Best London pubs by Conde Nast

[wessie]

the 35 best pubs across London, apparently, according to Conde Nast Traveller

The 42 best pubs in London for 2026, according to our local team

The finest places for a pint in London.

www.cntraveller.com

a winter challenge for a @Wapping wander/crawl to review their choices

 

[Wapping]

Flicking down the list, I have drunk in at least 16 of them, more than once.

I like a mission with a purpose, I’ll see what I can do. Thank you for sharing it, not least as I want / need to get back to my footsore wanderings, now that summer is closing.

 

[Steptoe]

the 35 best pubs across London, apparently, according to Conde Nast Traveller

The 42 best pubs in London for 2026, according to our local team

The finest places for a pint in London.

www.cntraveller.com

a winter challenge for a @Wapping wander/crawl to review their choices

Dear god. Most to be avoided.

I see we get a mention in best Soho drinking dens, along with Colony Room, Bar Termoni and Milroys whisky bar with its hidden downstairs bar accessed through a bookcase

 

[Wapping]

Most to be avoided.

Please be more specific.

 

[er-minio]

The Holly Bush is mostly people taking selfies for Instagram outside the venue.

I greatly prefer The Flask. Also, less of a climb
Old White Bear has been reopened methinks. All nearby.

 

[Steptoe]

Please be more specific.

They aren’t fun, full of serious old men comparing beers and ales

 

[Wapping]

This one in particular, no doubt:

The Harrison Pub, King’s Cross​

 

[The Other PaulG]

I still rate the Grenadier very highly. Just sad that now it's on the list, more people might find it!*

* It's still the only place in London that I've had a cabbie struggle to find.

 

[Wapping]

I might go for a stroll today:

 

[Wapping]

And he’s off…..




Here’s a sort of curiosity. When the docks were redeveloped (and what a good job they made of it) several of the buildings were required to maintain ‘general public’ access to the Thames. Here is just such an example at the former Metropolitan Wharf:

 

[Wapping]

Pub one, very local to me.

The Prospect of Whitby:

 

[Wapping]

One down, off we go to Spitalfields or maybe it’s Shoreditch:

 

[wessie]

One down, off we go to Spitalfields or maybe it’s Shoreditch:

have you put on your man bun?

 

[Wapping]

Off we go, taking the alternative route, past Shadwell Basin:



Westwards towards the City, about a mile and a half away:



Eastwards, the towers of Canary Wharf;



West along the Highway, one of London’s great arterial roads, which will become the A13 eastwards along the Thames until Southend. These are flats, built in a rush to replace houses and warehouses, flattened in the Blitz. Not the greatest but some people still make an effort to make them home:



Not everything was flattened, some survived. This one is from 1914:

 

[Northern jock]

I should do a Glasgow version sometime when I’m there. Today before my aunt’s funeral we popped into the Pot Still with my cousin, a good city centre bar.

Home - The Pot Still

With over 1000 whiskies, 4 cracking cask ale lines, proper pies, friendly staff & great service.

thepotstill.co.uk

I wanted to go on to the State Bar, my favourite in the city but the church beckoned.

The State Bar - Scotland's Pubs and Bars

We are a city centre bar that has been on its current site since 1902. It is said that American secret services passed on intelligence here, nowadays the only secret we have is for Kay’s steak pie recipe. We have a strong afternoon trade for our traditional pub fayre, which has a hale and hearty …

www.scotlandspubsandbars.co.uk

 

[Wapping]

We are now out of Wapping and into Shadwell, moving onto Dock Street, which formed a part of 1934’s Battle of Cable Street, blocking the fascist march:

 

[Wapping]

Turn right at Shadwell station, up Watney Street and through Watney Market. This is the second time I have been through the market today:

 

[Wapping]

My apologies, I have neglected this, whilst my iPad sorted out its synchronisation with my iPhone. Back on track now.

 

[Wapping]

Watney Market behind us, it’s turn left on Commercial Road, built originally to bring goods into London from the then new docks. Whilst wandering along, I always like to look down the side streets and alleys to see what’s going on:



As we walk along towards Aldgate East tube station:



Past the Lahore Kebab House, which longer established members of UKGSer will remember:



And on towards the redevelopment, slowly spreading eastwards from Aldagate and the City:



Along with a reminder of London’s much older past, in the Proof House, dating from 1637, some 30 or so years before the Great Fire of London in 1666.

London Proof House | Home of Gun Proof Since 1637

The London Proof House is the oldest gun proof house in the world, still providing military proof, best gun proof, deactivation and certification services.

www.gunproof.co.uk

 

[Wapping]

At Aldgate East, it’s a swing northwards up Brick Lane and into what is now known a ‘Bangla Town’ with its student / tourist popular curry houses:



Before turning right into Heneage Street and our next pub: