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Love or loathe it, you can’t deny that Wetherspoons has some of the best-value pints in the capital. In outer boroughs like Croydon a beer a ’Spoons pint can set you back just £2.40; in the city centre it might be closer to £4, but that’s still vastly cheaper than most boozers (and even some flat whites).
In good news for south London (and Kentish) commuters, JD Wetherspoons has applied to open a new branch right next to Charing Cross at 11 The Strand.
’Spoons is pitching to open in a former café and retail space. The two-floor venue will have capacity for 320 people, as well as boast a full food menu serving up to an hour before closing and a smoking area (but with no outdoor seating).
Similar to the pub chain’s other train station boozers, this one hopes to open early: between 7am and 11.30pm Monday to Thursday, extending to a 12am finish on Fridays and Saturdays and closing at 10.30pm on Sundays.
Due to its central location – Charing Cross is considered the centre point of London – the pub will come with a system designed to manage busier periods, including football matchdays. The application says that the pub will consider employing the same door staff used by Heaven nightclub, who will work the door from 6pm onwards.
’Spoons first applied to take over the site, which was once occupied by a Paul café and Next shop, last year but the application was rejected by Westminster City Council. My London reported that a council document said the size of the pub was ‘inappropriate’ for its location, could cause a nuisance to residents in Craven Street and lead to an over-saturation of entertainment and drinking spots in the area.
But the company has appealed the decision. The appeal was granted in June 2025 by the Planning Inspectorate, which said there were no ‘material’ reasons why the vacant space shouldn’t be used as a pub.
If the application is approved, Wetherspoon will add to to its recent expansion across the capital. A new branch called the Walham Green opened in Fulham over the summer, then a boozer opened in the former London Dungeons in London Bridge – after it was exorcised of ghosts of course. The chain also opened another site in Paddington.
The company plans to open 30 new branches in total across the UK over the next six months.
Check out Time Out’s list of the best pubs in London for 2025.
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