10 of the best pubs in London

The Mayflower

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The Thames Path has no shortage of decent stop-offs, and this Rotherhithe mainstay packs in the history like no other. A pub has stood on the site since time immemorial, and certainly, when the Pilgrim Fathers set sail in their own Mayflower from a nearby mooring in 1620. The current building is 18th century, and looks every inch the traditional English pub with oak beams and wooden panelling. A fine (if pricey) dining room can be found upstairs, with impressive views of the Thames. Oh, and those standing on the outside decking at high tide: you may get wet.
• 117 Rotherhithe Street SE16, +44 (0)20-7237 4088

Zeitgeist London



Zeitgeist at the Jolly GardenersA German gastropub, with German beers, German football and German staff. Quite a gamble in the back streets of Lambeth, yet Zeitgeist does a fine job of attracting locals and non-locals of every nationality. The selection is unrivalled, with 16 German beers on draught and 32 bottled. The kitchen serves well-portioned Teutonic favourites such as schnitzel, currywurst and schweinebraten. Things can still get "interesting" during Anglo-German sporting fixtures, but this convivial venue is a true wunder-bar.
• 49-51 Black Prince Road SE11, +44 (0)20-7840 0426, zeitgeist-london.com

Sir Richard Steele



Sir Richard SteeleNamed after the co-founder of The Spectator, who lived on the site, this pub is more eccentric than Toad of Toad Hall's mad uncle. Random signs, stuffed animals and sundry knick-knacks cover every scrap of surface space, including the ceiling. The Steele perches on the well-to-do lower slopes of Hampstead, yet draws a surprisingly diverse crowd. This is very much an ale-drinker's pub, with four beers on tap, but fans of inexpensive Thai cuisine will also be cheered. Regular comedy, music and quiz nights fill the spacious upper bar. The pub is in the process of changing hands, and some locals fear the unique character may change. Visit now to be sure of catching this local treasure.
• 97 Haverstock Hill NW3, +44 (0)20-7483 1261

Greenwich Union



Greenwich UnionWander away from the many tourist pubs in Greenwich and you might just chance upon the Union. Well stocked with beers from the nearby Meantime Brewery, this relaxed, narrow bar is popular with a young ale-drinking crowd. Chocolate and raspberry beers add a sense of fun, as does the playful British menu, with home-made pork pie and fish-fingers for dipping. Free Wi-Fi (a rarity in these parts) makes it a haven for home-workers and freelancers. On warm summer days, there are few finer places to bask than the pub's charming beer garden.
• 56 Royal Hill SE10, +44 (0)20-8692 6258, greenwichunion.com

The Earl Ferrers



The Earl FerrersStreatham (or St Reatham, as aspirational locals increasingly have it) is a surprising "off-guidebook" place to find a decent drink, and The Earl Ferrers is among London's finest "local" pubs. Real ale is well represented, though wine lovers will have much to savour. In fact, the diminutive Ferrers gets everything right, from friendly service to well-chosen music. It even manages to squeeze a pool table into a side alcove. A varied programme of events, including a fiendish quiz and regular book club, raise this treasure of a pub to near perfection.
• 22 Ellora Road SW16, +44 (0)20-8835 8333, earlferrers.co.uk

06 St Chad's Place



06 St Chad's PlaceKing's Cross is in the middle of a cultural revolution. The former red-light district has changed beyond recognition as smart bars and restaurants move in. 06 St Chad's Place is a prime example, tucked away down a dingy cobbled alley that, 10 years ago, you wouldn't have touched with someone else's bargepole. The bar space is magnificent: a Victorian warehouse reworked in a distinctly Scandinavian style, with huge train-themed murals nodding to the site's rail heritage. Three centuries ago, Londoners flocked to the site to sup from the health-giving St Chad's Well. Today, it's populated by suits and office workers.

• 6 St Chad's Place WC1, +44 (0)20-7278 3355, 6stchadsplace.com

The Palm Tree



The Palm TreeDespite the exotic name, this Mile End stalwart can only be described as a "proper East End boozer". It has stood in proud isolation ever since its neighbours were demolished by enemy action in the blitz. Time also stands still within. The furnishings are of another age – golden brown wallpaper, red velvet curtains and that increasingly rare pub feature, a carpet. The clientele are an odd mix of young students and garrulous old locals. If you want a taste of the East End from the 50s (and, really, it could be the 1850s or 1950s), you won't find better.
• Haverfield Road E3, +44 (0)20-8980 2918

Princess Louise



Princess LouiseAnyone seeking a taste of Victorian London should summon the nearest hansom cab to Holborn, which has an abundance of 19th-century drinking dens. The Louise is the jewel in the crown – a temple of etched glass, bar lamps and wooden panels. A recent refit has somehow made the place feel even more authentic, with drinkers partitioned off into their own private spaces. The beer is cheap, too, this being a Sam Smith's pub. There's no typical Louise drinker; the central location draws in adventurous tourists from the British Museum, office workers and legal eagles from the nearby lawyers' district. Gentlemen should be sure to check out the period urinals, which have listed status.
• 208-209 High Holborn WC1, +44 20-7405 8816

The Heights



The HeightsThis place looks like a thousand other hotel bars up and down the country … until you take into account its location: reached via a half-hidden lift in the lobby of St George's hotel. Perched 15 floors above Oxford Circus, the bar offers some of the best views of central London through its "wall of windows". It's also next door to the BBC's Broadcasting House, so you're almost guaranteed to see a minor celebrity or two. With a lick of paint and a fresher look, this could be a bustling venue, beloved of tourist guides. Let's hope it never happens.
• St George's Hotel W1, +44 (0)20-7580 0111, saintgeorgeshotel.com

The Faltering Fullback



The Faltering FullbackHidden away in the back streets of Stroud Green in Finsbury Park, the ivy-covered Faltering Fullback is four pubs in one. The front bar is a welcoming if bustling horseshoe-shaped affair, well stocked with draught and bottled beers. A curious assortment of objects – guitars, scarves, aeroplanes – hangs from the ceiling. The back bar continues the theme, in a more relaxed way. You'd be forgiven for thinking the pub stopped there, but that's not the half of it. Double doors lead through into a surprise third space, where the mood is more raucous and focused around a pool table. A further set of doors leads out into London's most unusual beer garden. A bewildering series of stairs, gangways and terraces is reminiscent of the Ewok village from Return of the Jedi.
• 19 Perth Road N4, +44 (0)20-7272 5834, falteringfullback.com

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