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  • London's best pub barbecues

  • By Guy Dimond, Euan Ferguson, Judy Joo, Ben McFarland, Alan Rutter and Marcus Webb. Photography Jonathan Perugia

    Posted: Mon Jul 27 2009

  • No sunny-day session is complete without the satisfying sizzle and tempting aroma of meat hitting a hot grill. Our 20 best pub barbecues provide more than just fuel to soak up the drink – most of them are gastronomic destinations in themselves

    London's best pub barbecues

    Prawns grilled to perfection at The Avalon



  • A quick caveat: we don’t want to rain on your parade, but given the vagaries of our weather recently, not to mention the vagaries of some venues, always phone ahead and make sure the barbecue is on – hot coals and torrential downpours don’t mix.
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    • Albion

      10 Thornhill Road, Islington, N1 1HW

      Having received a tasteful tickle with the gastro-stick, this upmarket Islington pub has gone on to scoop all manner of awards for its excellent, albeit expensive, Sunday lunches. However, equally worthy of a golden gong or two is the barbecue in its gorgeous garden. Among the fancy shrubbery and sturdy wooden seating, chefs introduce to flame a daily changing selection of meat, fish and vegetables, depending on what appears on their menu inside. A recent visit offered up spatchcock poussin, grilled sardines and seabass – it’s a shame it’s only available at weekend lunchtimes. The front garden is an equally serene spot to sip Black Sheep bitter from Yorkshire, Addlestones cider or Leffe. Read more

    • The Alwyne Castle

      83 St Paul’s Rd, N1 2LY

      There’s plenty of opportunity for alfresco quaffing here with an enormous front garden that spills down the sides of this friendly pub. Looking out on to a main Islington artery, it’s a little bit ‘urban’, but what the garden lacks in blooming greenery it makes up for in capacity (holding 300), plenty of boutique beers and craft ciders such as Old Rosie, Sierra Nevada and St Austell IPA. Regular barbecues and hog roasts complete the picture, as well as comfort-food favourites from the indoor kitchen. Read more

    • Clissold Arms

      105 Fortis Green , Muswell Hill, N2 9HR

      At the rear of this friendly gastropub lies a neat, decked area with 12 covered, heated tables, lined with leafy plants, trellises and regimented rows of fairy lights – and it’s dedicated to dining (alfresco drinkers sit separately in a steadily improving larger area reclaimed from the car park). The barbecue is fired up between noon and 4pm, Monday to Saturday, and stars a particularly fine ribeye steak sandwich. The wine list features several rosés, and ales (including Harveys Sussex and Timothy Taylor Landlord) are well kept and well poured by well-trained staff. Off booze? Don’t worry, they have a great selection of virgin cocktails. Read more

    • Garden Gate

      14 South End Road, Hampstead, NW3 2QE

      With its white walls, black wood and the Heath all but on the doorstep, there’s a touch of Tudor court about The Garden Gate - though in place of a Tudor suckling pig, we have the marginally less noble Big Phil’s Grill. Firing up seemingly on Phil’s whim (although if the sun’s shining, the tongs are likely to be out), the barbecue fills the Gate’s green-bordered patio with smoky aromas; excellent own-made lamb and beef burgers are the staple fare, with the odd sausage and corn ear tossed on for good measure. The ales vary in selection (London Pride is the only constant of the four on offer) but not quality, and while the wine list might bother the wallet a little, it at least contains some class and character for the price. Read more

    • Red Lion & Sun

      25 North Road, Highgate, N6 4BE

      A sympathetic and impressive refurbishment has recently restored this historic Highgate hostelry to its former glory. Alfresco drinking and dining is well catered for here, with an intimate, secluded courtyard at the back and a larger area facing the road at the front. Open-air grills are a speciality: arrive after 4pm on a Saturday to experience the hog roast, served up in sandwiches with cider apple sauce and rocket. If you’re too late and it’s sold out, which happens regularly, there’s a more conventional but equally impressive barbecue – try the free-range half-chicken or an own-made burger. Savour it with one of five changing local and guest ales. Read more

    • Stag

      67 Fleet Road, Hampstead, NW3 2QU

      Last autumn The Stag’s new owners gave it a big refurb and have attracted a younger, groovier crowd who appreciate the decent ales and spacious rear garden. The makeover didn’t overlook this back garden space, which impresses outdoor drinkers with its leafy displays and several heated and covered areas. The barbecue menu is available over the summer on Friday evenings from 5pm, and weekends from noon, and can include an organic beef burger, a lamb burger, Toulouse sausage hot dog and changing fish specials, although there’s no venison – the deer connection ends with the name. Read more



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