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The Great Britain Guide

Best of London

The 16 best historic pubs in London

Our curated top 16 historic pubs in London, ranked by quality rating, image richness and content depth. For the complete list of 44 historic pubs see the full historic pubs index for London.

  1. 1

    Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese

    Tower of St Bride's Church, St Bride's Avenue London - geograph.org.uk - 1730016

    Fleet Street's 1667 sawdust-floor pub — Johnson, Dickens, Twain all drank here.

    Read more about Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese

  2. 2

    The Black Friar

    Blackfriars railway station, new entrance - geograph.org.uk - 2885592

    London's only complete art-nouveau pub, with bronze friars and 1905 mosaics.

    Read more about The Black Friar

  3. 3

    The Lamb and Flag

    London , Westminster - Covent Garden Tube Station - geograph.org.uk - 2053279

    Covent Garden's oldest pub — Dickens drank here, Dryden was attacked outside.

    Read more about The Lamb and Flag

  4. 4

    The Lamb and Flag

    The Lamb and Flag, historic pubs in London

    The Lamb and Flag — Historic pub — listed building or notable heritage status.

    Read more about The Lamb and Flag

  5. 5

    The Prince of Wales

    12, Railway Street, Chatham - geograph.org.uk - 6237349

    Prince of Wales is a title traditionally given to the male heir apparent to the English, and later, the British throne. The title originated with the Welsh rulers of Gwynedd who, from the late 12th ce

    Read more about The Prince of Wales

  6. 6

    The Huntley

    Scientific ashtray on the Wellcome Trust building, Gower Place, London - geograph.org.uk - 5051572

    The Huntley — Historic pub — listed building or notable heritage status.

    Read more about The Huntley

  7. 7

    The Hare

    Essex

    The Hare, historic pubs in Essex

    The Hare — Historic pub — listed building or notable heritage status.

    Read more about The Hare

  8. 8

    The Old Bank of England

    The Old Bank of England, historic pubs in London

    The Old Bank of England — Historic pub — listed building or notable heritage status.

    Read more about The Old Bank of England

  9. 9

    The Nags Head

    Essex

    The Nags Head, historic pubs in Essex

    The Nags Head — Historic pub — listed building or notable heritage status.

    Read more about The Nags Head

  10. 10

    The Plough

    The Plough, historic pubs in London

    The Plough — Historic pub — listed building or notable heritage status.

    Read more about The Plough

  11. 11

    The Blackfriar

    The Blackfriar, historic pubs in London

    The Blackfriar — Historic pub — listed building or notable heritage status.

    Read more about The Blackfriar

  12. 12

    The Boleyn

    The Boleyn, historic pubs in London

    The Boleyn — Historic pub — listed building or notable heritage status.

    Read more about The Boleyn

  13. 13

    The London Apprentice

    The London Apprentice, historic pubs in London

    The London Apprentice — Historic pub — listed building or notable heritage status.

    Read more about The London Apprentice

  14. 14

    The Royal Oak

    Kent

    The Royal Oak, historic pubs in Kent

    The Royal Oak — Historic pub — listed building or notable heritage status.

    Read more about The Royal Oak

  15. 15

    The Seven Stars

    The Seven Stars, historic pubs in London

    The Seven Stars — Historic pub — listed building or notable heritage status.

    Read more about The Seven Stars

  16. 16

    The Flying Horse

    The Flying Horse, historic pubs in London

    The Flying Horse — Historic pub — listed building or notable heritage status.

    Read more about The Flying Horse