Cafes, bars and pubs in London

Cafes

For a long time London did not really have much of a café culture, as its residence have been more absorbed in pub culture. But thanks to the growing cosmopolitan population and the continental influence, cafés are becoming a popular place to meet with friends, read a book or simply watch the world go by. The largest concentration of cafés, coffee shops, etc is probably in and around Soho, the heart of Gay London. During the summer, all types of people are queuing up in the hope of getting an outdoor seat at one of the small cafes - so that they can bathe in the London sun, while sipping on an iced caffe latte.

Bar Italia (http://www.baritaliasoho.co.uk)
22 Frith Street, London, W1D 4RF.
Tube: Leicester Square/Piccadilly Circus/Tottenham Court Road. Tel: 020 7437 4520.

Carluccio's (http://www.carluccios.com)
8 Market Place, London, W1W 8AG.
Tube: Oxford Circus. Tel: 020 7636 2228.

De Gustibus (http://www.degustibus.co.uk)
53 Blandford Street, London, W1U 7HG.
Tube: Bond Street. Tel: 020 7486 6608.

Gloriette Pâtisserie
128 Brompton Road, London, SW3 1JD.
Tube: Knightsbridge. Tel: 020 7589 1182.

Konditor & Cook (http://www.konditorandcook.co.uk)
10 Stoney Street, London, SE1 9AD.
Tube: London Bridge. Tel: 020 7407 5100.

Maison Bertaux
28 Greek Street, London, W1D 5DD.
Tube: Leicester Square. Tel: 020 7437 6007.

Pâtisserie Valerie (http://www.patisserie-valerie.co.uk)
44 Old Compton Street, London, W1D 4TZ.
Tube: Leicester Square. Tel: 020 7437 3466.

Raison d'Être
18 Bute Street, London, SW7 3EX.
Tube: South Kensington. Tel: 020 7584 5008.

Other Cafés Chains

Throughout London, and to a lesser extent, the rest of the country, there has bee a sharp rise in sandwich bar and coffee house chains. Below is a list of the main chains which provide reasonably good quality snacks and coffee. As they can be found throughout London and almost on every corner in Central London, we have not added any address details, but it is worth taking them into account if you are ever in the need of a rest or a quick snack.

Benjy's (http://www.benjys-sandwiches.com)
Caffé Nero (http://www.caffenero.com)
Costa Coffee (http://www.costa.co.uk)
EAT (http://www.eatcafe.co.uk)
Pret A Manger (http://www.pret.com)
Starbucks (http://www.starbucks.com)

Bars

London has a thriving bar culture with several new bars cropping up all the time. The 'in' bar to go probably changes every week, meaning that even some of the big-named bars have to keep themselves on their toes to avoid loosing custom and going down the ranks. Bars are usually more expensive than the more traditional pub and they spend a lot of their revenue on the ambience, décor and style of their establishment. Therefore it is a good idea to watch out for special offers and happy hours which are usually much easy on your pocket. Below is a list of bars which are popular. But as mentioned above, do not forget how fickle London's bar scene, and nightlife in general, is.

Also, people in the UK go out much earlier than those on the continent, probably due to the tight alcohol licensing laws. Most drinking establishments will not serve alcohol after 11.00pm and close at 11.20pm. However, this will hopefully change soon, if the government finally brings in a new law to relax licensing laws (this has been talked about for the last couple of years!). Saying that, it is possible to drink after 11.20pm; the clubs will start filling up around this time and many places will also have late licenses, where clients can drink until 3.00am or so. Usually there will be a door charge to enter these establishments, especially from 10.00pm. Also, you should not be surprised to see places packed out at 7.00pm, especially on Fridays and during the summer, when many Londoners will go out straight after work.

Alphabet (http://www.alphabetbar.com)
61 - 63 Beak Street, London, W1R 3LF.
Tube: Oxford Circus. Tel: 020 7439 2190.

Amber (http://www.amberbar.com)
6 Poland Street, London, W1F 8AA.
Tube: Oxford Circus. Tel: 020 7734 3094.

Atlantic Bar and Grill
20 Glasshouse Street, London, W1B 5DJ.
Tube: Piccadilly Circus. Tel: 020 7734 4888.

Bar Red and Restaurant
5 Kingly Street, London, W1B 5PF.
Tube: Oxford Circus. Tel: 020 7434 3417.

The Bar at the ICA (http://www.ica.org.uk)
The Mall, St James's, London, SW1Y 5AH.
Tube: Tottenham Court Road. Tel: 020 7930 2402.

The Boardwalk
18 Greek Street, London, W1D 5LF.
Tube: Tottenham Court Road. Tel: 020 7287 2051.

Bunker Bier Hall (http://www.bunkerbar.com)
43 Earlham Street, London, WC2H 9LD.
Tube: Covent Garden. Tel: 0207 240 0606.

Chinawhite (http://www.chinawhite.com)
6 Air Street, London, W1B 5AA.
Tube: Piccadilly Circus. Tel: 020 7343 0040.

Claridge's (http://www.savoy-group.co.uk)
53 Brook Street, London, W1A 2JQ.
Tube: Piccadilly Circus. Tel: 020 7629 8860.

Detroit (http://www.detroit-bar.com)
35 Earlham Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2H 9LD.
Tube: Covent Garden. Tel: 020 7240 2662.

Digress (http://www.digress.co.uk)
10 Beak Street, London, W1F 9RA.
Tube: Piccadilly Circus. Tel: 020 7437 0239.

The Langley
5 Langley Street, London, WC2H 9JA.
Tube: Covent Garden. Tel: 020 7836 5005.

Long Bar at the Sanderson Hotel
50 Berners Street, London, W1T 3NG.
Tube: Goodge Street. Tel: 020 7300 1400.

The Loop
19 Dering Street, London, W1R 9AA.
Tube: Oxford Circus. Tel: 020 7493 1003.

On Anon (http://www.onanon.co.uk)
The London Pavilion, London, W1V 9LA.
Tube: Piccadilly Circus. Tel: 020 7287 8008.

Oxygen
17 - 18 Irving Street, London, WC2H 7AZ.
Tube: Leicester Square. Tel: 020 7930 0907.

The Sequel
75 Venn Street, London, SW4 0BD.
Tube: Clapham Common. Tel: 020 7622 4222.

The Social (http://www.thesocial.co.uk)
5 Little Portland Street, London, W1N 5AG.
Tube: Oxford Circus. Tel: 020 7636 4992.

Sugar Reef (http://www.sugarreef.net)
Great Windmill Street, London, W1V 7PA.
Tube: Piccadilly Circus. Tel: 020 7851 0800.

Tiger Tiger (http://www.tigertiger.co.uk)
29 The Haymarket, London, SW1Y 4SP.
Tube: Piccadilly Circus. Tel: 020 7930 1885.

Titanic
81 Brewer Street, London, W1F 9TX.
Tube: Piccadilly Circus. Tel: 020 7437 1912.

Zoo Bar (http://www.zoobar.co.uk)
13 - 17 Bear Street, London, WC2H 7AS.
Tube: Leicester Square. Tel: 020 7839 4188.

Pubs

Pubs are a traditional way of life for the British, with a pub to be found in even the smallest of villages - and London is no exception. Londoners can often be found in a pub after work on weekdays, winding down and meeting up with friends or colleagues. Smoking is usually allowed throughout the pub, though many pubs have now introduced non-smoking areas and/or have installed a good air conditioning system.
There are 2 types of pubs; freehouses which are not owned by a brewery and are often cheaper. They sell a wide range of beers from small breweries, who otherwise would not have an outlet for their products - often the landlord/lady will have a selection of guest lagers every week or so for their customers to try. The other type of pub is owned by a brewery and will primarily sell their own beers, as well as some popular ones.

Naturally, pubs do not just sell beers but also soft drinks, shorts (gin, vodka, etc), cocktails, etc. Prices in London are usually much more expensive than outside London, and you should expect to pay anywhere between £2.00 and £3.00 for a pint of beer (568ml). Like bars, many places will have special offers and happy hours and opening times are also similar, though many pubs will be open early - legally they can open at around 11.30am. Pubs can also be a great place for lunch and to try some traditional British food, a recent new trend is the birth of 'Gastropubs' which not only put the onus on the alcohol they sell, but also the food - often providing good quality dishes at reasonable prices.

The Albert
52 Victoria Street, London, SW1H 0NP.
Tube: St James' Park. Tel: 020 7222 5577.

All Bar One (Chain with several pubs throughout the country)
48 Leicester Square, London, WC2H 7LT.
Tube: Leicester Square. Tel: 020 7747 9921.

Anchor Bankside
34 Park Street, London, SE1 9EF.
Tube: London Bridge. Tel: 020 7407 1577.

The Audley
41 Mount Street, London, W1K 2RX.
Tube: Bond Street. Tel: 020 7499 1843.

The Blind Beggar
337 Whitechapel Road, London, E1 1BU.
Tube: Whitechapel. Tel: 020 7247 6195.

The Camden Head
Camden Walk, London, N1 8DY.
Tube: Angel. Tel: 020 7359 0851.

The Chandos
29 St. Martin's Lane, London, WC2N 4ER.
Tube: Leicester Square. Tel. 020 7836 1401.

Churchill Arms
119 Kensington Church Street, London, W8 7LN.
Tube: Notting Hill Gate. Tel: 020 7727 4242.

Cittie of Yorke
22 High Holborn, London, WC1V 6BS.
Tube: Holburn. Tel: 020 7242 7670.

The Coach and Horses
29 Greek Street, London, W1.
Tube: Leicester Square. Tel: 020 7437 5920.

The Coal Hole
91 The Strand, London, WC2R 0DW.
Tube: Charing Cross. Tel: 020 7379 9883.

The Dickens Inn
St Katherine's Way, St Katherine's Dock, London, E1W 1UH.
Tube: Tower Hill. Tel: 020 7488 2208.

The Founders Arms
52 Hopton Street, London, SE1 9JH.
Tube: Blackfriars. Tel: 020 7928 1899.

The French House
49 Dean House, London, W1D 5BE.
Tube: Leicester Square. Tel: 020 7437 2799.

The George Inn
77 Borough High Street, London, SE1 1NH.
Tube: London Bridge. Tel: 020 7407 2056.

Hog's Head
12 Ludgate Circus, London, EC4M 7LQ.
Tube: Blackfriars/St. Paul's. Tel:020 7329 8517.

John Snow
39 Broadwick Street, London W1F 9QP.
Tube: Oxford Circus, Piccadilly Circus. Tel: 020 7437 1344.

The Horniman
Hays Galleria, London, SE1 2BA.
Tube: London Bridge. Tel: 020 7407 1991.

The Lamb and Flag
33 Rose Street, London, WC2E 9EB.
Tube: Covent Garden. Tel: 020 7497 9504.

The Lamb Tavern
Leadenhall Market, London, EC3V 1LR.
Tube: Bank. Tel: 020 7626 2454.

The Lord Moon of the Mall
16 - 18 Whitehall, London, SW1A 2DY.
Tube: Charing Cross Tel: 020 7839 7701.

The Maple Leaf
41 Maiden Lane, London, WC2E 7LJ.
Tube: Charing Cross. Tel: 020 7240 2843.

The Mulberry Bush
Upper Ground, London, SE1 9PP.
Tube: Waterloo. Tel: 020 7928 7937.

The Mad Hatter
Stamford Street, London, SE1 9NY.
Tube: Southwark. Tel:020 7401 9222.

Old Bank of England
194 Fleet Street, London, EC4A 2LT.
Tube: Temple. Tel:020 7430 2255.

Old Thameside Inn
2 Clink Street, London, SE1 9DG.
Tube:London Bridge. Tel:020 7403 4243.

Outback Inn
11 Henrietta Street, London, WC2.
Tube: Covent Garden. Tel: 020 7379 5555.

Punch and Judy
40 The Market, Covent Garden, London, WC2E 8RF.
Tube: Covent Garden. Tel: 020 7379 0923.

Red Lion
48 Parliament Street, London, SW1A 2NH.
Tube: Westminister. Tel: 020 7930 5826.

Sherlock Holmes
10 - 11 Northumberland Street, London, WC2N 5DA.
Tube: Embankment. Tel: 020 7930 2644.

Spread Eagle
141 Albert Street, London, NW1 7NB.
Tube: Camden Town. Tel: 020 7267 1410.

The Wellington
81 - 83 Waterloo Road, London, SE1 8UD.
Tube: Waterloo. Tel: 020 7928 6083.

World's End
174 Camden High Road, London, NW1 0NE.
Tube: Tube: Camden Town. Tel: 020 7482 1932.

Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese
145 Fleet Street, London, EC4A 2BU.
Tube: Chancery Lane. Tel: 020 7353 6170.

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