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Historic London Pubs: 12 Worth the Trip

London’s oldest pubs are some of its best history lessons. These 12, all from Spot and Travel’s list of the world’s most unique pubs, include a tavern rebuilt after the Great Fire, the city’s last galleried coaching inn, a riverside pub near where the Mayflower set out in 1620 and a 16th-century inn on the edge of Hampstead Heath. Each comes with a short guide and one practical tip. Every photo shows the real pub, credited to its photographer.

Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese, Fleet Street, London

01 · Fleet Street

Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese

Down a narrow court off Fleet Street, this Samuel Smith’s house was rebuilt after the Great Fire—its sign still reads “Rebuilt 1667”—and is a warren of panelled rooms once loved by literary regulars from Dr Johnson’s circle to Dickens.

Tip: Enter via Wine Office Court (145 Fleet Street). Midweek mid-afternoon is calmer than lunch or after-work peaks. Note: no wheelchair access.

Photo: Peter Trimming, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Sources: ye-olde-cheshire-cheese.co.uk · visitlondon.com · camra.org.uk

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The George Inn, Southwark, London

02 · Southwark

The George Inn

London’s last remaining galleried coaching inn, owned by the National Trust and rebuilt after the 1676 Southwark fire. Its white timber galleries still look down on a cobbled yard, and Dickens mentions it in Little Dorrit.

Tip: It’s a short walk south from London Bridge station along Borough High Street; book ahead for indoor meals, and go at dry midday for courtyard seats.

Photo: Ewan Munro from London, UK, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Sources: nationaltrust.org.uk · greeneking.co.uk · camra.org.uk

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The Grapes, Limehouse, London

03 · Limehouse

The Grapes

A Grade II-listed Victorian long-bar pub on Narrow Street whose terrace hangs over the Thames. Dickens knew this stretch of river, and Sir Ian McKellen is one of the leaseholders.

Tip: No under-18s, and no table reservations. Monday 8pm quiz nights are popular. Limehouse station (DLR/rail) is about 10 minutes’ walk.

Photo: Ewan Munro from London, UK, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Sources: thegrapes.co.uk · thegrapes.co.uk · camra.org.uk

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The Prospect of Whitby, Wapping, London

04 · Wapping

The Prospect of Whitby

On Wapping Wall, the Prospect of Whitby calls itself London’s oldest riverside inn (c. 1520), with original flagstones and Thames views from the beer garden and upstairs terrace.

Tip: Go at weekday lunch or mid-afternoon for terrace space. Take the Overground to Wapping, or walk the riverside path from St Katharine Docks.

Photo: Chris Whippet, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Sources: greeneking.co.uk · camra.org.uk · greeneking.co.uk

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The Churchill Arms, Kensington, London

05 · Kensington

The Churchill Arms

A Fuller’s pub dating from 1750 on Kensington Church Street, later tied to Winston Churchill’s family story and now famous for its cascading flower boxes and long-running Thai kitchen.

Tip: Weekday lunch is quieter for photos of the façade; flowers are at their fullest in warmer months. Tube: Notting Hill Gate or High Street Kensington.

Photo: Matt Brown, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Sources: churchillarmskensington.co.uk · camra.org.uk · churchillarmskensington.co.uk

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The Black Friar, Blackfriars, London

06 · Blackfriars

The Black Friar

A wedge-shaped, Grade II*-listed pub on the site of a medieval Dominican friary, with an extraordinary Arts and Crafts interior of marble, mosaic and bronze friars. A 1960s campaign backed by John Betjeman saved it from demolition.

Tip: It’s directly opposite Blackfriars station. Visit on a weekday mid-afternoon, before the after-work crowd; the back saloon has the best decoration.

Photo: Love Art Nouveau, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

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The Mayflower, Rotherhithe, London

07 · Rotherhithe

The Mayflower

A largely 18th-century timbered inn near the spot where the Mayflower began its 1620 voyage; the ship’s captain, Christopher Jones, is buried at St Mary’s church nearby.

Tip: The small riverside jetty fills fast in good weather, so aim for late afternoon. Rotherhithe Overground station is a few minutes away, and the Brunel Museum is close by.

Photo: Matt Brown, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Sources: mayflowerpub.co.uk · en.wikipedia.org

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Ye Olde Mitre, Hatton Garden, London

08 · Hatton Garden

Ye Olde Mitre

Hidden down Ely Court between Hatton Garden and Ely Place, Ye Olde Mitre traces its origins to 1546. The present building is 18th-century, and the bar keeps the trunk of a cherry tree Elizabeth I is said to have danced around.

Tip: Opening days are limited—check the pub’s website before you go. Look for the small lamp marking the alley; Chancery Lane and Farringdon are about 5 minutes’ walk.

Photo: JRennocks, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Sources: yeoldemitreholborn.co.uk · en.wikipedia.org

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The Spaniards Inn, Hampstead Heath, London

09 · Hampstead Heath

The Spaniards Inn

A Grade II-listed 16th-century inn beside an old tollhouse on Spaniards Road. Legend links it to the highwayman Dick Turpin, and it appears in Dickens’s The Pickwick Papers and Stoker’s Dracula.

Tip: Bus 210 stops outside, or walk about 20 minutes across the Heath from Hampstead station. Pair it with nearby Kenwood House (free entry).

Photo: Ewan-M, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Sources: thespaniardshampstead.co.uk · en.wikipedia.org

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Viaduct Tavern, St Paul’s, London

12 · St Paul’s

Viaduct Tavern

Built in 1869, the year Holborn Viaduct opened, the Viaduct Tavern on Newgate Street is one of London’s best-preserved Victorian gin palaces, with etched and gilded glass, a pressed-metal ceiling and large paintings.

Tip: It’s about 5 minutes’ walk from St Paul’s station; weekday afternoons are quietest. Ask staff about the cellars, which are sometimes shown to visitors.

Photo: Acabashi, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

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Swipe all 100 unique pubs →

Facts are drawn from each pub’s official website, the National Trust, CAMRA, Visit London and Wikipedia (linked under each entry). Opening hours change—check before you go.