A petite, low-ceilinged, old-school boozer down the Islington backroads where bullseye windows get frosty on busy evenings (most of the time, since new owners took over). The Compton used to be favoured by George Orwell for cosy sessions, and he knew a thing or two about drinking in style. Grab a pint of ale and a stunner of a sausage roll and head to the saloon bar. You may have to share your table with strangers, but that’s all part of the cosy charm.
Lounge around on roughed-up sofas and bask in the glow of a burning fire – these cosy London pubs are crying out to be treated like your home away from home in the autumn months. Whether you want to get warmed-up after a brisk walk through Hampstead Heath or you feel like getting all aglow while in Soho, these pubs will work wonders on your post-summer, not-quite-winter complexion.
From creakingly old inns with nooks for hiding away from the London fog to modern pubs that know how to turn on the warming charm, find somewhere in the capital to get seriously cosy over autumnal ales and hot toddies.