Kings Arms

The Mayflower is another one of the pubs we booked dinner reservations for in advance while on our…read morevacation in London. While you can hang out in the crowd and grab a pint easily without that, if you want to dine in the quieter dining area with views of the water you may want to do so as well. Especially if you want the elbow room to enjoy such great food. The Mayflower is named after the famous ship carrying the early American settlers, and the church tied to this voyage is steps away where apparently an unmarked grave hosts the resting spot of the captain of that ship. It's candlelit and kind of romantic on the top floor with great views. For food, my wife had the chicken pie and I had the special of the day, lamb stew with housemade potato salad. It was warm, flavorful and delicious, sentiments my wife shared on the pot pie. We split an order of mac and cheese, and it was also delicious. Such great comfort food. I had a small scotch pour and an ale, my wife a glass of wine. I had a small port to pair with the sticky toffee pudding at the end which was terrific. My wife swears by Gordon Ramsey's recipe of the same but this one was hard to beat IMO.

There's something about this place that just feels so cozy and historic. This place was recommended…read moreby our tour guide after our tour finished so we all piled in here. The beer was good and so were our dishes- my wife got the roast and I got the fish and chips which were both exceptional! Service was quick and to the point.

0.1 mi•Shad Thames, London Bridge

Sticky Toffee Pudding

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Front of Pub

Anchor Tap

4.0(47 reviews)

This was the first pub we checked out after a long flight to London (we ended up in over a dozen by…read morethe end of our trip). The bartender let us know that while the sign read food was served upstairs only, they were under construction so food would be served downstairs in the main pub area instead--but not until 5 (it was around 4:30 pm). We thanked him and decided to grab a drink and wait for food service. The menu of house ales, lagers, bitters, etc. + spirits was one I later saw at 1-2 other pubs who must share the same brewery. I tried a couple of beers and both were great. My wife had a cocktail which she enjoyed. The most noticeable thing at first was how quiet this pub is-- you could hear a pin drop. This likely changes later in the evening, but without music playing and the scattered patrons softly chatting at their tables, it was very quiet. Which really worked for us as we fought jet lag. We ordered food at the bar, my wife had fish and chips and I had the sausage and mash platter topped with onion rings. Both were delicious and fairly priced. This was all in all a great first pub to visit in London.

The Anchor Tab was my first pub when visiting London. Next…read moreto the Tower of London, finding this pub was a wonderful adventure to find. Not only were the drinks delicious, but the bartender was very kind and helped us make our decision. I love the decor and the location, it's a 10/10 must-visit next time you're in London.

The Golden Girls were here!!!!

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The Angel

3.3(14 reviews)

0.7 mi•Bermondsey

We waited nearly an hour for two burgers and a salad... The view upstairs is gorgeous, but we…read morewaited.. It was £68 for a glass of wine a beer plus the burgers at salad. My salad was really small. The manager of the bar was really lovely and she refunded my salad. Lovely place for drinks.

This is a very cute old historic pub with Samuel Smith beers. The beers are so good and smooth! I…read moreespecially love the Stout - def better than guinness :) Also, the food was awesome. I was pleasantly surprised. Even the dessert! It's great that in London you can just take your glass of beer and go outside to sit along the river - it was beautiful. I loved it here!

The view from the balcony.

If you think Sam Smiths sell just boring beers you must try this.

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The Gladstone Arms

4.7(30 reviews)

0.8 mi•Borough

Very smallpub in London owned by a young couple. They celebrated 5 years ownership in April. Had a…read morebeer and vodka tonic. Ordered samosas and the Sunday special,chicken roast. The samosas were good but spicy. I really liked the hosin like sauce drizzled over them. We had one order of roast, planning a late lunch snack before dinner. We had gone to Burrough market but it was packed. To say the least, I'm glad we got one plate. the chicken. breast was huge. More than enough for two people. It was covered in a red curry gravy,slightly spicy. It came with roasted potatoes and broccoli, and a Yorkshire pudding. Plenty. We left a couple potatoes and broccoli on the plate. The cost was $46 US.

Surely this will now be one of my regular haunts in the area?!…read moreService was just blinding, like I genuinely can't remember the last time I received service like that. From the owner to the chef. Quirky and good selection of drinks. Food was yummy, only had nibbles but will report back on more as will definitely be returning for mains etc. Cute little rooftop patio place for a couple of tables, and peaceful there too! Just had a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon here and couldn't get over how much they went out of their way so you can carry on, enjoy and have fun. Top top banana.

Beers selection at the bar. Photography by Ari's Thread

Lant Street wines. Photography by Ari's Thread

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Live music night at the pub. Photography by Ari's Thread

Simon The Tanner

4.4(18 reviews)

0.4 mi•Borough

I really enjoyed my vegetarian dish here and the pints of beer! It was delicious, local, and a…read morereally great experience. Exactly what I was looking for. Excellent service and perfect ambiance for a cool London pub.

Wonderful! We were staying a bit down the road from this spot and had heard a lot about Sunday…read moreRoast. So on a beautiful Sunday afternoon we stopped in. Honestly after eating the Sirloin Roast, we would have driven across town to eat here again. The gentleman who mainly helped us was a great guy and we had a nice chat. I had a cold cider while Sherry had a coke. We both had the sirloin roast. The beef was perfectly cooked and flavorful. The vegetables were simple and amazingly tasty; and the Yorkshire pudding was delicious. We had the gravy on the side and thankfully I left some of the Yorkshire pudding because I wanted every drop of the drippings! It is a wonderful little pub with friends hanging around the bar enjoying each other company. Pair it all with some great music and it was the perfect afternoon.

Inside

Vegetarian dish.

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On tap

The St James Tavern

3.9(7 reviews)

0.6 mi•Bermondsey

Wow this pub is just what Bermondsey needs, relaxed, friendly and fun. The choice of draught craft…read morebeer is good and the Pies are definitely worth trying. Lots of seating indoors and outdoors helps make this a great place to meet friends. You'll find this gem of a pub well located if you happen to be visiting the Bermondsey Brewery Mile or just a short walk from Bermondsey tube station or about 10 minutes walk from Rotherhithe station.

First time here visiting friends and this is new local…read more Liked the vide and design of this bar Wasn't to busy and we ordered food , very basis menu ! Got pies and mash , sausage rolls too Was really nice no issues Price ok , drink on the expensive side Would be great if they had a bigger menu and possible Sunday roast as would definetly go well !

A lovely place for a group drink

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The Old Kings Head

3.9(29 reviews)

0.6 mi•Borough

A great quite stop at an old pub. Not the greatest ambiance so don't look for that but look for a…read moregood cold beer and a rest in the alley on an assortment of chairs and tables. It takes you away from the hiss LE and bustle of the area and then you can just dive right back in after a pint or two!

Okay, I do like this pub, but after my last experience, I have to let visitors know what happened…read moreto me and let you decide if you agree or disagree with me. This happened over two days. I had to use the gents loo and was in the cubicle doing what you do. Someone outside decided to throw water over the sort of wall, onto me. When I came out, I complained to the staff, they didn't seem to care, even though the bar is quite close to the door to the toilets. On another visit to the pub, I was just standing at the bar with my pint, when one of the female staff came over to me and started shouting at me, yelling that the staff know what they are doing and telling me to stop ordering them around, which I never did. I saw a message on Facebook about this pub, where a person said that he heard a staff member yelling at someone and was complaining that they were taking drugs in the gents. The day they said about this seemed to be too near to my experience.

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Heading in for a pint or two!

The Cockpit

4.3(23 reviews)

1.4 mi•Blackfriars

The Vibe: The atmosphere is a perfect blend of modern and…read morecozy. The lighting is warm, and the background music is subtle enough to allow for easy conversation--ideal for a quiet dinner. The Food: I ordered the [Dish Name, e.g., Grilled Sea Bass]. It was cooked to perfection--moist on the inside with a crisp skin. The flavors were balanced, though the portion size was a bit smaller than expected for the price. The Service: The staff was attentive without being intrusive. You can tell they take pride in their work, which gives the place an authentic feel rather than a corporate, "robotic" vibe.

Really cool pub with lots of history. Bar staff was very friendly and explained lots about the pub.read more

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Inside the pub

The George Inn

3.8(179 reviews)

0.7 mi•Borough

Upon arriving to our hotel in London, we looked up some options for a nice dinner and decided on…read moreThe George Inn. I ordered the Steak & Ale Pie -- and wow... it was insanely good. Before I go on, I have to thank the staff for allowing us to be seated because the restaurant was fully booked yet they managed to squeeze us in. That was so generous of them and we just want to acknowledge them. Ok. So, the portion was generous and beautifully plated. The steak was tender, rich, and slow-cooked to perfection, packed with deep, savory flavor from the ale. Every bite was hearty and comforting -- exactly what you want when you're in London. The gravy was silky and robust, perfect for dipping those thick-cut chips, which were golden on the outside and fluffy on the inside. It also came with fresh greens, roasted tomatoes, and crispy onion rings that added great texture and balance to the dish. You can tell this is proper pub food done right -- no shortcuts, just bold, satisfying flavor. If you're looking for a classic, filling English meal that absolutely delivers, this is it. I'd order it again in a heartbeat. Not a bad start to our first night in London. Bonus: They have a downstairs pub that stretches across 3-4 rooms so definitely grab yourself a pint after dinner. Really cool vibes!

Historic and unique as London's last remaining galleried inn from 1676, it's worth seeing--and…read moreeating at! Charles Dickens visited the site when it was a coffee house and it's mentioned in Little Dorrit. But the real reason to visit is for the food. Borough market, just across the road may offer a world of different foods, but The George Inn offers traditional British pub food at its best, in warm, historic rooms. This is your place if you're looking for authentic fish 'n chips--they're fresh, lightly battered and perfectly fried without being greasy. I also had the mac 'n cheese which used real vintage/sharp cheddar--and a lot of it--excellent! So you'll get good food while enjoying a historic inn where, for hundreds of years, travelers changed horses, got food, drink, and lodging before the railway era. IMPORTANT TIP: You order food at the bar--but you will need a table number. So you'll need someone in your party to sit at a table in the adjoining room. There'll be a brass plate with a number on it which you'll give when you order--so the food can be brought to your table.

0.9 mi•Bermondsey, Rotherhithe

Interior seating

My dinner! A delicious steak and ale pie with mash.

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My glorious beer.

The Ship

3.0(4 reviews)

Crabby bartender bitched at us for coming in at 10 45 on a Sunday. Yelp says they are open until…read more12 30. Bartender says no one in the UK uses Yelp. Then she thinks Youngs Pale Ale is the same as an IPA then demonstrates she had no idea what an IPA is. To top it off...we ordered two pints by it was not enough so she up charged me 50p fir the credit card. If you are looking for a friendly pub...go somewhere else.

The Ship is a really lovely, and clearly very local-loved, pub. We ventured there after finding our…read moreintended pub of choice chock full and I'm glad we found The Ship. There is plenty of seating, prices are good, and it's got a really great atmosphere. Clearly family-friendly for meals, it was nice to be in a place that was welcoming and warm enough for parents with kids to want to have their weekend dinner there. Additionally, the ladies toilets were pristine - and any pub that can boast that qualification rates highly in my book!