Widely regarded as the hardest pub in London to find, Ye Olde Mitre is tucked down a near-invisible alleyway off Hatton Garden and has been there in some form since 1546, when it was built for the servants of the Bishops of Ely. The dark panelled rooms are tiny, the only food is toasties and pork pies, and there is a preserved cherry tree trunk in the entrance that Queen Elizabeth I is said to have danced around with Sir Christopher Hatton. Seek it out, order a real ale and you will feel very pleased with yourself.
A Grade I listed galleried coaching inn on Borough High Street dating back to the 17th century, the George Inn is the last surviving example of its kind in London and the only pub owned by the National Trust. Its cobbled courtyard, wooden galleries and low beamed interior feel genuinely unchanged by the centuries, and Charles Dickens was a regular who even mentioned it in Little Dorrit. A pint in the courtyard on a summer evening is one of those simple London pleasures that is absolutely worth seeking out.
Perched at the top of Hampstead Heath since the 16th century, the Spaniards Inn is one of London's most beloved historic pubs, its narrow toll road entrance, wood panelled interiors and sprawling garden giving it a charm that has drawn visitors for centuries. Bram Stoker supposedly drew inspiration from it for Dracula, Keats and Byron both drank here, and on a summer afternoon with a pint in the garden and the Heath stretching out beyond, it remains one of the finest places to spend a few hours in the whole city.
A Grade I listed pub sitting right on the water's edge in Greenwich, the Trafalgar Tavern has been welcoming Londoners since 1837. Its Georgian bay windows frame sweeping views of the Thames, while inside, walls lined with naval paintings and maritime artefacts give the place an atmosphere that few London pubs can match. The menu leans into classic British cooking, and is especially delicious enjoyed outside on the cobbled terrace in the Summer.
Hidden above a bustling café on Portobello Road, the Fat Badger is one of Notting Hill's best kept secrets. The dining room feels like a country farmhouse transported to West London, with wood panelling, candlelight and the warm scent of beeswax setting the mood for an intimate evening. Head chef George Williams, who honed his craft at the River Café, serves a seasonal British set menu that changes daily and is as unfussy as it is delicious.
A Westminster institution since 1946, the Regency Cafe is the definitive London caff: original art deco tiles, Formica tables and a full English breakfast that draws everyone from builders to politicians. Its distinctive black tiled exterior and no nonsense charm have made it one of the most filmed cafes in Britain, but the real draw is still a proper fry up at a very honest price.
Moored on the Regent's Canal in Paddington Basin, the Cheese Barge is exactly what it sounds like and all the better for it: a beautifully designed double decker vessel dedicated entirely to the very best of British and Irish cheese. The seasonal menu is genuinely inventive, from the curried cheese curds with chilli honey to a whole baked Baron Bigod, and on a sunny day the open top deck is one of the more unusual and enjoyable places to eat in London.
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.
Set inside Sir George Gilbert Scott's spectacular Gothic Revival dining room at St Pancras, Hawksmoor's newest London restaurant is one of the grandest places in the city to eat a steak. The double height ceilings, ornate Victorian detailing and Hawksmoor's signature parquet floors make for a genuinely breathtaking room, and the adjoining Martini Bar, with its soaring ceilings and terrace, is arguably even more impressive and well worth arriving early for.
Tucked inside the Langham Hotel on Regent Street and set in a former banking hall with soaring ceilings, the Wigmore is a modern British pub with a distinctly luxurious edge, its menu overseen by Michel Roux Jr. The food elevates classic pub fare without losing sight of what makes it comforting in the first place, and the signature XXL stovetop three cheese and mustard toastie, made with Montgomery Cheddar, Ogleshield and Raclette and served under a cast iron bacon press, is one of the finest things you can eat in London for the price.
