Binge-Worthy Box Sets That You Might Have Missed
Nowadays, watching the right television shows seems to be integral to your social standing, and
Where: Spaniards Road, Hampstead
What: Roaring fireplaces, classic ales, British comfort food, dog-friendly garden
Soaked in history and literary tales, Dick Turpin’s ghost reportedly pops by when bored, The Spaniards Inn is the pub to stumble into after a brisk wander on Hampstead Heath. Settle beside the blazing fire, low beams overhead, wood panelling all around, and if you’re lucky, a moody mist outside. The menu throws out classic roasts, toad-in-the-hole, and enough ale to warm even a misanthropic novelist. It’s properly snug, gloriously creaky, and should be mandatory each autumn.
Opening times visit www.thespaniardshampstead.co.uk
Open Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
Where: 145 Fleet Street, London
What: Labyrinthine rooms, open fireplaces, hearty pies and ale
This pub is so old that Samuel Johnson complained about the WiFi when he first moved in. Creak through the wood-panelled warren, try to find daylight, and rejoice in the shadowy nooks that make you feel like a pirate in Dickensian London. Secrets hidden in every alcove, and the food is as old-school as the decor: steak pie, Sunday roast, and enough beer to fuel a thesis on Victorian loneliness. Properly authentic.
Opening times visit www.ye-olde-cheshire-cheese.co.uk
Where: 76 Narrow Street, Limehouse
What: Quirky riverside pub, British classics, riverside nooks
Owned by Sir Ian McKellen (try not to propose a Lord of the Rings pub quiz), The Grapes ticks every box for autumnal cosiness. Set beside the Thames, it feels more Dickens than Docklands, with timbered interiors full of river memorabilia. The menu’s all about sturdy British plates, fish and chips, pies, and (naturally) local ales. Find yourself a window seat and watch the river sigh as London cools down.
Opening times visit www.thegrapes.co.uk
Where: 117 Rotherhithe Street
What: Thames-side candlelit pub, comfort food, river garden
If you like your pubs with a dash of nautical legend (the actual Mayflower ship set off from outside) and the vibe of a New England autumn, this is mandatory. There are exposed beams, flickering lights, pewter tankards and more seafaring knick-knacks than a ship’s manifest. Try the Sunday roast, light a candle, and look moody by the river as the leaves fall.
Opening times visit www.mayflowerpub.co.uk
Where: 22 Holly Mount, Hampstead
What: Quiet lane vibes, wood fire, seasonal British menu
Venture down a little lane in Hampstead, The Holly Bush offers a true backstreet autumn escape. It’s all low ceilings, glow-in-the-dark fireplaces, and the sort of corners where couples share secrets and pies. The food is British, seasonal, and generous, from game on toast to sticky toffee pudding. This is how autumn in London ought to feel, even if you’re in shorts.
Opening times visit www.hollybushhampstead.co.uk
Where: Royal Hill, Greenwich
What: Candle-lit pub-slash-museum, curio-packed walls, comfort food
This pub is an eccentric collector’s cave masquerading as a drinking den. Board games stack in the corners, pizzas are outrageously long, and you’ll be hugged by the owner if you stay long enough (consider this a warning and a gift). Each nook tells a different story, helped by hearty plates and enough atmosphere to make you forget you’re three streets from the Cutty Sark.
Opening times visit www.theprinceofgreenwichpub.com
Where: 223 Grove Road, Bow
What: Eclectic interiors, craft beers, comfort classics
The Crown is a busy little boozer with a knack for cramming visual chaos and cosiness into one bar. Stained glass, exposed brick, butterflies in glass cases (yes, really), and a menu spanning British comfort to vegan surprise. It’s the sort of place you end up staying until closing, pondering whether you need another cocktail and debating the merits of stained glass drinking.
Opening times visit www.thecrownbow.co.uk
Where: 1 Bull Inn Ct, Covent Garden
What: Toasties, traditional draught, jukebox, dark wood décor
Hidden down a Covent Garden alley, Nell Gwynne is the kind of pub that feels like it’s been waiting for you. Dimly lit, rammed with regulars, and stubbornly resisting modernity except the jukebox, this is where to warm up over proper pint and listen to a jukebox that plays everything from Bowie to Blur. Toasties are legend, pints are cold, and everyone leaves happier than they arrived.
Opening times visit www.thenellgwynne.com
Where: 77 Highgate West Hill
What: Roaring fire, real ales, comfort food
Rumoured to be haunted by a dejected Victorian barmaid, The Flask is a happy autumn hideout in North London. Warm up with a tankard of local ale, order a proper pie, and keep an eye out for ghosts lurking around the wood panelling. A Highgate stroll is never complete without it.
Opening times visit www.theflaskhighgate.com
Where: 22 Eaton Terrace, Belgravia
What: Leather banquettes, glowing fire, classic British dishes
If you want Victorian elegance in pub form or a place to pretend you’re a landed gentry, the Antelope is the Belgravia bolthole of choice. Sink into the corner and enjoy a menu that includes pie, steak and, naturally, top-tier chips. Autumn evenings feel grand here; you half-expect Sherlock Holmes to pop up at the bar.
Opening times visit www.antelope-eaton-terrace.co.uk
Where: 57 Wapping Wall
What: Riverside pub with historic interior, hearty grub
This pub has seen pirates, poets, and enough local drama to fill several Netflix seasons. Originally from 1520, it wears its age well: expect creaking timber floors, open fires, and views over the swaying Thames. Fish & chips, pie, and ale dominate the menu, and the autumn river mist outside completes the mood. Wapping gets all the credit, but it’s the pub that makes the place.
Opening times visit www.greeneking.co.uk/pubs/greater-london/prospect-of-whitby
Where: The Terrace, Barnes
What: Stunning riverside garden, hearty food, roaring fire
In Barnes, there exists an autumn cliché so strong you almost expect Keats himself to be slumped by the fire writing the next ode. The White Hart’s garden is superb in summer, but come October, it’s all about the interior: roaring fire, plush seating, comfort food. Order a Sunday roast or something spiced, eavesdrop on the locals plotting rowing glory, and embrace riverside contentment.
Opening times visit www.whitehartbarnes.co.uk
Where: 119 St Peter’s Street, Islington
What: Canal-side pub with balconies, pub classics & ales
Escape the busy city in this canal-side bolthole, perched over Regent’s Canal with balconies practically in the water. It’s secluded, relaxed, and the perfect autumn suntrap if you want to watch the world float by. The menu is traditional and satisfying: burgers, fish, pies and plenty of local ales. The breezy water views make it quietly romantic, especially in October twilight.
Opening times visit www.thenarrowboatpub.com
Where: Leadenhall Market, City
What: Multi-level pub with market bustle, classic British food, great ale
This is what happens when historic London crashes into modern city life: Lamb Tavern sits inside the glorious Leadenhall Market and spills into three floors, each one slightly more eccentric than the last. It’s raucous, charming, and brilliant for people-watching, especially as autumn turns the market golden. The menu features proper pies, steak and chips, and local beers. There’s nowhere better to lose an afternoon.
Opening times visit www.lambtavernleadenhall.com
Where: 12 Gate St, Holborn
What: 16th-century mahogany-panelled hideout, real ales, roast dinners
One of Holborn’s oldest secrets, The Ship Tavern is history wrapped in mahogany, with pints poured from a real-ale bar and roast dinners that could fend off even the cruellest October wind. The upstairs dining room is proper old-school, the pints are excellent, and you’re one creaky stair away from time travel. Great spot for autumn, especially if you love drama in your décor.
Opening times visit www.theshiptavern.co.uk
Where: 33 Rose St, Covent Garden
What: Georgian charm, legendary bare-knuckle history, real ale and pub classics
Known as “The Bucket of Blood” due to its bare-knuckle past, this Covent Garden spot is now famous for its Georgian elegance, so much so, even Charles Dickens found time to pop by. Wood-panelled, packed with regulars, and perfect for hiding from the rain, it serves up classic comfort food and pints in an atmosphere so rich you might write a novel by the end of the evening.
Opening times visit www.lambandflagcoventgarden.co.uk
Where: 10A Strathearn Pl, Paddington
What: Plush 19th-century boozer, decorated wallpaper, comfort food
If you can’t get a train out of Paddington (thank you, strikes), settle in at The Victoria and watch London’s dramas unfold in plush wallpapered surroundings. The comfort food menu is full of warming classics, sausages, pies, and more, and the autumn atmosphere is made for slow, chatty afternoons. Find a window, nurse a hot toddy, and reconstruct your day.
Opening times visit www.victoriapaddington.co.uk
Where: Walham Grove, Fulham
What: Award-winning food and wine in a casual and relaxed setting
This Fulham favourite is the kind of place that locals whisper about in hushed, reverent tones, mainly, so the out-of-towners don’t snag all the tables. The Harwood Arms is London’s only Michelin-starred gastropub, so expect seasonal British produce with a country-house flair: think Berkshire fallow deer, glorious ribeye steaks, and a Sunday roast that could move you to tears..
Opening times visit www.harwoodarms.com
Where: Camden Stables Market, 87/88 North Yard, Chalk Farm
What: Roof terrace, live music and hearty, comforting food.
Tucked away inside Camden Market’s labyrinthine lanes, the Dark Horse is as unpretentious as its name, serving up pub classics kicked up a notch by an actual chef, think legendary fish and chips, Guinness cake so moist it’s practically a drink, and vegan Sunday roasts for the “herbivores” in your life. When the wind howls through Camden Lock, there’s nothing like a handmade sausage roll in one hand and a pint in the other to keep out the autumn chill.
Opening times visit www.thedarkhorsecamden.com
Where: 254 Hackney Rd, London
What: Classic British fare in a former Victorian pub with original mahogany panelling
Every East Ender knows that warmth is a state of mind (and a well-stoked fire), both found at the Marksman. Winner of the coveted MICHELIN Pub of the Year, this Hackney haunt dishes out British classics, with a little creative swagger, of course: curries for warming up, pies for sharing, duck and Tamworth terrine to make you feel like minor royalty. With beers, ciders, and a playlist as eclectic as its regulars, it’s the sort of spot where autumn evenings seem to linger forever. If the weather turns nasty, just order another pie. Problem solved.
Opening times visit www.marksmanpublichouse.com
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