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London's best real ale pubs

Bitters, milds, stouts and porters – cask-conditioned beer is a great London tradition

View the best craft beer bars

Craft beer, often served from kegs or bottles rather than casks, is made on a small scale in microbreweries. Here are the best places in London to drink it

View the best pubs with open fires

© Rob Greig

Somewhere in London, there's a open fire waiting for you – it's the ideal partner to a pint of traditional real ale

© Christina Theisen

Bar trends come and go, but old-fashioned cask-conditioned beer is on the up. There are many great pubs in London that prize cellarcraft, offer a homely atmosphere and serve a great pint – here's our pick of them.

By Euan Ferguson

Do you know of a great real ale pub we've missed? Let us know in the comments form below.

  • Carpenter's Arms

      73 Cheshire Street, London, E2 6EG

    A lovely boozer off Brick Lane which has benefitted from a sympathetic refurbishment. Tap talent includes four Dorothy Goodbody ales from Hereford’s Wye Valley Brewery and a pair of Adnams bitters on draught.

  • Jerusalem Tavern

      55 Britton Street, London, EC1M 5UQ

    A clever pastiche of an eighteenth-century ale house which serves Suffolk’s St Peter’s brews – including mild, best and bitter – to discerning local architects, designers and other well-informed folk.

  • Pineapple

      51 Leverton Street, London, NW5 2NX

    Tucked away in a maze of backstreet terraces, this justifiably popular pub sits conveniently out of earshot of the Kentish Town bustle. It remains a freehouse, and owners keep things interesting with a progressive attitude towards beer choice. Of the five real ales, there's always Bass, but other options might include the likes of Monmouthshire's Kingstone, Somerset's Cottage or, closer to home, Redemption from Tottenham.

  • Royal Oak

      44 Tabard Street, London, SE1 4JU

    The only London pub owned by the estimable Lewes brewer Harveys, this traditional Victorian corner tavern draws beer fanatics, and with good reason: the ales here, from year-round fixtures such as Sussex Mild to seasonals including Old Ale, are always in perfect condition.

  • Southampton Arms

      139 Highgate Road, London, NW5 1LE

    This quite wonderful independent taproom keeps the decor austere and the fonts flowing with interesting beer. It's usually every two or three days that the bar welcomes a new obscure ale from a small British brewery, but a busy Saturday might see casks from small independent breweries such as Marble, Thornbridge and Dark Star run out in 'a couple of hours', according to the barman.

  • Wenlock Arms

      26 Wenlock Road, London, N1 7TA

    A proper local in every sense of the word and one of the dying breed of London pubs not to serve food, the Wenlock Arms is dedicated to its loyal customers and the dispensing of tip-top ales from its cramped bar. The pub itself is humbly unfancified, but its unpretentious atmosphere and brilliant beer make it one of the most recommended pubs in London.

  • The White Horse

      1-3 Parsons Green, London, SW6 4UL

    A remarkable selection of ales and lagers, with 80 bottled beauties on offer and at least a dozen on draught. You might see traditional bitters by the likes of Harveys, or mild from Moorhouse in Burnley, but modern styles such as hoppy IPAs from Oakhams feature too. One of the most comprehensively stocked and well-run beer pubs in London.

  • Antelope

      76 Mitcham Road, London, SW17 9NG

    Many fine Victorian features have been retained in the refit of this grand Tooting pub, and although it's now about food as much as beer, drinkers won't leave disappointed. There are six real ales on tap, and a couple of Adnam's are semi-permanent, you might also see brews from Purity, Brewdog and Truman's.

  • Euston Tap

      West Lodge, 190 Euston Rd, London, NW1 2EF

    A railway pub you don't need to be travelling on a train to stop in at, and the only thing that brightens up the environs of London's most unlovely station. Real ales change regularly and are sourced from some of Britain's most interesting breweries, including Thornbridge, Magic Rock and Bristol.

  • Junction Tavern

      101 Fortess Road, London, NW5 1AG

    Kentish Town's something of a real ale hotspot, and this friendly and warm gastropub plays no small part in that. Of the five changing ales on pump, you might see beers from Twickenham, Caledonian, Sambrooks, Marlow and Nethergate. Regular festivals keep the offering lively.

  • Priory Arms

      83 Lansdowne Way, London, SW8 2PB

    Hog's Back, Sambrook's and Twickenham are breweries whose output pours regularly from the five pumps in this Stockwell real-ale pub; the dedicated crowd recognises the commitment to quality.

  • Rake

      14 Winchester Walk, London, SE1 9AG

    Beer importer and Borough Market stall Utobeer runs this modest wooden shed with a range of beers that would put a Belgian bar to shame. Many interesting craft beers are sold by the keg, but real ales are certainly not neglected either.

  • Bull

      13 North Hill, London, N6 4AB

    As well as the pub's own beers (brewed in a set-up that spans the kitchen and the cellar), there are five hand-pulled real ales on offer in this historic Highgate pub. Food is undoubtedly a big part of the offer, but manager Dan Fox (previously of the esteemed White Horse in Parson's Green) ensures ales are very much to the fore. An interesting range of beers from small British microbreweries usually grace the taps.

  • Duke of Cambridge

      30 St Peter's Street, London, N1 8JT

    This backstreet Islington gastropub stands out due to its die-hard and long-running commitment to organic. The ale offer is equally worthy, so there will be a changing roster that includes St Peter's and Pitfield. It's also a very friendly place, with drinkers made as welcome as diners.

  • Harp

      47 Chandos Place, London, WC2N 4HS

    Where once fine and varied sausages were the main selling points of this well-hidden Irish pub near Charing Cross post office, now it's sought-after ales. The board outside details the current selection, while around a bar counter eminently suited to being propped up, obscure beer mats tell of ales from yesteryear. Camra awards attest to staff's dedication to cellarcraft; traditional pint-suppers and forward-thinking beer lovers alike will be delighted by the eight regularly changing ales on offer.



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Comments

By Chris - Feb 3 2012

What about the Bree Louise. Always a great selection of fine ales and crazy ciders.

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By Euan Ferguson - Nov 4 2011

@ Jack SImpson: you're quite right, our mistake. Thanks for pointing it out. The picture has now been changed. And you're right about the Jolly Butchers: it is great for real ale, but it's also brilliant for craft beer. We've included it in our 'London's best craft beer bars' feature: http://www.timeout.com/london/feature/1700/londons-best-craft-beer-bars

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By Devizes Don - Nov 2 2011

The Harp is a great pub. But 'Irish'?

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Nuno Dias
By Nuno - Nov 2 2011

ale!ale!

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By Jack Simpson - Nov 2 2011

Ah shame of shames - poor grammar but the comment stands.

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By Jack Simpson - Nov 2 2011

You're picture for the feature is of The Jolly Butchers in Stoke Newington but it doesn't seem to make your list...it's a lovely pub with great Ales.

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By HayleyUnlikely - Nov 2 2011

The Dean Swift, Lafone Street SE1 (sister pub of The Old Red Cow), also The Draft House, Tower Bridge Road SE1 (not cheap but extraordinary range).

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By John McCormack - Oct 31 2011

It's not a pub as such, but the Leyton Orient Supporters' Club is without doubt one of the best purveyors of fine real ales in the land - no kidding...

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By Paul - Oct 31 2011

Also very worthy of inclusion:

Craft Beer Co, Leather Lane EC1
Cask, Charlwood Street SW1
Market Porter, Stoney Street SE1
Old Fountain, Baldwin Street EC1
Crosse Keys, Gracechurch Street EC3
Bree Louise, Cobourg Street NW1
Wenlock Arms, Wenlock Road N1

Harder to know which one to leave out! Certainly much better choice these days.

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