Choose Your Hidden London Pub Adventure
Some of London’s best historic pubs are hiding in places you would probably never wander into on your own.
You’ll find them down narrow passages off busy streets, tucked into quiet mews, buried among the old lanes of the City and inside one of London’s most spectacular covered markets. A few are genuinely difficult to spot. Others simply give you a reason to turn away from the obvious sightseeing route and discover a part of London you might otherwise walk straight past.
These eight pubs are worth the detour. Pick the hidden-London experience that sounds like yours, then use the individual Traveler’s Checklist Guide to find it and know what to look for when you get there.
1. Ye Olde Mitre, Holborn: A Hidden Pub Down Ely Court
Ye Olde Mitre is the perfect place to begin hunting for London’s hidden pubs. Just off busy Hatton Garden, a narrow passage leads into Ely Court, where this wonderfully old-fashioned tavern sits tucked away from the surrounding streets.
Step inside and you’ll find tiny wood-panelled rooms, low ceilings and a collection of historic details that make the pub feel like a discovery. Look for the preserved remains of the famous cherry tree in the courtyard, a reminder of the pub’s unusual connection to the Bishops of Ely. Order a pint of cask ale and enjoy the feeling of having found a little piece of London that most people walk right past.
Explore the full Traveler’s Checklist Guide to Ye Olde Mitre →
2. Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese, Fleet Street: A Hidden Labyrinth of Historic Rooms
Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese is one of London’s most famous historic pubs, yet its entrance is surprisingly easy to miss. Just off busy Fleet Street, Wine Office Court leads you to a dark, old-fashioned tavern rebuilt after the Great Fire of London in 1666.
Step inside and the little entrance opens into a maze of wood-panelled rooms, narrow staircases and vaulted underground cellars. Don’t stop at the first bar. Wander through the old rooms, look for the historic gentlemen-only notice and head downstairs to discover just how much of this remarkable pub is hidden beneath street level. Order a pint of Samuel Smith’s Old Brewery Bitter and enjoy one of London’s great historic pub experiences.
Explore the full Traveler’s Checklist Guide to Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese →
3. The Grenadier, Belgravia: A Hidden Mews Pub with a Ghost Story
The Grenadier takes you away from London’s busy sightseeing streets and into the elegant back lanes of Belgravia. Tucked at the end of Wilton Row, this little historic pub is easy to miss unless you know where to look. The white-painted building and bright red sentry box outside make it a wonderful discovery.
Step inside and look up. The ceiling is covered with banknotes left by visitors hoping to settle the debt of a long-dead soldier. According to local legend, a young guardsman named Cedric was beaten to death after cheating at cards, and his ghost still haunts the pub. The story is folklore rather than established history, but the money-covered ceiling is very real. Order a pint and enjoy one of London’s most unusual little pubs.
Explore the full Traveler’s Checklist Guide to The Grenadier →
4. Jamaica Wine House, City of London: A Hidden Alley Pub with a Coffee-House Past
Jamaica Wine House takes you into the narrow old passageways of the City, where St Michael’s Alley hides just off busy Cornhill. Known affectionately as the Jampot, this handsome Victorian pub stands on the site of London’s first coffee house, opened in 1652 by Pasqua Rosée.
Look for the historic coffee-house plaque outside before heading in. Inside, the old mahogany partitions divide the bar into small compartments, giving you a glimpse of how Victorian pub customers once gathered for a drink. Order a pint of Shepherd Neame ale and imagine the merchants and traders who have been meeting in this little corner of London for centuries.
Explore the full Traveler’s Checklist Guide to Jamaica Wine House →
5. Ship & Shovell, Charing Cross: A Hidden Pub in Two Buildings
Ship & Shovell is tucked into Craven Passage, just moments from the crowds around Charing Cross Station. What makes this pub so unusual isn’t simply its hidden location. It’s actually two pubs in one, occupying separate buildings directly across the alley from each other.
Step into one side for a pint, then cross the passage to explore the other. The two halves have different interiors, with traditional bar fittings, cozy booths and plenty of old-fashioned pub character. Beneath your feet, an underground passage connects the buildings, although it’s not part of the public drinking area. Order a pint of Badger ale and enjoy one of London’s strangest little pub discoveries.
Explore the full Traveler’s Checklist Guide to Ship & Shovell →
6. The Ship Tavern, Holborn: A Hidden Pub Down Little Turnstile
The Ship Tavern is tucked away down Little Turnstile, a narrow passage just off the busy streets near Holborn Station. Finding the pub is part of the experience. Step away from the traffic and suddenly you’re standing outside a handsome, old-fashioned tavern that feels surprisingly removed from the surrounding city.
Inside, the dark wood panelling and decorative Tudor-style ceiling create the atmosphere of a much older London. Look up for the Tudor roses in the plasterwork, then explore the ground-floor bar before considering a meal in the upstairs Oak Room. The pub also has a long association with stories of secret Catholic worship during the Reformation, although those tales belong to its historical tradition rather than the present building, which dates from the 1920s.
Explore the full Traveler’s Checklist Guide to The Ship Tavern →
7. The Lamb Tavern, Leadenhall Market: A Pub Hidden Beneath a Victorian Glass Roof
The Lamb Tavern gives you a wonderful excuse to discover Leadenhall Market, one of London’s most spectacular covered markets. Step away from busy Gracechurch Street and suddenly you’re surrounded by ornate Victorian arches, painted ironwork and a soaring glass roof. Tucked among the old shopfronts is a traditional London pub that you might never have found without making the detour.
Before heading inside, look for the old etched glass in the pub’s windows. Then step into the wood-panelled bar to discover its spiral staircase and colorful Victorian tiled mural. There’s another surprise outside: a green shutter painted with a white goose marks the entrance to Old Tom’s, a separate basement bar named for a legendary market goose. Between the architecture, the pub and that wonderfully peculiar story, The Lamb Tavern makes Leadenhall Market worth exploring.
Explore the full Traveler’s Checklist Guide to The Lamb Tavern →
8. The Cockpit, City of London: A Hidden Pub with a Cockfighting Past
The Cockpit takes you into the old backstreets near St Paul’s Cathedral, where St Andrew’s Hill meets the narrow passage of Ireland Yard. Here, a wedge-shaped historic pub sits on a quiet corner, far removed from the busy streets of the City. It’s the sort of place you could easily overlook while exploring London’s better-known landmarks.
Step inside and look up at the unusual gallery overlooking the curved bar. The semicircular layout and old cockfighting prints recall the brutal sport that gave the pub its name. The gallery is decorative rather than a surviving spectator platform from the cockfighting era, and visitors cannot climb up to it. Order a pint of cask ale and enjoy one of the City’s most distinctive little pub interiors.
Explore the full Traveler’s Checklist Guide to The Cockpit →
Keep Exploring London’s Historic Pubs
Enjoyed discovering London’s hidden pubs? There’s another side of the city’s pub history waiting along the Thames, from tiny riverside bars to old maritime taverns and grand Victorian drinking rooms.
London’s Historic Riverside Pubs: 8 Thames Pubs Worth Seeking Out →