Restaurants

Picture the scene: the sun is shining. You’re sitting with your nearest and dearest in the beer garden of your local. You’re wearing that moderately flamboyant floppy hat which you’d have never got away with elsewhere. The beer is cold and the scratchings are pleasingly moist and in most cases, hairless. Your completed tax return sits atop the TV set ready to post in the morning. Life is good.

What is it about the beer garden that makes it such a cause for celebration? Maybe it’s because there’s something slightly intimidating about being trapped inside a musty saloon on a bright Sunday afternoon, surrounded by a crowd of hushed locals with their personalised pewter tankards half-filled with mild and their eyes glued to live tractor-pulling on Eurosport. Maybe because it’s so refreshing to let the English wind play havoc with your hair as you try to conduct some kind of civilised conversation even though the breezes are making you look like some relative of Groucho Marx. Because let’s face it, the elements as we go to press are definitely not on our side. And given that we are currently experiencing a summer that’s been as wet as an otter’s pocket, the desire to stand out in the fresh air as your pint of weak continental lager is slowly displaced with rainwater may not be particularly strong for most drinkers.
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The Garden on Upper Street

However, with the same kind of spirit that sent our ancestors to Dunkirk, we ask: why waste this uniquely British resource just because of the weather? Here we present a whistlestop tour of more than 40 London beer gardens that you should follow every masochistic urge in your body to visit despite the fact that there may be a monsoon outside. Be assured: we have tried our best to avoid the places that have a few picnic benches strewn along the front of house where you’ll be forced to enjoy your drinks over the cacophony of the adjoining A-road or high street. Equally, we’ve ignored those which are just a concrete yard out back where the staff come to empty the drip trays.

Smokers, of course, now have an even more profound reason to love the beer garden. We know it’s going to take a bit more than rough weather and heavy-handed government warnings to stop them from getting their nicotine fix. So we also celebrate the beer garden as the last chance for all those still hooked to enjoy their fags in reasonably civilised surroundings.


Central
While there are plenty of clubs and bars that offer roof terraces or cornered-off pens for revellers to stand and drink their Bacardi Breezers, beer gardens are in short supply in central London. The Endurance remains one of the few places you can sit outside for a drink within spitting distance of Oxford Street. It’s also a great way to conceal yourself temporarily from the ‘colourful’ surroundings of Berwick Street market. The quaint little garden can usually squeeze in 15 to 20 punters and is accessible through a little alley running down the side of the pub.
90 Berwick St, W1F 0QB (020 7437 2944) Oxford Circus tube.

If you’d prefer to have your beer close to where several famous people have been executed, The Crutched Friar is a biggish Nicholson’s pub split into three areas: two ‘wings’ with banquettes, tables and chairs and an L-shaped bar with adjacent beer garden; a small but delicious spot for a naughty long lunch in summer.
39-41 Crutched Friars, EC3N 2AE (020 7264 0041) Tower Hill tube.

Closer to London’s financial heart, a good bet is recently refurbished The Poet which attracts a mix of both students and slick-haired City hedge-funders with egg on their ties. It’s a deceptively large fusion of traditional London boozer and trendy bar, and offers a decent-sized beer garden with 15 tables.
9-11 Folgate St, E2 6EH (020 7426 0495) Liverpool Street tube.

The Albion on Thornhill Road

North
Walking down Upper Street from Highbury & Islington tube, you may be tempted to stop in The Garden, which entertains a clientele whose idea of a decent night of alfresco drinking is ‘strawpedo-ing’ WKD (ie, using a straw to let air escape from the bottle as they down it at speed).
179 Upper St, N1 1RG (020 7226 6276) Highbury & Islington tube.

As an alternative, err off the beaten track a little and just a few roads behind The Garden you’ll find The Albion. Formerly it felt like a country pub transported straight from the Yorkshire Dales to the centre of Islington but, following a recent gastro overhaul, it’s now more in tune with the middle-class locale. The garden, however, is still a thing of rare beauty with lots of stone furniture, a covered veranda and 20 tables. Considering its lush frontage (covered in flowers and ivy) and the relatively tranquil atmosphere (very few cars pass by), it’s also worth trying to nab one of the numerous picnic benches located in front as well.
10 Thornhill Rd, N1 1HW (020 7607 7450) Highbury & Islington tube/rail.

On the Canonbury side of Upper Street and, again, tucked down a tiny side-street, is the small but very sweet Compton Arms. You really wouldn’t expect this petite pub to have enough space for a garden, but there is a delightful little courtyard which can fit about 25 people and, even though it’s paved, there’s plenty of greenery.
4 Compton Avenue, N1 2XD (020 7359 6883) Highbury & Islington tube/rail.

After downing a pint here, you might follow Compton Avenue till you come out at Highbury and Islington tube, from where you swing a right into The Alwyne Castle The pub itself is of your standard mid-level gastro type, but it has the distinct advantage of having a large courtyard at the front of the premises which can seat up to 150. There is also a bright conservatory extension inside for when it’s raining.
83 St Paul’s Rd, N1 2LY (020 7288 9861) Highbury & Islington tube/rail.

The 73 bus just at the end of Essex Road will take you to another appealing destination, depositing you just a short walk from The White Hart, a great child-friendly pub which regularly hosts DJ nights and gets packed to capacity on match days when Arsenal are at home. There’s a large, dual-level beer garden, one grass and the other concrete. It’s quite a nice place for people who want to escape from the swelling house beats and football chants indoors. However, now the smoking ban has finally kicked in, it’ll probably become more popular with everyone.
69 Stoke Newington High St, N16 8EL (020 7254 6626) Rectory Rd rail.

Just across town in verdant Highgate Village is the recently refurbished Red Lion & Sun which offers the prospect of outdoor drinking in both the back (which can seat 50) and the front (which can seat 100).
25 North Rd, N6 4BE (020 8340 1780) Highgate tube.

A hop and a skip down the road from there is charming local The Flask which has a large beer garden at the front that gets rather rammed when the sun comes out. Indeed, the only way to be certain of securing one of the picnic tables is to be on the doorstep as the clock strikes 11am and camping out for the remainder of the day. You will be rewarded, however, as the management often breaks out a barbecue and opens up the pub’s purpose-built alfresco bar.
77 Highgate West Hill, N6 6BU (020 8348 7346) Highgate tube.

On a pleasant afternoon, you might stroll across Hampstead Heath from The Flask, to get to Spaniard’s Inn, reputedly once run by highwayman Dick Turpin’s old man and possibly the place of his birth. It’s easily one of the capital’s most historic pubs, though when the sun is shining it’s best to leave all that behind and quickly manoeuvre past the small, ramshackle bar on the ground floor and into the courtyard with huge pagoda tree centrepiece. It can fit about 90 people, and welcomes children as well as adults.
Spaniard’s Rd, NW3 7JJ (020 8731 6571) Golders Green tube.

If you’re out and about in Camden, you might make your first port of call The Edinboro Castle, to take advantage of its enormous outdoor space, which also features a barbecue during summer.
57 Mornington Terrace, NW1 7RU (020 7255 9651) Camden Town tube.

If you then head over to Primrose Hill, you can find family-oriented boozer The Albert, which has a garden containing 11 wooden picnic tables and offers additional standing room for no less than 60 other patrons. What’s more, there’s also the added bonus of an apple tree growing right in the middle. Even dogs are welcome.
11 Princess Rd, NW1 8JR (020 7722 1886) Chalk Farm tube.

Further down the road, on the corner, is The Engineer, a swish gastropub that has a modest but perfectly formed beer garden with sturdy, comfortable furniture, lots of gas heaters and an array of healthy plants and flowers. Like many of the beer gardens in this area, it’s also friendly to kids: just make sure you don’t start ordering them double vodkas.
65 Gloucester Avenue, NW1 8JH (020 7722 0950) Chalk Farm tube

The Duke of Edinburgh, Ferndale Street

South
If you want to enjoy your alfresco beer in the south, first go directly west from Brixton tube station until you hit The Duke of Edinburgh, a solid all-rounder which serves food, plays music, has a pool table and offers a decent range of beer. The garden, on the other hand, is an absolute beaut, with plenty of wooden picnic tables, lots of leafy trees and kids constantly darting between your ankles. Gas heaters keep things warm during the wee hours of the summer months and the management is one of those that never misses an excuse to fire up a massive, meaty barbecue.
204 Ferndale Rd, SW9 8AG (020 7326 0301) Brixton tube.

For something less family-oriented, try the Alchemist Bar, which offers the usual mosaics, plasma screens and swirly gold wallpaper on the inside but a huge terraced garden at the back which allows for fabulous alfresco drinking and dining (also with a barbecue option).
225 St John’s Hill, SW11 1TH (020 7326 7456) Wandsworth town rail.

Those looking for maximum greenery, however, should seek out The Hope. Although its outdoor tables are by the road, it is bang opposite Wandsworth Common, and offers tea and cakes, and healthy drinks such as pomegranate juice, as well as regularly changing guest ales.
1 Bellevue Rd, SW17 7EG (020 8672 8717) Wandsworth Common rail.

If this particular pastoral setting isn’t for you, head due north to The Ship, a genuine charmer tucked away behind Wandsworth Bridge. Its beer garden, of which the barbecue is a main feature, backs directly on to the Thames. There’s also an adjoining marquee for people wanting to puff away on their Rothmans.
41 Jew’s Rd, SW18 1TB (020 8870 9667) Wandsworth Town rail.

Further into Wandsworth is GJ’s, a cheery addition to a small chain of pubs. Its delightful beer garden is of the sort you might find in a Caribbean beach hotel: lots of large picnic benches, beige patio, a large marquee and plenty of exotic foliage dotted around the place. It’s an exceptionally good place for when the weather gets toasty, as there’s lots of shade.
89 Garratt Lane, SW18 4DW (020 8874 2271) Earlsfield rail.

Located on the same otherwise uninspiring stretch of road is The Leather Bottle, a bulky, detached Young’s pub which has the inviting feel of a place you might find on a country estate. It also offers a massive beer garden (an amazing 450-person standing capacity) with a useful covered section for when the rain starts to fall. Even though the cow-shaped tables do give the place a slightly wacky family feel, babies and children are only admitted if you are planning to dine.
538 Garratt Lane, SW17 0NY (020 8946 2309) Earlsfield rail.

Dulwich proves to be quite the beer garden hot-spot. The Herne Tavern is one of the more unusual looking family-friendly venues and mixes a gastropubby food menu with some decent ales on draft. Its extensive beer garden – which doubles as a kids’ playground – offers a gaudy, landscaped area which looks like it was inspired by ‘Teletubbies’: good for keeping the nippers occupied while you sup some beer, not such a great place to do a crossword.
2 Forest Hill Rd, SE22 0RR (020 8299 9521) Honor Oak Park rail.

Those who want to burn off some calories before going on to the next beer could sprint from here to The Dulwich Woodhouse in about three minutes. Designed by the architect Sir Joseph Paxton (of Crystal Palace fame), this spacious Young’s pub comes with an elegant, wood-panelled interior and lots of vintage cricketing ephemera on the walls. Tear your eyes away from all that and step into the gorgeous beer garden which runs around the side of the pub. It has a decked area which is heated and covered and even acts as a stage for periodic jazz sessions.
39 Sydenham Hill, SE26 6RS (020 8693 5666) Sydenham Hill rail.

Known locally as ‘The Dog’ and still the only pub in Dulwich Village, The Crown & Greyhound is a beautiful, sprawling listed building boasting a two-tier garden and terraced area that comes into its own for barbecues and summer Sunday lunches. If you want to take a book to read in the sun, make it a Dickens; he was one of the pub’s many famous former regulars.
73 Dulwich Village, SE21 7BJ (020 8299 4976) North Dulwich rail.

Despite its regal name, Richard I has long resisted the urge to trendify in order to compete with the local gastro competition. Still an unabashedly old-school boozer, it’s more interested in serving decent beer and food in comfortable surroundings. The main saloon is pretty snug, so it’s lucky there’s a pleasant little beer garden which draws the punters outside on a clear day.
52 Royal Hill, SE10 8RT (020 8692 2996) Greenwich rail/DLR.

Just two doors down, you’ll find The Greenwich Union, a plush little pub with a tiny space out front and one of two owned by the local Meantime brewery.
56 Royal Hill, SE10 8RT (020 8692 6258) Greenwich rail/DLR.

Nearer the banks of the Thames and named after the clipper in which Sir Francis Chichester made the world’s first single-handed circumnavigation of the globe in 1967, The Gipsy Moth is situated next door to the (now fire-damaged) Cutty Sark and has a decent beer garden which draws a nice mix of students, regulars and tourists.
60 Greenwich Church St, SE10 9BL (020 8858 0786) Greenwich rail/Cutty Sark DLR.

If you head south-west, to Richmond, you’ll find, The Cricketers which is owned by Greene King and serves a lavish range of hand-pumped ales. There’s no beer garden as such, but there is quite a lot of outdoor seating which, if you’re quick enough to nab it, offers a great view of the idyllic green, arguably one of the most beautiful in London – and just a short walk from the Thames. That’s despite the fact that it’s just under the flightpath to Heathrow. Still, after a while, the passage of the planes can become pleasantly hypnotic.
The Green, Richmond, TW9 1LX (020 8940 4372) Richmond tube/rail.

If you can tear yourself away, head north of the river by hopping on the H37 bus towards Twickenham and you’ll eventually find The White Swan, a small but perfectly formed trad pub located on the banks of the Thames. An adequately sized beer garden (which overlooks both Twickenham’s famous white sand beach and Eel Pie Island) it offers barbecues during the summer months. Very, very occasionally the river will break its banks and you can get trapped in the pub… if you’re lucky.
Riverside, Twickenham, TW1 3DN (020 8892 2166) Twickenham rail.

Pub on the Park on Martello Road

East
Even though the well-above-average Pub on the Park serves a fine range of ales (plus some great Belgian beers), as well as housing a collection of stylishly cluttered furniture, you really have to come along in the summer months to get the full experience. The massive garden attracts the great and the good from the surrounding environs of London Fields and there’s often a great mix of locals, couples with kids and even the odd straw-hatted wastrel with an acoustic guitar. When the garden gets a bit packed, the bar staff will serve you in plastic glasses so you can wander off into the connecting park.
19 Martello St, E8 3PE (020 7275 9586) London Fields rail.

Another great London pub that has the distinct privilege of being located on the edge of a park, in this case Victoria Park, is The Royal Inn on the Park. It has pretty much all the other bases well covered, too: dogs and babies are welcome (there’s a family room and play area across the road) and there’s a large outdoor area with heat lamps and a barbecue in the summer.
111 Lauriston Rd, E9 7HJ (020 8985 3321) Mile End tube then 227 bus.

Closer to the centre is the recently refurbished Prospect of Whitby, which lays claim to being the oldest riverside pub in London. It also possesses a lovely rooftop balcony with ironwork furniture, a flagstoned beer garden (complete with hangman’s noose) and a small jetty-deck with room for just a couple of cushioned seats.
57 Wapping Wall, E1W 3SH (020 7481 1095) Wapping tube.

For those who want to spread their net wider, The Nag’s Head has a great conservatory and beer garden, which is especially appealing in the summer months. In winter, an adjoining marquee is heated to cater for the inevitable overspill.
9 Orford Rd, E17 9LP (0208 520 9709) Walthamstow Central tube.

The Windsor Castle on Campden Hill Road

West
Untouched by gastropub fever, The Windsor Castle is a defiantly old-school local that prides itself on its trad-British food menu, great range of beers and a strict policy of no background noise from music or TV. There’s also a good-sized garden (with barbecue), a great place to flick through the Sunday papers with a cheeky half.
114 Campden Hill Rd, W8 7AR (020 7243 9551) Notting Hill Gate tube.

A few tube stops away is The Colton Arms, a quirky west London local with a homely atmosphere and friendly landlord. It has a fine selection of well-kept ales and a small but perfectly formed garden which can fit about 20 people.
Greyhound Rd, W6 8NX (020 7385 6956) Barons Court tube.

Dodging the myriad chain pubs, head over to the opposite side of Hammersmith tube and you’ll find The Queen’s Head, which offers some of the area’s best alfresco drinking as well as fine grub to boot. Its large beer garden is also child friendly.
13 Brook Green, W6 7BL (020 7603 3174) Hammersmith tube.

Also in the area is The Old Ship, which caters to boating enthusiasts through more than the retired rowing boats and nautical regalia that adorn its interior. Once a year its Thameside terrace becomes one of the most coveted in London, as it provides one of the best viewing points for the Oxford v Cambridge boat race. Even when hearties aren’t sculling past you, there are plenty of charming aspects to a pub where you can allow the lapping water of the Thames to lull you into a pleasant reverie along with your beer. Barbecue devotees are also catered for on weekends, weather permitting.
25 Upper Mall, Hammersmith, W6 9TD (020 8748 2593) Hammersmith tube.

We’ve managed to avoid pubs that proudly advertise they’ve got a beer garden only for you to discover a limp slab of concrete and a few rotting parasols. No exception with The Swan, which boasts a 100-capacity garden replete with flowers, grass, shrubs and 30 individual tables. Smoking is allowed outdoors and canopies and gas heaters will be used in the winter months. Dogs are welcome and so are children, but only until 7pm.
1 Evershed Walk, W4 5HH (020 8994 8262) Chiswick Park tube.

Further north is The Ealing Park Tavern , an ex-student boozer-turned-upmarket gastropub which has great food and beers. Head outside and there’s also a spacious garden with cast concrete furniture shaded by stylish parasols. It can fit 25-30 people.
222 South Ealing Rd, W5 4RL (020 8758 1879) South Ealing tube.

Carry on further north (don’t be put off by the surrounding business parks), and you’ll find The Grand Junction Arms, right in the shadow of the McVitie’s biscuit factory. This salubrious boozer is surprisingly ornate considering its industrial surroundings and offers a killer tripartite beer garden including a decked balcony overlooking the nearby canal, and a grassy area overseen by a roof space upon which DJs are often heard to spin tunes.
Canal Bridge, Acton Lane, NW10 7AD (020 8965 56700 Harlesden tube.