale treated seriously. Look up its current beer list on WhatPub before heading out.

South: Borough

The Lord Clyde, Borough

At 27 Clennam Street, just south of the river near Borough and London Bridge, The Lord Clyde was rebuilt in 1913. CAMRA's listing singles out its ceramic-heavy exterior. Londonist calls it friendly and traditional without apology, which is a fair summary of the appeal. Do not count on a fire here; none is confirmed.

West: Hammersmith

The Dove, Hammersmith

On Upper Mall by the Thames, The Dove describes itself as a riverside pub serving beer, cider and food. It is a Fuller's pub, Grade II listed, and CAMRA's London Pubs Group lists it as a Real Heritage Pub and records its place in the Guinness Book of Records for the smallest public bar in Britain. Fuller's also mentions a large open fireplace in the dining room. Come in the colder months and be glad of it.

Worth the trip: the outer boroughs

Each year CAMRA's branches put forward their best pub, and the winners are a reminder that the best pint is not always in Zone 1. Time Out reports that The Cockpit in Chislehurst took the Greater London title for 2026, one of twelve branch winners.

The Cockpit, Chislehurst

The Cockpit is a micropub at 4 Royal Parade, opened in 2020 at the back of Roses Florist. It serves cask ale and fine cider, plus local gin and Neal's Yard cheeses, and fines £1 for mobile phone use and swearing. That rule alone suits a guide devoted to no nonsense. London Drinker's piece on the twelve branch winners covers the same contest.

The Trafalgar, South West London

CAMRA's South West London winner for 2026 is The Trafalgar. Londonist describes a community freehouse with barbecues, beer festivals and Morris dancing, with a cask and keg range it rates above most traditional boozers, and says plans to demolish it were quashed. A pub worth defending, then, and worth a visit.

How to choose

• For a fire: The Spaniards Inn, The Holly Bush and The Dove all have one mentioned, subject to the season.
• For history: Ye Olde Mitre, The Seven Stars and The Lord Clyde.
• For a cider as well as a beer: The Harp and The Southampton Arms.
• For a bit of a journey: The Cockpit and The Trafalgar.

Pint prices vary from pub to pub and week to week, so check each pub's own site or WhatPub before you go. The Fuller's pubs are worth a look on their own sites for the current ale list, and The Spaniards Inn has an about page that covers its history.