6 of the best places to have a real beer in London
Many people who come to London for the first time want to drink in a traditional London pub and try traditional fish and chips.
Sadly what far too often happens is they go into what they imagine a traditional pub in London looks like or worse still go into one of the chain pubs because it has a sign saying they serve beer.
As for Fish and Chips they see somewhere that has a big sign saying Traditional Fish & Chips served here and think they are eating the real deal, when they’re having nothing of the sort. See our article Best Fish and Chips.
I’m sure many people living in the countryside will disagree with me, but there are some very good pubs in central London that serve proper beer/ale. However given how many pubs there are in central London, as a percentage there are only a few good pubs worth going to.
Rather than list pubs all over London, in this article I want to focus on just 6 pubs, but in an area that every visitor to London will visit at some stage – Trafalgar Square and Big Ben.
In no order then here are the pubs you should try when you’re near Trafalgar Square and near Big Ben.
3 Pubs in London to try near Trafalgar Square
The Ship & Shovel is unusual because it is split into 2 halves. One bar is one side of the alley the other bar opposite on the other side. Ship & Shovel – 1 Cavern Passage, WC2 about 200m from Trafalgar Square
Sherlock Holmes is just round the corner from The Ship & Shovel and is one for Sherlock Holmes fans which might put some people off, but it’s still a good pub. Sherlock Holmes – 10 Northumberland Avenue, WC2 about 200m from Trafalgar Square
The Harp is usually very busy because it’s easily one of the best pubs in the area. It’s a small pub so be prepared for a tight squeeze if you stay inside. The Harp – Chandos Place, WC2 about 300m from Trafalgar Square
3 Pubs in London to try near Big Ben
St Steven’s Tavern is one of the smallest pubs you’re likely to see and because of this is always very busy. Don’t let that put you off though as they have very good beer. St Stephen’s Tavern – 10 Bridge Street, SW1 about 200m from Big Ben
The Red Lion is another quite small pub that used to be a favourite of MP’s, but is less so now. You’ll get a good beer here but not a lot of room. Red Lion – 48 Parliament Street, SW1 about 300m from Big Ben
Sanctuary House is a good sized pub that doesn’t get as busy as many of the others not because of the quality of beer, which is good, but because it’s much more spacious. Sanctuary House, SW1 about 400m from Big Ben.
There you have then 6 traditional pubs in London that will serve you the real deal when it comes to drinking proper beer.
When you visit London it is often more expensive than you realise which is why we have brought out the EPok London Pack.
The Pack gives you the best 2 for 1 offers and discounts in London restaurants and will save you a lot of time and money when eating out in London. For more details visit epok.com.
You might also want to look at our London travel guide book review if you’re thinking of getting a guidebook.
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- What every tourist ought to know about visiting London
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