| To drink or not to drink? The real question is where to settle in for a warm British brew among the hundreds of pubs that are to London as Starbucks is the U.S. The heartbeat of British nightlife (and day life) has been the pub, since the Romans first established their version 2,000 years ago. Today over 2,000 different brands of beer are served (yes, warm) and sold in the U.K. Pub hopping is as cherished of a local pastime as the game of cricket and David Beckham’s hair, and on one of London’s rare sunny days, the pub is where you’ll find everyone who is supposed to still be at work. In all but the residential areas of the city there is at least one if not three or four pubs located on every block, but the best ones are often tucked away out of the tourist’s gaze.
Knightsbridge, Chelsea, and South Kensington mark designer club territory. Fulham Road, King’s Road, and Beauchamp Place explode at night with beautiful people sauntering between “posh now” restaurants and clubs. The hottest spot will change between the time you read this and deplane in London, so if this is your scene of choice, ask around or know the right people. Some (relatively) old timers that still get steady attention include Townhouse (31 Beauchamp Place), Eclipse (113 Walton Street), and Apartment 195 (195 King’s Road). Suits of the City, London’s financial district, taking a breather between meetings and more meetings, keep its Monday through Friday happy hour trendy, young, and expensive. Here you’re most likely to find conversations about the latest holiday in the South of France floating between bottles of fine Cabernet and expensive stinky cheese.
For Hipsters, Urbanites, and Chic Starving Artists…. Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts may have ruined the too cool for school reputation Notting Hill once had and has since lost to Shoreditch, but you can find a still thriving artsy nightlife scene around the Notting Hill tube station and down random, dodgy side streets, some of which your cabbie won’t even know! The ‘trustafarians’ continue to lurk around some self-proclaimed posher-than-thou clubs but pretentiousness is prohibited at plenty of pubs and live music venues. Try the Notting Hill Arts Club, Cherry Jam, or Neighborhood and we promise you'll be one of the few tourists there. On the other side of town, East Central London, from Hoxton to Shoreditch, is proof that everything cool is moving east these days. What began as the neighborhood of warehouses occupied by the practicing leaders of the artsy fartsy pack, has become the buzzing hub for "poor but hip" nightlife. This is where it is "truly at." Of course, the answer to that always depends on who you ask.
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| A hangout for hipsters with occiasional live music and drinks to discourage too much analysis. Get in touch with your Id. |
| Its slightly outer city location has a hidden plus; a well kept beer garden with a jolly-good-times feel to it and a large selection of unique ales. Tube: Barons Court. |
| After a long day in the grassy heath, wander up to the pub voted most likely to find a foreign diplomat, moms and strollers, or the random floating traveler getting tipsy together over a game of scrabble. Its vibe is home away from home and its Sunday roast is the cure all of post-pub hangovers. Tube: Hampstead. |
| This 300-year-old pub is convenient to Covent Garden but, tucked away between Floral Street and Garrick Lane, typically fills up with local regulars. It’s a therapeutic find among the crowds of generic and slightly shoddy pubs around the tourist packed areas of Leicester Square, Piccadilly, and Covent Garden. Tube: Covent Garden. |
| Located on the banks of the Thames, this homey pub is the spot for watching the perfect sunset or the famous Oxford vs. Cambridge springtime boat races. Tube: Hammersmith |
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