Three tiny, dark, wood-panelled rooms, with a bar in each housing framed jockey portraits. The pumps have regularly changing, well-kept guest ales and these days, craft comes by the can. There’s Guinness, of course, a fair few Irish whiskies and trad music on Thursdays. Smart, tie-wearing bar staff are knowledgeable and friendly. And sports nights include screenings of the Six Nations rugby. Action-packed craic.
Find the right London Irish pub and you’ll be forgiven for thinking you’re in heart of Dublin – perfectly poured pints of Guinness included. These London pubs will whisk you away to the Emerald Isle, and are perfect places to spend St Patrick’s Day on March 17. They’re also pretty damn brilliant the rest of the year, too, and we’ve picked the best of the bunch, from old-fashioned boozers honouring Gaelic traditions to young and trendy London bars stocking Irish ales and whiskies.
At some, you’ll find the country’s music, food and even dancing; at others, you’ll be served tasty Thai food with your Hibernian hooch. So get stuck into the craic: here’s a round-up of the best Irish pubs and bars in London.