Shepherd’s Bush, London
An unlikely jewel on the Uxbridge Road: a blend of country pub and London pub, and it really works. Venison with anchovy sauce, then sticky toffee pudding, in a room that feels like a neighbour’s front parlour. Get drunk and catch a legendary Uxbridge Road bus home.
Finsbury Park, London5. The PlimsollEd McIlroy is the best landlord in the UK, and his Finsbury Park corner boozer serves the best burger in the land. A proper pub with proper…D
Soho, London9. The DevonshireA Victorian corner pub off Piccadilly Circus, reborn as the most exciting pub in London. Oisín Rogers pulls the best pint of Guinness in…A
Waterloo18. The Anchor & HopeNo bookings, a long wait and worth every minute. Slow-cooked dishes for the table, and a wine list for serious drinkers.C
Westbourne Park19. The CowTom Conran’s Irish-accented pub, a Notting Hill fixture for a quarter of a century. Oysters and Guinness upstairs, Beckham downstairs.E
Clerkenwell20. The EagleWhere the gastropub was born in 1991. The steak sandwich remains a national monument.G
Belgravia21. The GrenadierHidden down a cobbled mews where chauffeurs wash Bentleys. Bloody Marys, Beef Wellington and a ghost who was once an officer. You have to…