Aside from queueing, there are few things the British have perfected more so than the humble pub. Regardless of the season, weather, or situation, any time is the perfect time to prop up the bar with a pint and a packet of pork scratchings. So why not add a bit of history by drinking at one of the oldest pubs in London?
There’s no definitive answer to the question of which one is actually the oldest – the only thing anyone can agree on is that Charles Dickens patronised pretty much all of them. We’re of the opinion that it doesn’t much matter, as long as they’ve got an interesting story to tell… Here are thirteen of London’s oldest pubs that you should sink a pint at. We’ve made it easy, so all you need to do is choose your tipple of choice.
1. The Guinea, Mayfair
Dates from 1720
Whilst the building itself only dates back to 1720, there has been an inn standing on this site since 1423, which warrants The Guinea a spot on this list. In more recent times, it’s become famous for the steaks served at The Guinea Grill. They’ll set you back a fair bit though, so maybe save the sirloin for next time? They’ve also got award-winning pies to sate your hunger, so you’ll be sorted we reckon.
📍 30 Bruton Place, Mayfair, W1J 6NL. Nearest station: Bond Street.
2. The Spaniards Inn, Hampstead
Dates from 1585
Drink here and you’ll be following in the footsteps of literary luminaries such as Keats, Byron, and Dickens (we did warn you he got around!). It also achieved notoriety as the supposed birthplace and favoured haunt of highwayman Dick Turpin. Their seasonal menus are a winner, and the pub’s Tap Takeover is worth checking out too, as they rotate a selection of excellent craft beers throughout the year.
📍 Spaniards Road, Hampstead, NW3 7JJ. Nearest station: Golders Green or Hampstead.
3. Hoop & Grapes, Aldgate
Dates from 1593
Not to be confused with an identically named, slightly younger pub in Farringdon, this establishment is one of the few timber buildings to have survived the Great Fire of 1666. Reportedly, the flames stopped only fifty yards from the door, which we think may have been a little divine intervention. Here’s hoping your pint is heavenly! Keep an eye on the table though, as over the years the pub is said to have tilted sideways by about 18 inches…
📍 47 Aldgate High St, Aldgate, EC3N 1AL. Nearest station: Aldgate.
4. Lamb & Flag, Covent Garden
Dates from 1772
One of the smaller venues on this list, the Lamb & Flag can also claim one of the bloodier histories. The poet John Dryden was nearly murdered on this spot (albeit a hundred years before it was built in 1772), and in the nineteenth-century, regular bare-knuckle fights in the alley earned it an alternative name: ‘The Bucket of Blood’. Mercifully, things have quietened down since then.
📍 33 Rose St, Covent Garden, WC2E 9EB. Nearest station: Covent Garden or Leicester Square
5. Cittie of Yorke, Holborn
Dates from 1430
Okay, so the current building is a replica built in 1920, but a pub has been standing here for almost six hundred years, so it’s still one of the oldest pubs in London. The Samuel Smith Brewery owns and operates this place, so you won’t get as much variety here. Having said that, the lower prices make up for it, and the Taddy lager is a crowdpleaser. Plus, it’s an absolutely cavernous place, perfect for groups or those who like to get lost in the fold!
📍 22 High Holborn, Holborn, WC1V 6BN. Nearest station: Chancery Lane.
6. The Old Bell Tavern, Fleet Street
Dates from 1678
No other pub on this list can boast as impressive an architect as The Old Bell, which was built by Sir Christopher Wren for his masons, who were rebuilding St Bride’s Church after that pesky Great Fire. It’s not even the only pub he’s rumoured to have built, as nearby Ye Olde Watling (run by the same chain) also has a place in his portfolio.
📍 95 Fleet Street, EC4Y 1DH. Nearest station: City Thameslink or Blackfriars.
7. Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese, Fleet Street
Dates from 1667
Easily winning the prize for best-named pub on this list, Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese is not the place to go if you want to sit by a window and watch the world go by. It’s more suited to imagining yourself as the lead in a Victorian crime thriller, with sawdust on the floor and wooden bays with high-backed church pews. We’ll take our pint with a side of murder and intrigue, please. It really does feel like one of London’s oldest pubs. The original pub here was destroyed in the Great Fire of London, but it didn’t take long for a successor to rise from the ashes (priorities, people!). Plus, how’s this for a bit of pedigree, while the pub dates back to 1667, that’s because it was rebuilt in 1667. There has in fact been a pub on the site since as far back as 1538!
Just make sure you don’t accidentally head to the not-too-far-away, similarly named, The Cheshire Cheese. It’s far younger, dating back just to the 20th century – a veritable child in comparison!
📍 145 Fleet St, near Blackfriars station, EC4A 2BU. Nearest station: Chancery Lane or Blackfriars.
8. Ye Olde Mitre, Holborn
Dates from 1546
A land issue meant that this pub was technically part of Cambridgeshire until the early twentieth century, so Ye Olde Mitre makes a slightly dubious claim to be London’s oldest. Still, Elizabeth I was rumoured to have danced round the cherry tree that once stood outside, so why not emulate her and have a boogie with your ale of choice?
📍 1 Ely Place, Holborn, EC1N 6SJ. Nearest station: Chancery Lane or Farringdon.
9. The Prospect of Whitby, Wapping
Dates from 1520
The oldest riverside pub in London offers lovely views of the Thames – we’re sure that’s what used to draw the sailors and smugglers to the pub once known as ‘The Devil’s Tavern’. It’s been standing since 1520, and a reminder of its dark past can be seen with the noose and gallows that hang off of the balcony.
📍 57 Wapping Wall, Wapping, E1W 3SH. Nearest station: Wapping.
10. The Seven Stars, Holborn
Dates from 1602
How many of the oldest pubs in London give you the opportunity to pick up free legal advice? The Seven Stars definitely will; it predates the neighbouring Royal Courts of Justice by the small matter of 280 years, and still plays host to crowds of lawyers at the close of day. As the night draws on, however, the legal advice might become iffy at best…
📍 53 Carey St, Holborn, WC2A 2JB. Nearest station: Chancery Lane or Temple.
11. The George Inn, London Bridge
Dates from 1583
Having stood in one form or another since 1583, London’s last galleried inn has welcomed numerous famous faces. Shakespeare was a frequent guest, and his plays were performed in the courtyard for years. How’s that for proof of it being one of London’s oldest pubs?
The courtyard remains one of the pub’s biggest draws, as you can sip G&Ts in the shadow of The Shard. It’s also notable for being London’s only surviving galleried coaching inn, and is owned by the National Trust. So next time you want to grab a pint, just say you’re going out to explore some history!
📍 77 Borough High St, SE1 1NH. Nearest station: London Bridge.
12. The Mayflower, Rotherhithe
Dates from 1550
Unsurprisingly, this pub gets its name from the famous ship, which moored next door before sailing to the New World. If you can prove a family link to one of the voyageurs, why not sign their book of Mayflower Descendants? They also claim to serve the best fish and chips in London, but that’s definitely an argument for another time.
📍 117 Rotherhithe St, Rotherhithe, SE16 4NF. Nearest station: Rotherhithe.
13. The Grapes, Limehouse
Dates from 1583
Dickens makes another appearance here, as The Grapes is supposedly the pub described in the opening of Our Mutual Friend. It’s another of our oldest pubs with a dark history, as unsavoury longshoremen reportedly drowned drunk patrons in the Thames – something the current owner, actor Ian McKellen, chose to gloss over in his history of the place. Monday is the day to visit, as the thespian has been known to run the pub quiz from time to time!
📍 76 Narrow Street, Limehouse, E14 8BP. Nearest station: Westferry or Limehouse.
Also published on Medium.