London’s Fleet Street and the surrounding Inns of Court have some of the city’s most fascinating historic pubs. Once the heart of Britain’s newspaper industry and legal profession, these streets are filled with old taverns, hidden alleyways and drinking rooms that have welcomed writers, journalists and lawyers for centuries.
Behind their doors, you’ll find everything from dark wood-panelled rooms and centuries-old fireplaces to elaborate Victorian gin palaces, etched glass and some wonderfully unusual pieces of London’s history. A few are easy to spot from the street, while others are tucked away in places you might never think to look.
1. Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese, Fleet Street: A Historic Pub Hidden Down Wine Office Court
Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese is tucked down narrow Wine Office Court, just off the bustle of Fleet Street. Rebuilt in 1667 after the Great Fire of London, this atmospheric tavern is a maze of wood-panelled rooms, narrow staircases and vaulted underground cellars, with a long history of attracting writers and journalists.
Charles Dickens is among the famous literary figures associated with the pub, but one of its most memorable characters was Polly, the African grey parrot who entertained generations of customers and reportedly received an obituary in the newspapers when she died. Between the literary connections, the old-fashioned rooms and the stories surrounding its eccentric residents, the Cheese has plenty to discover.
Address: 145 Fleet Street, London EC4A 2BP
Nearest Station: Blackfriars or Temple
Read more: Inside Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese on Fleet Street: Is It Worth Visiting?
2. Ye Olde Mitre, Holborn: A Hidden Pub Down Ely Court
Ye Olde Mitre is tucked into tiny Ely Court, reached through a narrow passage just off busy Hatton Garden. This wonderfully atmospheric old tavern traces its origins to 1546, when it was established for the servants of the Bishops of Ely. Inside, you’ll find wood-panelled drinking rooms, low ceilings and snug corners that feel far removed from modern London.
But one of the pub’s most curious features is a preserved cherry tree trunk near the front bar. According to legend, Queen Elizabeth I once danced around a cherry tree with Sir Christopher Hatton, whose property bordered the Bishop of Ely’s garden. The trunk is traditionally associated with that story, a reminder of the days when this little corner of Holborn belonged to the bishops’ London estate.
Address: 1 Ely Court, Ely Place, London EC1N 6SJ
Nearest Station: Chancery Lane or Farringdon
Read more: Ye Olde Mitre: Is This Hidden London Pub Actually Worth Finding?
3. Cittie of Yorke, Holborn: Inside an Extraordinary Historic Drinking Hall
From High Holborn, Cittie of Yorke looks like a fairly ordinary old London pub. But step through the entrance passage and you’ll discover an enormous timbered drinking hall with soaring ceilings, giant wooden casks above the bar and a row of enclosed drinking booths. The dark wooden compartments, traditionally associated with lawyers from nearby Gray’s Inn, are among the pub’s most unusual features.
Although a tavern has occupied this site for centuries, the spectacular hall visitors see today was largely recreated in the 1920s to resemble an Old English drinking room. Look for the unusual triangular cast-iron stove, dating to around 1815, and the enormous casks recalling the building’s days as Henneky’s Long Bar. Between the theatrical interior and its genuine historic details, Cittie of Yorke is one of Holborn’s most memorable pubs.
Address: 22 High Holborn, London WC1V 6BN
Nearest Station: Chancery Lane or Farringdon
Read more: Cittie of Yorke, London: Inside Holborn’s Extraordinary Historic Pub
4. The Seven Stars, Holborn: A Tiny Historic Pub Beside the Royal Courts of Justice
Tucked along Carey Street, just behind the Royal Courts of Justice, The Seven Stars is one of London’s most characterful little pubs. Inside, you’ll find a wonderfully cramped drinking room filled with dark wood, theatrical prints, legal memorabilia and checked tablecloths. Barristers from the nearby courts mingle with visitors who have come looking for this historic pub and its famously eccentric atmosphere.
Look beside the main bar for the tiny adjoining space known as the Wig Box, once part of a separate legal wig shop. And keep an eye out for The General, the pub’s resident black cat, who sometimes wanders through the rooms wearing an Elizabethan-style ruff. Between the legal curiosities, the tiny interior and its rather distinguished feline resident, The Seven Stars has a personality all its own.
Address: 53 Carey Street, London WC2A 2JB
Nearest Station: Holborn or Chancery Lane
Read more: The Seven Stars London: Is This Historic Legal Pub Worth a Visit?
5. The Punch Tavern, Fleet Street: Inside a Victorian Gin Palace
The Punch Tavern is easy to overlook on busy Fleet Street, but look for the figure of Mr. Punch above the entrance. A narrow tiled corridor leads into a richly decorated Victorian gin palace, where ornate glass skylights, etched mirrors and dark wooden fittings create one of the area’s most striking historic pub interiors.
On either side of the inner doors, you’ll find two rather sinister paintings of Mr. and Mrs. Punch. They’re a reminder of the pub’s connection to Punch, the famous British satirical magazine founded in 1841, whose writers and illustrators were part of Fleet Street’s publishing world. Between the unusual entrance, elaborate Victorian interior and literary connections, The Punch Tavern is well worth stepping inside.
Address: 99 Fleet Street, London EC4Y 1DE
Nearest Station: Blackfriars or Chancery Lane
Read more: The Punch Tavern, Fleet Street: Inside a Victorian Gin Palace
6. The Old Bell Tavern, Fleet Street: A Pub Connected to Christopher Wren
The Old Bell Tavern is a modest historic pub on Fleet Street, just beside St Bride’s Church. Unlike some of London’s grander Victorian drinking establishments, its appeal lies in its connection to Sir Christopher Wren and the rebuilding of London after the Great Fire of 1666. Inside, you’ll find a traditional wooden bar, dark panelling and a remarkable old corner cupboard carved with the date 1603.
According to St Bride’s Church, the tavern was built for the workmen rebuilding the church under Wren’s direction. Before leaving, look for the rear exit onto St Bride’s Avenue, where you can step outside and see the church that gives the pub its historical significance. Don’t forget to look up at St Bride’s famous tiered spire, which earned it the nickname London’s “wedding cake church.”
Address: 95 Fleet Street, London EC4Y 1DH
Nearest Station: Blackfriars
Read more: The Old Bell Tavern: Inside Christopher Wren’s Historic Fleet Street Pub
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