Spots

Oldest pub on the Thames — wooden jetty, river view, low ceilings.

Wedge-shaped Arts-and-Crafts pub by Blackfriars station — interior is the destination.

16th-century coaching inn on the edge of the Heath — Dickens drank here, you should too.

Half-pints only, no phones at the bar, De Gaulle's wartime HQ — a Soho institution.

Smallest bar in the UK by the Thames. Rule, Britannia! was supposedly composed upstairs.

Victorian snob screens still intact — drink behind frosted glass like it's 1890.

Sam Smith's pub with tiled walls, etched glass, and partitioned booths. Cheap pints in central London.

Hidden down an alley off Hatton Garden — sign and all. Tudor history, no music.

Champagne and cocktail bar serving gourmet hotdogs.

A Grade 11 listed Nicolson's pub.

Freehouse with beautiful leaded windows. Used to be Aleister Crowley's regular.

Check also a [http://www.jamesgretton.co.uk/samuelsmiths/ map with pub locations].

Owned by the Samuel Smith brewery, the Fitzroy Tavern offers good, cheap beer. The pub, which took its name from a local aristocrat, the Earl of Fitzroy, in turn inspired the name of the surrounding area of Bloomsbury, Fitzrovia, and was a popular drinking place for BBC broadcast

Pub frequented by students from nearby University College London and Birkbeck College.

Named after the prominent political philosopher and early supporter of University College London, and located very near the main entrance to the college, the pub tends to attract more senior academics than does the College Arms.

Authentic pub popular with university students.

A very good pub, offering a wide range of real ales, and some excellent food. Can get busy in the summer months.

A common drinking place for medical students from University College Hospital, who jostle alongside office workers. Gets exceptionally crowded after office hours.

The dress code is strictly alternative and the pub has got a late night license for Fridays and Saturdays. DJs every night and some gigs. The artwork on the walls was produced by Robin, the barman.

Victorian Boozer

A bit rowdy and often quite packed, this pub and music venue has played a pivotal role in British music. It is well known for producing the 1980s band Madness and helping a great many other groups along their path to glory. Worth a stop, just for the atmosphere.

A more refined side of Camden, this pub is part of a chain in North London attempting to apply a little class. It has a fine selection of beer and cider, including a selection of Belgian beers both bottled and draught. The food is always good and the staff always friendly. There

A nice pub where the likes of Blur and Pulp and a load of other Britpop bands from the 1990s used to drink. Prices are reasonable, there are two pool tables, and the general atmosphere is laid back and friendly.

Tucked away in a side street close to the Stables Market, this two-story pub has a small garden and a roof terrace. There are sometimes concerts upstairs. A favorite of the late Amy Winehouse.

Food, drink, and music (jazz, soul, blues). Every Saturday the place turns into a great 1980s music club, with "I love the 80s".

Pleasant and good-value place to sit and sip, though it closes when Waitrose around 9PM.

Local landmark and a good meeting point. It is large, with two separate bars and a lot of seating. Food is served at the weekend.

Pub with a Theatre

with Jukes Basement Bar: previously the Kentish Town police cells

Gastropub

in a classical Victorian Gatehouse

A nice pub away close to Euston station.

Former cinema which was used in WWII to manufacture weapons and then faced a piracy lawsuit after screening A Clockwork Orange after Stanley Kubrick famously banned it. Now an alternative music venue.

A historic ballroom turned contemporary rock music venue. As a former dancefloor, the audience stands on a flat surface so it may be difficult to see the stage further back. The Ballroom hosts several different club nights. It is a big venue with two separate dance floors and fou

It is a great spot to go and catch alternative bands: goth, metal, electronica, rock, punk and many others are found here. Friday nights are also regular club nights, attracting large numbers from the young alternative crowd and more "studenty" than on Saturdays.

Grade II listed music venue with restaurant. Card only.

An unpretentious cafe serving fried breakfasts and similar basic food 24 hr a day, and a great place for a late snack after you leave the Eat & Drink. Liverpool St is a safe area anyway but you cannot get safer than this for a late night meal, as at night you'll often see police

A traditional old style English eatery which has been in business here since 1757. Most of the food is cooked on an open grill in the corner. A very City of London experience!

Real ale, nice food and a relaxed atmosphere.

Grade II listed historic pub

Grade II listed pub

A gastropub modelled on a traditional countryside drinking establishment, with a hunting theme. The tables are actually old whisky barrels and the décor features several stuffed animals and trophies. Completing the pattern, the food is heavily game-based, with some seafood. Their

Small pub that serves real ale and craft beer from both major and local breweries.

A small and fairly ordinary Chinese restaurant by day, this turns into a heaving karaoke bar in the evenings. One of the most reliable places near Liverpool St to get a drink after midnight!

One of the better known pubs (although definitely no tourist trap) near Liverpool St, supposedly named after a Georgian dandy who let himself go on the death of his fiancée.

This claims to be one of London's oldest pubs, tracing it history to 1610, although it has been rebuilt since then. The eponymous Doctor Butler was a purveyor of "medicinal ale" who was appointed court physician to James I. Pubs selling his beer were allowed to display his portra

Part of the JD Wetherspoons chain in a converted bank. As is usual for the chain, it is fairly cheap with decent food and drink. The ex-bank building makes this pub a little grander and more spacious than most.

Fullers Pub

One of several pubs in Leadenhall Market where you can listen to insurance brokers from nearby Lloyd's talk business.

A Nicolson's pub rebuilt after it was burnt down during the fire of London.

A central bar that resides in the heart of the Gherkin. Catch your breath from the bustle of the City and enjoy a bit of al fresco dining. Food and drink available.

A pub with an art deco church built inside.

An old City pub establishment, rebuilt shortly after the Great Fire of 1666. All the monarchs who have reigned in England during the pub's time are written by the main door.

Pub that is popular with City workers. You will often find a crowd spilling out into the adjacent pedestrian area, particularly on Tuesdays-Thursdays when workers tend to come into the office more.

Cocktail bar with 360 views of London

Wine bar.

Wine bar and shop.

A massive club (think cathedral scale) that provides a more underground version of Ministry of Sound and hosts some of the biggest names in dance music, from Goldie to David Holmes to the Scratch Perverts. There are always big queues, so get down early if you can.

Modern French restaurant, part of the Conran restaurants group. More informal Bar and Grill includes steak grills and hearty regional French dishes. Two bars.

The Mahogany Bar was built around 1725 and has always been a public house, trading under many names over the years including the Albion Saloon and the Prince of Denmark. In 1828 it was luxuriously and elaborately refurbished with a magnificent mahogany bar and fittings which was

Although the view is not so good, is probably the cheapest pub in Canary Wharf.

18th-century pub with real fires, a terrace where you can sit and stare at the Millennium Dome over the river, and pistachio nuts behind the bar. A haven of warmth after a trek through JG Ballard-style Docklands wasteland (empty streets, vast satellite dishes and rusting industri

A riverside local since 1583.

An East End Boozer with weekend drag acts.

A traditional East End boozer. Now set in the middle of Mile End Park, originally it was surrounded by houses and a factory. Its incongruous surroundings only add to the charm, however. You may recognise the interior from the number of film and TV appearances the pub has made as

Locally well-known boozer. The attached restaurant also serves some tasty, albeit pricey fare.

This club/bar is made up of three areas: downstairs a loungey bar with low-lit sofa seating everywhere and chilled out music, the main room with a full on sweaty dancefloor (where the headline DJs/bands perform) and an upstairs bar which is mix of the two, plus a large cobbled ar

A large, lively place, which features a large courtyard and several floors for drinking and dancing. Hosts salsa classes too.

Contrary to the name, this is another club/bar with a courtyard, which has a gourmet BBQ, next to the entrance. Can get very crowded on the weekend, with several other bars in the enclousre and the famous Rough Trade record store, which supports gigs (sometimes, surprise performa

A two-floor bar with plenty of table football machines to thrash away at. If you can not get a table the bar has a few sofas to wait for your turn in the quirky surroundings. It is a friendly place, where there is a mix of trendy boys and girls and suits from the city.

A slightly shabby but friendly bar on the small strip of bars on Kingsland Road. Downstairs they have limited seating and draught beer, but upstairs is where it is happening. In the week you can catch live bands and on the weekends there are DJs playing xfm music mixed with a bit

If you are into pubs and pub food, and especially the J.D. Wetherspoon concept, this is a very good spot. It is priced a notch under its more central sister pubs. The extensive menu consists of a good selection of general healthier pub food (pastas, salads, vegetarian burger, etc

Gastropub.

Named after a pirate with a noose through the non-descript entrance.

Oldest riverside tavern in London, with a pewter bar and views across the river.

A cosy pub

Since being founded in Greenwich in 2000, beers from the award-winning Meantime Brewery have spread across the country. Still produced in Greenwich, tours of the site are available and include a tasting session. A bar and shop on site mean that you can continue sampling beers aft

Part of the local Meantime Brewery's growing empire with a massive enclosed outdoor area - great in the summer months. Part of the same building as the tourist information centre, and perhaps more popular with tourists than locals although there is a mix of both. A cafe, and a pu

Great pub built in Georgian period. Best time to go is on a warm summer's evening when you can sit out by the river and watch the sunset in the west. Can get pretty busy though!

Greene King pub with riverside views from windows. Does food and can be quieter (and friendlier) than the Trafalgar.

Greenwich Inc-owned. Beautiful old pub but overcrowded. The bar is over bright and sitting outside has become less pleasant since they lined loads of benches up along the river path. Service can also be brusque.

Pub run by Fuller's on the riverside with decent but limited outdoor seating. In the summer, the doors are opened up so that the entire bar feels like you're drinking by the river.

Youngs pub on the riverside west of Greenwich town centre. Serves brunch, lunch, dinner and drinks and everything in between.

Young's pub with covered seated area in Greenwich Market - let the shoppers shop while you sup! Does food as well as the usual Young's ales, etc.

Historic Grade I listed pub right next to the Cutty Sark. Big outdoor seating area but the pub is too often filled with tourists.