Best Historic Pubs in London (2026)
Galleried inns, riverside taverns, Victorian gin palaces and the true stories behind the dates over the door.
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Updated November 2026
A sign saying 1546 doesn't make a great pub. A 1920s mock-medieval hall can easily beat one, so we've picked rooms worth sitting in, whatever date is over the door.
This guide covers 27 historic pubs in London, grouped by area, with how to get a table at each one. There are four pub walks if you want to string a few together, and the real story behind the city's famous founding dates.
Best Historic Pubs in London at a Glance
| Pub | Area | Best for | How to visit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese | Fleet Street | A first London pub | Book or walk in |
| Ye Olde Mitre | Hatton Garden | A hidden courtyard pint | Book or walk in; closed Sundays |
| The Seven Stars | Holborn | Great food in a tiny room | Walk in, small groups only |
| The Blackfriar | Blackfriars | The most striking interior | Book or walk in |
| Princess Louise | Holborn | Victorian glass and tiles | Book or walk in |
| Cittie of Yorke | Holborn | A huge timber hall | Book or walk in; no Sunday food |
| The Viaduct Tavern | St Paul's | Gin in a Victorian palace | Book or walk in; closed Sundays |
| The Hoop and Grapes | Aldgate | A quick look at a 1600s building | Book or walk in |
| Lamb & Flag | Covent Garden | A pint before the theatre | Book for meals |
| The French House | Soho | Conversation without phones | Walk in to the bar; book upstairs |
| The Coach & Horses | Soho | Old Soho stories | Walk-in only |
| The Lamb | Bloomsbury | Snob screens and a Sunday roast | Book or walk in |
| The Museum Tavern | Bloomsbury | After the British Museum | Book or walk in |
| The Red Lion | Westminster | A pint near Parliament | Walk in |
| The Grenadier | Belgravia | A hidden pub date | Book for food; phone for 2 or 5+ |
| The George Inn | Southwark | London's oldest pub | Book inside; courtyard walk-in only |
| The Anchor Bankside | Southwark | River views near the Globe | Book inside; garden walk-in only |
| The Mayflower | Rotherhithe | A riverside date | Book inside; jetty walk-in only |
| The Prospect of Whitby | Wapping | Classic Thames atmosphere | Book or walk in |
| The Town of Ramsgate | Wapping | A quieter Wapping pint | Book for food only |
| The Grapes | Limehouse | A small room on the river | Walk-in only; no under-18s |
| The Trafalgar Tavern | Greenwich | A long riverside lunch | Book and ask for a river table |
| The Dove | Hammersmith | The UK's smallest bar | Book for food |
| The Holly Bush | Hampstead | Lunch after the Heath | Book for food |
| The Spaniards Inn | Hampstead Heath | A country-inn feel | Book for lunch |
| The Flask | Highgate | Lunch after Highgate Cemetery | Book for food |
| The Prince Alfred | Maida Vale | Victorian drinking compartments | Book or walk in |
The Oldest Pubs in London
The George Inn has the best claim to be London's oldest pub. Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese is the only other one with a solid case, and most of the famous dates on pub signs don't survive a look at the records. No pub in the old City made it through the Great Fire of 1666, so anything there claiming to be older is a rebuild at best.
| Pub | Date you'll see | What the record shows |
|---|---|---|
| The George Inn | About 1542 | An inn stood here by about 1542. One wing of the 1677 rebuild survives. |
| Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese | 1538 | First recorded in 1680, in a building put up after the Great Fire. |
| The Prospect of Whitby | 1520 | The building is 18th and 19th century. The 1520 date first appears in the 1950s. |
| Ye Olde Mitre | 1546 | Established in the 1770s, after the Bishop of Ely's estate was redeveloped. |
| The Mayflower | About 1550 | The oldest parts date from the 1780s, and most of it was rebuilt in the 1950s after wartime damage. |
| The Hoop and Grapes | 1593 | A late 17th-century building that only became a pub in 1920. |
| The Seven Stars | 1602 | More likely built in the 1680s. |
Historic Pubs in the City and Holborn
This is the densest run of old pubs in London and the easiest to walk between. Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese, Princess Louise and the Cittie of Yorke all belong to Samuel Smith's, the Yorkshire brewery that pours only its own beer and bans TV, music and swearing. It also forbids phones and laptops indoors, so keep yours in your pocket.
Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese
145 Fleet St, London EC4A 2BP, UK
Turn down Wine Office Court and Fleet Street disappears. Rebuilt after the Great Fire, the Cheese is a warren of dark rooms and brick-vaulted cellars that has drawn Dickens, Yeats and Wodehouse. Come for the steak and kidney pudding in the Chop Room, then wander until you find a room you like. Details: Not wheelchair accessible.
Ye Olde Mitre
1 Ely Ct, Ely Pl, London EC1N 6SJ, UK
Part of the fun is finding it, down a narrow passage by Hatton Garden. Legend has Elizabeth I dancing with Sir Christopher Hatton around the cherry tree that still props up the front of the pub. It's a small, wood-panelled place with real ales, toasties and a little courtyard, and it's best with one or two friends. Details: Closed Sundays. Closes at 9pm on Saturdays, with food until 4pm.
The Seven Stars
53 Carey St, London WC2A 2JB, UK
Roxy Beaujolais, a former BBC food presenter, has run this tiny pub behind the Royal Courts of Justice for decades, and it still feels entirely hers. Lawyers pack the three narrow rooms after work, the pub cat has been known to wear a ruff, and her daily-changing menu is a real reason to come. Keep your party small. Details: The toilets are up a steep, narrow staircase.
The Blackfriar
174 Queen Victoria St, Greater, London EC4V 4EG, UK
A wedge-shaped Victorian pub that turns a quick pint into an art lesson. The interior, worked up in the early 1900s, is all marble, mosaics and jolly sculpted friars, a nod to the Dominican friary that once stood here. It only survives because Sir John Betjeman led the campaign against its demolition. Look for the vaulted room at the back. Details: The back room sometimes closes for events.
Princess Louise
208 High Holborn, London WC1V 7EP, UK
One of London's great Victorian interiors, with etched glass, glossy tiles, carved mahogany and big mirrors from 1891. The wooden partitions around the central bar went back in during a modern restoration, so you can still drink in your own little compartment. The Cittie of Yorke is just along High Holborn if you want a very different second stop. Details: Food at lunch and in the evening, and until 5pm on Sundays.
Cittie of Yorke
22 High Holborn, London WC1V 6BN, UK
Walk through to the back for the biggest reveal on this list: a soaring timber-roofed hall with huge vats and a row of wooden booths. It looks medieval, but it's a glorious bit of 1920s theatre, built in 1923–24. Grab a booth if you can. Details: Closes at 6pm on Sundays, with no food that day.
The Viaduct Tavern
126 Newgate St, London EC1A 7AA, UK
The other side of Victorian drinking: a traditional gin palace with painted panels and ornate flourishes, not a dark timber tavern. It's a handy stop near St Paul's, with a long gin list, cask beer and a short menu of toasties and pies. Details: Closed Sundays. Closes at 8pm on Saturdays.
The Hoop and Grapes
47 Aldgate High St, Greater, London EC3N 1AL, UK
A crooked, timber-framed survivor leaning out over the Aldgate traffic. It housed wine and brandy merchants for much of its life, so come for the building and a quick pint near the Tower of London. Use the Aldgate address, since there's another Hoop and Grapes in Farringdon.
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Historic Pubs in the West End and Westminster
Soho's history is mostly about who drank there, while Bloomsbury and Belgravia are more about the rooms. These are small pubs in busy parts of town, so earlier is always better.
Lamb & Flag
33 Rose St, London WC2E 9EB, UK
Covent Garden's old pub has a past to match the crowds. Recorded as the Coopers Arms in 1772, it took its present name in 1833 and earned the nickname the Bucket of Blood for its bare-knuckle prize fights. Hired thugs attacked the poet John Dryden in the alley beside it in 1679. It's small and loud, and just right before the theatre. Details: Go in the afternoon for a better shot at a seat.
The French House
49 Dean St, London W1D 5BG, UK
There are no ancient beams here, just decades of Soho's writers, artists and actors on the walls and at the bar. The house rules are no music, no machines, no TV and no phones, so people actually talk. Beer traditionally comes in halves, and there are 30 wines and champagnes by the glass. Details: The upstairs restaurant serves lunch and dinner Monday to Saturday, books 60 days out, takes up to six and needs a card to hold the table.
The Coach & Horses
29 Greek St, London W1D 5DH, UK
This was the pub of Jeffrey Bernard, the Private Eye crowd and famously formidable landlord Norman Balon. It's plainer than the gilded rooms elsewhere in this guide, with a largely 1930s interior and no airs at all. Pair it with The French House, a few minutes away, for two versions of old Soho. Details: Walk-ins only. Closes at 8pm on Sundays.
The Lamb
94 Lamb's Conduit St, London WC1N 3LZ, UK
Look up at the bar for the snob screens, small swivelling glass panels that gave Victorian drinkers some privacy, and one of the few sets left in London. The pub dates to the 1720s, Sylvia Plath was a regular and Dickens dropped in. There's a hidden garden terrace too, and the Sunday roast is the reason to book. Details: Food until 9pm, or 8pm on Sundays.
The Museum Tavern
49 Great Russell St, London WC1B 3BA, UK
Straight across from the British Museum, and the obvious pint after a morning with the Rosetta Stone. It opened as the Dog and Duck in 1723 and took its present name in 1759, once the museum had arrived. Karl Marx is said to have drunk here, and Conan Doyle put it in a Sherlock Holmes story. Details: Food until 10pm, or 9pm on Sundays.
The Red Lion
48 Parliament St, London SW1A 2NH, UK
The pick if you're seeing Westminster, a few minutes up Parliament Street from Big Ben. It was rebuilt in 1898–99, with a carved mahogany bar back, a patterned ceiling and etched glass, and portraits of former prime ministers look down on the main bar. Details: Food until 10pm, or 8:30pm on Sundays.
The Grenadier
18 Wilton Row, London SW1X 7NR, UK
Hidden down a Belgravia mews, this is the most secluded pub date in central London. Military pictures line a small bar, and legend says the banknotes on the ceiling are there to settle the debt of a guardsman beaten to death for cheating at cards. It's small and popular, so book if you're eating. Details: Tables for two and groups of five or more must phone 020 8071 1200. Other sizes can book online.
Historic Pubs Along the Thames
The river has the best views and the best stories, from Southwark's old inns to the pubs of Wapping, Limehouse and Hammersmith. The Mayflower is on the south bank, one stop from Wapping on the Windrush line. The Town of Ramsgate, The Prospect of Whitby and The Grapes all sit on the north bank.
The George Inn
75 Borough High St, London SE1 1NH, UK
This is London's last galleried inn and the best claim to the oldest-pub title. Step off Borough High Street into the yard and the white wooden galleries do the explaining: the one surviving wing shows how a busy inn once worked. The National Trust owns it, and Dickens mentioned it in Little Dorrit. Details: The courtyard is walk-in only.
The Anchor Bankside
34 Park St, London SE1 9EF, UK
Samuel Pepys watched the Great Fire from a little alehouse on Bankside, and this riverside pub has long been named as the spot. What stands here now is a much later rebuild, so come for the Thames views and a handy stop near Shakespeare's Globe. Details: The riverside garden is walk-in only.
The Mayflower
117 Rotherhithe St, London SE16 4NF, UK
This Rotherhithe pub takes its name from the Pilgrims' ship, which moored nearby before sailing for America in 1620. Candlelit rooms, an open fire and a jetty over the Thames make it the best pub date on this list, and it even serves a Thanksgiving menu. Details: The jetty is walk-in only.
The Prospect of Whitby
57 Wapping Wall, London E1W 3SH, UK
The full riverside show: an old flagstone floor, a rare pewter-topped bar, ships' masts built into the structure and a replica noose hanging over the Thames. The 1520 date is shaky, but the atmosphere isn't. Head for the first-floor balcony or the garden for the river view. Details: Food until 9pm.
The Town of Ramsgate
62 Wapping High St, London E1W 2PN, UK
Smaller and more local than The Prospect up the road, this long, narrow, family-run pub sits right beside Wapping Old Stairs. Panelling and built-in seats lead back to a small river garden. It's an easy first stop on a Wapping walk. Details: Most tables are kept for walk-ins, and online bookings go up to six. The kitchen closes from 4pm to 5pm.
The Grapes
76 Narrow St, London E14 8BP, UK
Ian McKellen is a leaseholder here, and the Gandalf staff behind the bar is the giveaway. The building dates to 1720, Dickens slipped it into the opening chapter of Our Mutual Friend, and the narrow room puts you practically on the Thames. Get the fish and chips and try for a spot on the heated deck. Details: Walk-ins only, no under-18s. Pub quiz on Mondays from 8pm.
The Trafalgar Tavern
Park Row, London SE10 9NW, UK
The grand alternative to London's dark little snugs, opened in 1837 with big windows over the Thames at Greenwich. It became famous for whitebait dinners, and Dickens set Bella Wilfer's wedding breakfast here in Our Mutual Friend. Make a long lunch of it. Details: Bookings cover the pub, the Nile restaurant and the terrace.
The Dove
19 Upper Mall, London W6 9TA, UK
At 33 square feet, the front bar has been listed by Guinness as the UK's smallest. This 18th-century riverside pub is said to be where James Thomson wrote the words to Rule, Britannia!, William Morris lived next door, and Hemingway and Graham Greene drank here. Walk along Upper Mall to reach it, and count a terrace seat as a bonus.
Historic Pubs in North London
The Hampstead and Highgate pubs pair well with a walk on the Heath and all do a proper lunch, so book if you're eating. The Prince Alfred in Maida Vale is a separate trip, for a Victorian layout you won't find anywhere else.
The Holly Bush
22 Holly Mount, Hampstead Gate, London NW3 6SG, UK
Up in Hampstead's hilly back streets, this pub grew out of Georgian stables and still has small, panelled front rooms and a real fire. Those front rooms are the ones to seek out for a pint. The kitchen holds an AA Rosette, so it's also a serious lunch after the Heath. Details: The kitchen closes mid-afternoon, except on Sundays when it runs until 8pm.
The Spaniards Inn
Spaniards Rd, London NW3 7JJ, UK
The legends pile up here: two Spanish brothers in 1585, Dick Turpin, Keats, Dickens and a ghost or two. The panelled 17th-century building and big garden on the edge of the Heath don't need the help, and it's the closest London gets to a country inn. Details: It's a long way from the Tube, so build it into a walk.
The Flask
77 Highgate W Hill, London N6 6BU, UK
Highgate's village pub, with low-beamed rooms, a rambling layout and a garden, mostly in 18th-century buildings. It's the natural lunch stop after Highgate Cemetery. Don't confuse it with The Flask in Hampstead. Details: Food all day.
The Prince Alfred
5A Formosa St, London W9 1EE, UK
The layout is the attraction: five drinkers' compartments around the bar, split by timber and glass screens, with low doors that make you duck between them. It's a remarkable look at how Victorian pubs separated people by class, and it's Grade II* listed for good reason. Pair it with a walk around Little Venice. Details: Food all day. Ask for the compartments rather than the dining room.
Four Historic Pub Walks in London
You don't need a drink at every stop. Pick the pubs you like the sound of and leave time to linger.
| Walk | Route | When to go |
|---|---|---|
| Hidden Courtyard to Fleet Street | Ye Olde Mitre → Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese → The Blackfriar | A weekday, since the Mitre closes Sundays and shuts early on Saturdays |
| Covent Garden Into Soho | Lamb & Flag → The Coach & Horses → The French House | Early, with a small group, since neither Soho bar books drinks |
| Wapping to Limehouse | The Town of Ramsgate → The Prospect of Whitby → The Grapes | Any day, adults only. For a fourth pub, start at The Mayflower, one Windrush line stop from Wapping |
| Hampstead and the Heath | The Holly Bush → a walk across the Heath → The Spaniards Inn | A full day, with a meal booked at one pub |
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