Prospect of Whitby

About this place

Claiming to be the oldest riverside pub in London, the Prospect of Whitby in Wapping has been drawing drinkers to the banks of the Thames since 1520, back when it was known as the Devil's Tavern and counted smugglers, pirates and the notorious Hanging Judge Jeffreys among its regulars. The original flagstone floor, rare pewter topped bar and a wooden gallows overlooking the river make it one of the most atmospheric pubs in the city, and the balcony views of the Thames are as good today as they were when Turner and Whistler came here to paint them.