Special London Pubs by Bus
20 November 2011
This is a list of nice pubs that have something to offer in the way of good beer and/or a nice setting. Should there be more pubs? Yes, and they will follow when I get to them. A key feature on this page is a link to the Transport for London bus route map for the area near the pub. This is the general site for the maps. Bus route maps are in PDF format and are on average about 600k in size, so says TfL. I have given the zone the pub is in should you desire to travel by tube or rail. Please see my comments about this page below. Please note that some pubs open at 11:00 but others at noon. Check their site for hours and contact information.
Transport For London Map Alert
Some of the maps do not display properly. Instead of a map they come up as text. This is a problem at TfL’s end and not a reflection of my computer skills.
The Pubs
Bree Louis (Free House, family run) Camden – Euston
69 Cogbough St NW1 2HH, at Euston St
Euston or Euston Square Stations (Zone 1)
Phone 0207 681 4930
Camden Borough, Euston Bus Map
This is an active pub in the shadow of Euston Rail station. It also has two active bars dispensing real cask ale. The right side bar has many firkins racked and ready to dispense via gravity. They have so many that every visit is a beer festival in itself. The bar staff is very nice and so is the landlady. Take you CAMRA membership card, as you will get a discount.
Bricklayer Arms (Free House, family run) Putney
32 Waterman St SW15 1DD off Richmond Rd
Phone 0208 789 0222
Wandsworth Borough, Putney Bus Map
Putney Bridge Station (Zone 2)
This family-run pub sits around the corner from the bus stop on Richmond Road. They sell all of Timothy Taylor’s beers and a local beer. They have a beer festival in the yard now and then but it is always a beer festival at bar.
South West London CAMRA Pub of the Year 2010, 2008 & 2006
Greater London CAMRA Pub of the Year 2009 & 2008
Cask Pub & Kitchen Westminster – Pimlico
Tied with Craft Beer Company
6 Charlwood Street SW1V 6EE at Tachbrook St
Phone: 020 7630 7225, FACEBOOK, Twitter
City of Westminster, Pimlico - Lupus Street Bus Map
Pimlico Station (Zone 1)
Open daily at noon but on Monday at 4 pm. They sport 10 cask ales along with a good food and wine selection. This corner pub has an open floor plan and not your grandfather’s pub.
Craft Beer Company (tied with Cask Pub & Kitchen) Clerkenwell
82 Leather Lane EC1N 7TR at Hatton Wall
South of Clerkenwell Rd (The Gunmakers is north of Clerkenwell Road)
No phone listed FACEBOOK, Twitter
Camden Borough, Clerkenwell Bus Map
Farringdon or Chancery Lane Stations (Zone 1)
Dove (Fuller’s) Hammersmith
19 Upper Mall W6 9TA, Hammersmith (Zone 2)
Phone 0208 748 9474
Hammersmith & Fulham Borough, Ravenscourt Park Bus Map
Ravenscourt Park Station (Zone 2)
One may come here as this is a historic pub or to sit near the river. I come for the London Porter. The Fuller’s brewery is not a very bad walk westward from here should you desire a tour.
Euston Tap Euston
190 Euston Rd NW1 2EF
Between Euston Square (street) & Eversholt Street
Phone: 020 3137 8837, Twitter
Camden Borough, Euston Bus Map
Euston Square or Euston Stations (Zone 1)
I have not been here yet but reports indicate a nice selection of UK cask ales along with keg beer (yes, they can be good) as well as the ever-popular American beers.
Fullers Brewery Chiswick
The Griffin Brewery
Chiswick Lane South W4 2QB near Hogarth Roundabout (Zone 2)
John the Brewer Twitter
Hammersmith & Fulham Borough, Stamford Brook Map
Look for bus 190 to Chiswick/Hogarth Roundabout.
This is the brewery’s directions.
There is one pub with two names at the brewery, the Mawson Arms and Fox and Hounds, which represents the two pubs once located here.
This is my public declaration: When I am in London during the colder season I come here to drink Fullers London Porter on cask. In as much as I enjoy a great many English brews, this is my favorite in all the UK. I have written to the brewery on this several times and I am sure that the brewer is pleased. I can get it in the sates but only in bottles and keg, neither of which come up to the taste that it exhibits in cask form. Thank you Fuller’s.
Gunmakers (Free House) Islington – Clerkenwell
13 Eyre Street Hill EC1R 5ET
North of Clerkenwell Road, but you will walk down a hill
(The Craft Beer Company is south of Clerkenwell Road)
Phone 0207 278 1022, Twitter
Islington Borough, Clekenwell Bus Map
Farringdon or Chancery Lane Stations (Zone 1)
The beer and food are good and so are the staff and patrons. Closed on Saturday and Sunday. Open weekdays at noon. The pub has a regular bunch of lads who come in often and are a delight to drink with. The food is better than ordinary pub grub and the reservations for table will attest to that.
Harp (Free House, owned by landlady Bridget (Binnie)
Westminster – Covent Garden
47 Chandos Place WC2N 4HS at William IV Street
Phone 0207 836 029, FACEBOOK, Twitter
City of Westminster, Charing Cross Bus Map
Leicester Square or Charing Cross stations (Zone 1)
Open every day serving 8 cask ales. The Times called the Harp a national treasure of a pub and that it is. It is free of tie and run buy very nice people. Check this if you want to drink good cider here. And, if you want to see what a great looking pub should look like go to their photo page.
West London CAMRA Pub of the Year 2010
Greater London CAMRA Pub of the Year 2010
Quinn’s (Free House, family run) Camden
65, Kentish Town Rd NW1 8NY at Hawley Road (Zone 2)
Just north of the cannel
Phone 0207 267 8240
Camden Borough, Camden Town Bus Map
They have a nice selection of European bottled beers in several coolers. This is a good place to find European beers in London. The owners are really nice people and run a great pub.
Market Porter (Market Taverns) Southwark – Borough
9 Stoney St SE1 9AA
Phone 0207 407 2495
Southwark Borough, Borough Bus Map or London Bridge Bus Map
London Bridge Station (Zone 1)
The MP is a must stop for those looking to try cask ale from around England. They have several on all the time and they have a nice rotation of new beers often. Their website will take you to other fine pubs in the chain.
Mitre (unknown tie) Camden – Farringdon
1 Ely Court EC1N 6SJ
Phone 0207 405 4751
Camden Borough, Holborn Circus Bus Map
Chancery Lane or Farringdon Stations (Zone 1)
It may be hard to locate but once inside it will be even harder to leave. A well-run pub
The Rake (Tied to Utobeer) Southwark
14 Winchester Walk SE1 9AG
Southwark Borough, Borough Bus Map or London Bridge Bus Map
Borough or London Bridge Stations (Zone 1)
Phone 020 7407 0557, Twitter, Blog
Closed on Sunday
London Bridge Station (Zone 1)
This is a tiny pub that is big on beer.
Spaniard Inn (Unknown tie) Hampstead
Spaniards Road NW3 7JJ at Hampstead Lane
Phone 0208 731 8406
Camden, Hampstead Bus Map Bus 210 (or 603) to Spaniards Road/Spaniards Inn (Zone 2)
Superb pub with a good range of cask ales and bottled conditioned ale. They are dog friendly and several can be found here at the same time. They serve the dogs food and also have a dog wash in another building. Yes, they allow people in too. Actually, it can get very packed on weekend afternoons.
Wenlock Arms (Free House) Islington (Hoxton) – Wenlock Basin
26 Wenlock Rd N1 at Stuart, off City Rd via Windsor Terrace
Phone 020 7608-3406, Web www.wenlock-arms.co.uk
Old Street (exit 1) or Angle Stations (Zone 1)
Islington Borough, Old Street – Moorefields Eye Hospital Bus Map
This is an excellent pub for beer that’s off the beaten path. It was reported in September 2010 that the pub might be sold for property redevelopment.
White Horse (M & B, formerly Bass) Fulham – Parson Green
1-3 Parson Green SW6 4UL
Phone 0207 736 2115
Hammersmith & Fulham Borough, Parsons Green Bus Map
Parson Green Station (Zone 2)
Every Abby Trappist-ale is sold here in bottles, unless that has changed. They have a sort of American beer festival here in the autumn, featuring some very good US brews that attract Londoners for all over. This pub actively trains staff in beer knowledge and food safety.
Reference Material
TfL London Home Page
London Bus Maps (PDF)
London Tube Maps (PDF)
For Further Interest
Beer in the Evening, Twitter
CAMRA North London Branch, Twitter
Cask Marque
Dead Pub Society
Dog Friendly Pubs
Fancy a Pint, FACEBOOK, Twitter
Full Pint
London Pubs Group
London pubs that offer discounts - type in a city name
Multimap
North London Branch (CAMRA) for London Drinker Magazine
PBase for photos of London pubs
Photopolis for even more photos
Pub Explorer
Pubs.com
Pubs Galore, Twitter
Pub History Society
Randomness Guide
Urban Spoon for pubs in London
Wikipedia London Pubs
My comments about this page below
Any or all of this could change without my knowledge as pubs are bought and sold often. I do list other sites that will take you to good pubs, as this is what it’s all about.
Beer Brings People Together
My Dilemma
The aim of the Good London Guide is to help people get to and enjoy London. Part of the pleasure in being in London (or England in general) is visiting a pub. If I were able I would have a list of over 500 London pubs worthy of a visit. But that would be a huge task and I tried it before. I have old pub pages floating about the Internet world and they are seriously out of date. To do it right takes an organization and time. Another problem is how fast pubs change so quickly these days. Right now I just don’t know what to do. This page will be expanded but to what degree I don’t know. So, if I missed your favorite pub, I am sorry. I also have pubs listed on my Pubs page, but only if they have their own web address. Other sites are doing a good job identifying pubs and reader’s feedback is one way of keeping things up to date. Cheers, Ed.