Revealed: the most crowded London pubs to drink at this Christmas

London becomes a glorious glittering wonderland this time of year. But it also gets seriously, seriously crowded. Ice skating rinks get booked up weeks in advance, department stores get so full you can barely move, train stations are packed with more tourists and commuters than normal, and good luck getting a seat in a central London pub. 

If all of that sounds like your nightmare, don’t worry. It can (mostly) be avoided. To help you swerve the seasonal crowds, location-sharing app Life360 has predicted which London pubs will be the busiest this Christmas. It compiled the list by looking at the number of visits lasting at least one hour within 10 metres of a pub’s location between December 1 to 23 or Dec 31 last year. Obviously, it’s not definitive, but it is a pretty good indicator of busyness. 

It looks like the most packed pubs this month are likely to be those nearby offices and commuter routes, owing to all the workers that like to indulge in a few pints post work. According to Life360, London’s busiest boozer this festive season will be The Globe, a City pub that is a literal stone’s throw from Moorgate tube station.

Nell Gwynne Tavern in Charing Cross came second place in Life360’s research while the Duke of York in Victoria landed in third place. 

Life360 said: ‘Aside from the locations showcasing the desired ease of getting home, the top 10 list also reveals that office workers are not shying away from the post work day drink. With The City and Victoria dominating the list as pubs are filled with colleagues squeezing in a festive drink before the journey home.’

Numbers four, five and six on the list are all Wetherspoons pubs – the Railway Bell in Barnet, the Willow Walk in Victoria and the Moon Under Water in Leicester Square respectively. Life360 said: ‘Maybe down to the large group bookings without high minimum spends or cheaper price tag on a pint, it is clear that Wetherspoons are set to be popular this December.’

The top 10 busiest pubs in London this Christmas

1. The Globe (Moorgate)
2. Nell Gwynne Tavern (Charing Cross)
3. Duke of York (Victoria)
4. The Railway Bell (Barnet)
5. The Willow Walk (Victoria)
6. The Moon Under Water (Leicester Square)
7. The Ganton Arms (Soho)
8. The Observatory (Greenwich)
9. The Signal Box (Euston)
10. The William Webb Ellis (Twickenham)

The 50 best pubs in London.

ICYMI: The ‘world’s smallest pub’ has opened in London. 

Plus: The busiest travel days predicted for Christmas 2025.

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