Interestingly, the building sits in between the barber shop owned by Sweeney Todd and the pie shop owned by his mistress Mrs Lovett — a grizzly detail for an otherwise resplendent London pub. The interiors are stylish and comfortable in equal measure, and the craft ale selection is pretty top notch.

This narrow little boozer on Fleet St twinkles with Irish charm. Behind the lovely island bar they pour McMullens cask ales, with Rivertown on draught, and the kitchen turns out decent pub grub. Today, it serves a first rate choice of beers, with regular guest ales, and is known for its cider.

Whether out under the midday sun, sheltering from the cold or basking in the amber glow of the bar in the evening, the Harp is an inexorably lovely shrine to traditional drinking culture. In our defence it always was, and still remains, a bloody good pub. It’s the Withnail to the Coach & Horses I – it has airs, a certain faded gentility. It’s small and cosy and a regular haunt for east London’s creative types. The Bank of Friendship is somewhere that bucks the trend and comes into its own on match days – it’s a five minute walk from the Emirates on Blackstock Road and a haven for Gooners on Saturday afternoons. Kentish Town boozer The Pineapple helped set the template in 2002 when it was saved by Old Pineapplers, whom it still welcomes today. The London Eye has 32 capsules around its wheel, one for each borough of London. The building is outwardly conservative – a Grade II listing sees to that – but inside, it’s a compendium of eccentricity.

There’s live music a couple of times a month and pie night every Tuesday, fish night on Fridays. Better still, all their profits go towards their own charity, the Sekforde House Trust, which supports scholarships and accommodation for students in need. It’s one of the very oldest pubs in the city, dating back to the 16th century, and also one of the most characterful.
It offers the kind of comfort that quietly encourages another bottle, or another round.

Looking for the best igloos and igloo pop-ups in London, check out our ultimate guide. It rattles with happiness. They’ve a kind streak, too: this is the place that lays on Christmas lunch for free, for anyone on their own. Fuller’s have long done themselves proud with this darling place.The Angel has had a life. Down well worn concrete steps, past the men’s loo, the basement tends to be a loud, fun place with the TV on, where the bar pours a few Spanish lagers, some ales and plenty of gin, while upstairs is the size of dishcloth and has a proper, old fashioned jukebox that sounds magnificent, and tends to play Bowie or the like. Importantly, while the pub is best known for its vegan cause, it never feels worthy or pretentious.This old-school boozer is the politicians’ pub of choice — and the political journos who report on them. Loving a pub is rarely entirely rational. We’ll drink to that.The Glory couldn’t be more aptly named. 69 reviews. On the walls are old newspaper columns, photos, trinkets, memorabilia, curiosities.

Go mid afternoon or just before closing, when all the old actors will start a chat, and tell you about when they were nearly somebody.Has any pub been so eulogised as the Coach? In the summer, the terrace throngs; the sounds are of glasses filling with fizz and office gossip. The decor is perhaps a little done, a touch twee, but it’s certainly memorable, with the walls and every nook and every cranny filled with oddities. It has its fair share of regulars, most of whom are chatty types, and the Guinness is good – though it was once uniformly flawless, so we're not sure if something's changed over the last year. Fluorescent magazine covers are plastered against twee, flowery wallpaper. It probably helps that so many of its regulars are journalists, and often have been.
But the draw, aside from the gorgeous Victorian decor, all etched glass screens and polished oak – the leather banquettes are comfortable if a bit plush – is that everyone here always seems to be having a good time. This beautiful 18th century pub stands proud at the top of Holly Mount, a short walk from Hampstead Heath. It is somewhere to be, somewhere everyone wants to be. In fact, it might even be better. Still, it's full of inviting corners to set up camp in, especially by the fire.

The exterior of this Islington pub is a thing of beauty, with a floral display perfectly kept all year round. But the Courage brewery let it go to Sam Smiths, who made it gleam without tearing everything out for a soulless refit. In fact, it largely forgoes all the irritations that tend to accompany the worthy sorts who sip on sours: in fact, with its open fire, dart board, upright piano, worn floors and cheery-but-not-chummy staff, it’s just a proper old pub that happens to have a few different bits and pieces to keep the nerds in pints. Is there a dress code for visiting the London Eye? When there’s sport to watch, the TVs will have it on, and the place gets busy with fans that like to shout along – head to the Lounge upstairs for peace and quiet if that's not your thing. That said, if you're nearby in the early evening, and saunter in before they really fill up, you'll still get a pint, and the beer is well kept.