Wimbledon bars and pubs

A local run by Hop Back Brewery, with a leafy beer garden, a quiz night, games nights and regular barbecues. Tipple-wise it serves ales, wines and Hop Back’s Summer Lightning beer. The Sultan is popular with the local crowd, scooping up a Time Out Love London award in 2018. 

South London boozer with proper pub grub (fish and chips, sausage rolls, Sunday roast), a quiz night and DJs. But what you really need to know about the Alexandra is that its home to Wimbledon’s top rooftop bar, The Loft. Get there early if you want to catch some south London rays. 

What was once a locals’ local has morphed into an altogether more gentrified outpost and is now the go-to gastropub for smart south-west Londoners – in fact, its gourmet leanings are enough to make you feel shy about popping in for just a pint. The drinks list, however, is as carefully put together as any of its menus, with superlative examples of a wide range of wine styles, listed geographically, plus local brews on tap, and deliciously old-school bar snacks.

This beautifully refurbished Wimbledon Village pub with rooms is a year-round winner, but it really comes into its own during Wimbledon fortnight, when the terrace houses a marquee decorated with tennis paraphernalia and fitted with a dedicated bar. In the main dining room you'll get good-quality pies, burgers and fish and chips mixed with more delicate, seasonal dishes prevails; the bar offers a half-dozen fizz options in the event of a Brit win.

Tennis tourists take note: this superb gastro offering edges into Southfields but it’s actually only a five-minute walk from the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club (Wimbledon, of course), and it collects awards like Novak Djokovic. The popularity of its seasonal, well-pitched dishes means you’ll need to book a table in the cream and wood-panelled dining room at any time of year; otherwise, head to the cosy, lively bar for one of a dozen craft beers and real ales.

The menu at this attractively decorated Young’s pub puts a strong emphasis on good British produce, some of which comes from its own vegetable garden. Sunday lunch is a grand affair. 

This pretty, whitewashed pub is a fair walk from the madness of the tennis, which means there’s a good chance of getting served here before match point. You won’t miss any of the action –coverage is broadcast on special screens throughout Wimbledon fortnight. The vibe is relaxed and welcoming, the menu offers some nice takes on pub classics (try the beer battered cod).

It’s game, set and match to this formerly grotty boozer, which has benefited from some serious TLC and a generous and sustained cash injection from its owners, Young’s. The result? It’s an airy bar serving beers from local operations like Wimbledon Brewery and Sambrook’s, plus a well-chosen selection of wines by the glass, carafe and bottle. The gorgeously retro dining room is done out in heritage colours, and several cosy overspill areas include a book-lined ‘Library’ room.

This atmospheric, cottagey pub on Wimbledon Common dates to the early nineteenth century, and the wood-panelled bar and warren of dark, cosy rooms surrounding it have certainly retained their olde-worlde character. Come Wimbledon, it attracts its fair share of American tourists wanting to super-size their English experience – which is fair enough, as the terrace is enticing.

With its neutral tones and smart but non-committal decor, this cocktail lounge may look like a hotel lobby, but that’s because all the imagination available to its founders went into the drinks list. For ballast, pick and mix from the unchallenging menu of shareable platters and pizzas.

This sociable pub offers up affordable cocktails, live music, quizzes and general idling among its comfy leather banquettes, artfully heaving bookshelves. Hit it up for post-Wimbledon drinks – friendly service is a bonus when all you need is a cocktail to take the edge off an emotional day spent courtside.