Best Pubs in London
Published 02 November 2025

Describing their venue as a neighbourhood restaurant inside a 19th-century pub, the good folk at The Camberwell Arms have an appealing proposition on a busy road that slices through SE5. 'Compelling, simple, seasonal' food is the real deal, served up in relaxed, pared-back spaces where the bones of the old pub remain in its stripped floors, fireplaces and high Victorian ceilings. There's a hatch window out front so drinks can pass to thirsty locals on the pavement, and a private dining room with its own bar at the other end of the spectrum. The gauntlet is thrown down with 'Scotch bonnet pork fat on toast' – a dish of fire and fat, and not for the faint-hearted. Share a few small plates such as semolina gnocchi in a 'bright, fresh' San Marzano tomato sauce or charred onions with artichoke pesto and pistachios; otherwise, stick to the trad two- or three-course format. A bigger helping of grilled fish (wild bream or plaice, maybe) arrives with chips and aïoli, while thinly sliced porchetta is dressed with white peaches and rosemary. Two like-minded people can go for sharers such as half a spit-roast chicken (with blistered hispi cabbage and crème fraîche enriched with chicken fat) or aged Hereford rump steak with anchovy dripping. To finish, a 'beautiful' apricot and chocolate galette with crème fraîche and sour-cherry molasses sent one reader away very happy. Sunday lunches catch the eye with more of those sharers as well as roast potatoes cooked with sage and lemon. The drinking options include cocktails and well-chosen wines (from £26.50).

Since opening its doors back in 2003, the laid-back Anchor & Hope has maintained strong pub credentials, making it a great, buzzy bolthole for drinkers and diners alike  – and offering something completely different to the chain restaurants in the immediate area. Indeed, when it comes to food, 'it's definitely still the place to go post-Old/Young Vic if you can get in’, advises a reporter, adding ‘it would always be my choice in the area.’

Comfort levels are basic, but diversion comes in the form of views into the busy kitchen, where seasonal ingredients feature heavily on the short daily menu. It’s a zesty assortment of dishes, the tone set immediately by the likes of a couple of hand-dived Brixham scallops teamed with green tangerine, capers and mint, or a three-cheese and hazelnut soufflé with winter chanterelles and radicchio.

Braised wild venison Provençal with spätzle and Parmesan, or seven-hour lamb shoulder with preserved lemon, cumin, tomatoes and gratin dauphinois (for two), are just a couple of comfort-zone main courses the kitchen does well, followed perhaps by quince and almond tart with clotted cream. There’s a worker’s lunch, too, starting at £11 for one course, and a reasonably priced European wine list with a good choice by the glass or carafe.

One of London's first 'dining pubs' in the 1990s, the Anglesea Arms may have a lower profile these days, but we were heartened by the fact that little appears to have changed – a mix of locals, their friends, children and dogs all contributing to the relaxed neighbourhood vibe. And there’s no doubt that it remains a proper local boozer where you can happily pop in for drinks. It’s quite a rustic retreat, too, with wooden floors, chunky furnishings and a dedicated 'long brick wall' hung with an ever-changing exhibition of photographs and paintings by local artists. 

The menu has a Mediterranean streak running through it, so expect the likes of ham croquetas alongside pappardelle with beef ragù. A generously portioned fritto misto with spiced aïoli was a simple but satisfying start, although the battered seafood (prawns, squid, sea bass and whitebait) could have done with a wee-bit less time in the fryer. But we had no misgivings about a brightly coloured dish of gilled sea bream fillet teamed with new potatoes, sweet datterini tomatoes and thinly shaved courgettes, all lifted by a zesty sauce of white wine, olive oil and lemon. To finish, a panna cotta with poached rhubarb in a light rhubarb syrup sent us away on a happy note. 

Service is generally reckoned to be 'warm and friendly’, while the drinks list spans everything from bottled beers, ciders and monthly changing real ales from the likes of Fuller's to a tight and well-edited wine list with fair prices and more than 20 selections by the glass. 

‘Our local’ noted one reader proudly. For anyone with misgivings about pubs with restaurant inclinations, this urban hostelry should set you straight. As befits a sibling of Southwark’s Anchor & Hope, Stoke Newington’s Clarence Tavern, and the Magdalen Arms in Oxford, the Canton Arms is fully committed to its role as an old-fashioned city boozer. Low-lit and friendly, there’s pretty much a 50/50 split between drinkers knocking back pints of real ale in the front bar and diners in for some consistently delicious food in the dining area at the back.

Ingredients are seasonally spot-on, with the daily changing menu delivering anything from labneh with walnut and pomegranate dressing or crispy blood cake with homemade quince jam to roast hake with crab bisque, steamed potatoes and gremolata or duck confit with Puy lentils. After that, there might be bread-and-butter pudding with praline sauce, which was recently reported as ‘something I dream of weekly’.

It’s all considered good value, and that includes the line-up of drinks, which range from an ‘amazing’ selection of real ales on rotation and an impressive list of classic cocktails to a perfectly judged European wine list.

Are Oisín Rogers, Charlie Carroll and Ashley Palmer-Watts champions of a new era in pubs? The Devonshire is certainly one of the most enjoyable places to eat in the capital – if you can get in (far too many people want to eat here). Yet it looks set to become an institution – and long may it continue, for this is no ordinary pub. Ingredients are impeccable and the strong meat-focused menu serves the kind of dishes you want to eat, especially in the lively environment of a central London watering hole where drinkers have their own space and staff are noted for their relaxed expertise. Dining rooms are divided between the first and second floors where, under the direction of Ashley Palmer-Watts (formerly executive chef at Dinner by Heston Blumenthal), the kitchen applies a certain simplicity and accuracy of cooking to impeccable ingredients.

Flames are at the heart of the operation, with wood-fired Ibérico pork chops, lamb cutlets, fillet, ribeye and T-bone steaks (plus lobsters) keeping company with the likes of lamb hotpot or beef and Guinness suet pudding on the hand-scrawled menu. Three wonderfully meaty scallops, lightly roasted, served in the shell with nothing more than a buttery, vinegary sauce and strips of crisp bacon, is a terrific opener that hammers home the kitchen’s modus operandi – namely sourcing prime ingredients and treating them with the utmost simplicity. And there’s something deeply comforting about a fixed price, no-choice lunch that can deliver real quality and value in the shape of prawn and langoustine cocktail, skirt steak with excellent chips and béarnaise sauce, and light, luscious sticky toffee pudding – all for £29.

Sunday's roast ribs of beef carved from a silver-domed trolley are terrific value too and have helped restore the tradition in this part of town. To drink, everyone orders Guinness – it’s fast achieving cult status here – and you can drink well without breaking the bank from the mainly European wine list. The pub now has its own 40-cover rooftop terrace for fine-weather dining (note that you can't book this separately). 

Since landing on Farringdon Road in 1991, the Eagle has staked its claim as one of the originators of the so-called ‘gastropub’ genre. This lively, ever-popular boozer has resisted all forms of gentrification over the years, and remains, most assuredly, a pub. Small tables and bar stools around the perimeter are defined as 'free seating', although you can book. Order at the bar, choosing beer from the row of taps (try a craft keg from the guys who opened the Hackney Brewery) and food from the day’s menu scrawled on the board over the stove.

Edward Mottershaw (only the pub’s third ever head chef) cooks gutsy, country food from across Europe, but mostly from Italy and the Iberian Peninsula. The ‘bife ana’ rump steak sandwich has been on the menu since day one and it still reigns supreme for many punters – although others prefer the heartier seasonally adapted dishes. On a typical day you might find hake steak with lentils and salsa cruda, roast pork belly with braised peas, celeriac and pickled cabbage or grilled aubergine with tzatziki, followed by the near-ubiquitous burnt Basque cheesecake.

Spain dominates the cracking list of quaffable and affordable wines, or you could plump for a well-mixed cocktail such as Dark & Stormy – or even the Eagle's famously thirst-quenching Rock Shandy. ‘No fuss, no frills and everything is done with a lot of love,’ concluded an inspector.

Formerly the Crooked Well, this restored Victorian pub-restaurant on a quiet residential street is sibling to the Baring in Hoxton and destined to be an equal hit. The large corner location, painted a muted racing green, conceals a spacious, light interior: the eating and drinking areas smoothly co-exist (the latter also serves walk-ins) and the pub is a haven in an area with little outdoor seating. The design – stripped-back with lots of wood, Art Deco-style lighting and neutral colours – could be a formulaic template of a new-wave urban pub, but the quality of the food and unstuffy atmosphere raise it above the crowd. As does the sense that it doesn’t take itself too seriously – don’t miss the proper chips and garlic mayo. 

Jay Styler’s cooking is clever and confident, plays to its strengths and knows its limits, with seasonal British produce to the fore. The menu is short and deceptively simple, bursting with big flavours that hit the spot. The Cornish squid and lardo shish with Aleppo chilli topped with a tangle of sea greens has become a must-have fixture, likewise the fruit-topped doughnut that releases a spurt of chamomile custard when pierced.

Other dishes might range from a fragrant summer starter of barattiere 'cucumber', watermelon, gazpacho and lovage to a generous portion of Middle White pork loin with grilled apricots, spelt and hispi cabbage (a fine combo of savoury, sweet and earthy). And hurrah for piña colada on the drinks list. It’s the sort of pub you’d be happy to call your local.

Big, solid and glamorous, this strikingly converted Notting Hill corner pub has proved a stellar blueprint for the rapidly expanding Public House Group since it opened in 2022. In the years since, it has lost none of its appeal as an exceptional neighbourhood hangout.

Provenance is high on the priority list in a menu that is brief in both description and in length (‘chicken, girolles’ or ‘mullet, mussels’) but accompanied by a lengthy run of specials, considerately jotted down onto the paper menu. Spider crab on toast or greaseless battered cod cheeks with luminous curry sauce are two of many ways to arrange a light lunch or kick off a feast that might run on to a bone-in sirloin to share with a fabulously fresh salad of cucumber and sorrel. Standard pub fayre this is not.

To finish, we direct you towards the chocolate mousse, or perhaps parkin and custard for more wintery months. Top picks for drinking include the pub’s signature Allsop’s Pilsner or a pint from Bristol’s Lost and Grounded Brewers. The wine list is carefully curated and offers value at all price points.

Taking its name from the warship HMS Surprise, this neighbourhood pub has stood on a quiet spot, a short walk from the King's Road, since 1853. In keeping with its neighbourhood vibe, green leather banquettes, a fireplace and peach-painted walls create a vintage/cosy feel. Indeed, the inviting ambience and good-natured staff are enough to encourage those popping in for a drink to linger and perhaps explore bar snacks such as seafood croquettes or Wiltshire cocktail sausages with mustard and honey dip. 

The straightforward menu runs from fish and chips to Somerset pork tomahawk and Sunday roasts (including a veggie option of pearl barley, celeriac and wild mushroom Wellington). We started with cured sea trout paired with thick-cut fennel finished off with apple slices and a lemony crème fraîche and dill, followed by a juicy Creedy Carver duck breast teamed with bubble and squeak, savoy cabbage and a topping of thyme crumble and blackberries. A seasonal dessert of English plums and Bramley apples with a light dusting of crumble and Cornish clotted cream made a pleasant way to finish. 

The drinks list leads off with cocktails, followed by craft beers, whiskies, and some delightful wines (especially if your tipple is Burgundy or Bordeaux), ranging from £34 right up to a Château Lafite Rothschild from the sensational 2003 vintage, at a whopping £950.

Following on from the Tamil Prince in Barnsbury, Prince Durairaj (of Roti King fame) has repeated the formula in what was the old Charles Lamb pub on Elia Street, just behind Angel station. The Tamil Crown is almost a carbon copy of its predecessor, although it feels calmer and there’s more space: the venue is spread over two floors with a traditional dining room upstairs and a ground-floor space including a bar, complete with a cosy fireplace, candles and a sofa – ideal if you fancy a pint and a quick bite.

Staff are keen to upsell, but we prefer to keep it cheap and simple by ordering just one dish – the beef masala uthappam (like a smaller, thick dosa spread with spicy meat) is an ‘absolute standout’. Quite a few staple dishes have made the move from the Prince to the Crown, notably regional classics from the eponymous Tamil Nadu region of the subcontinent: the crispy okra fries, robata lamb chops and Thanjavur chicken curry are all present and correct, although our prawn moilee suffered from cloying coconut overkill.

The billowing, flaky roti breads are excellent (as you would expect given Prince Durairaj’s background) and drinkers have plenty of ales on tap, as well as some spiced-up cocktails and well-chosen wines. Also check out the Sunday menu, with its masala-roasted chickens and lamb shanks plus Indian veg, roast potatoes and gravy. 

At a time when so many pubs are closing down, it's heart-warming to see the revival of this riverside hostelry. The revamped Waterman's Arms now sets out its stall as a neighbourhood pub-cum-restaurant where exposed brick walls, wooden benches softened by claret-coloured velvet cushions, candlelight and views of the Thames across the way make it the perfect spot to unwind.

When we called in, a bluesy soundtrack added to the mood, making it so cosy that we were reluctant to leave. Eager young staff also gave the impression that they just wanted us to hang around and have a good time. The kitchen is headed by Sam Andrews (ex-Camberwell Arms and Soho's Ducksoup), who has created a concise seasonal menu with daily specials chalked up on a board – market fish with saffron, for example.

The cooking is direct, with few excesses, and the kitchen teases out maximum flavour with the minimum of fuss – as seen in our starter of gutsy, satisfying confit pork with white onion on toast. Mains are equally impressive, from big flakes of gurnard tangled with kohlrabi, coriander and a dash of yoghurt to juicy duck breast served with Provençal onions, olives and a blood-orange segment. After that, a wedge of mature Comté, accompanied by prunes and spelt digestives, paved the way for a pleasing sweet finale involving poached pear with dark chocolate and crème anglaise.

Weekday lunches on Thursdays and Fridays are great value, and Sunday brings a choice of roasts in addition to the usual repertoire. Like everything here, the choice of beers, cocktails and the diverse wines (from £28.50) has been put together with care.