A gastropub is what happens when a proper boozer and a serious restaurant fall in love: pint-in-hand cosiness paired with menus that genuinely rival the city’s finest dining rooms. London didn’t just join this movement — it arguably started it, and in 2026 the city proved it’s still leading the pack, with 13 London pubs featuring on the UK’s Top 50 Gastropubs list and a Soho pub taking the number one spot nationally.
This guide rounds up London’s best gastropubs right now, from multi-award-winning heavyweights to unpretentious neighbourhood favourites doing brilliant things with a Sunday roast.
What Makes a Great Gastropub?
Before the list, here’s what separates a genuine gastropub from a pub that simply serves food:
- Serious, chef-led cooking — menus that could hold their own in a standalone restaurant
- A proper pub atmosphere — real ale, a working bar, and the cosiness of a genuine local
- Quality sourcing — named farms, day-boat fish, whole-carcass butchery
- A menu that changes — the best gastropubs update regularly rather than running a static laminated card
- Confidence in the classics — a great gastropub Sunday roast or pie is often the best litmus test of the kitchen
The Best London Gastropubs
The Devonshire — Soho (Best in the UK)
In January 2026, The Devonshire was crowned the UK’s number one gastropub at the Estrella Damm Top 50 Gastropubs Awards — a remarkable achievement for a pub that only opened in 2023. The ground-floor bar serves what’s widely regarded as London’s best pint of Guinness, while upstairs, beef connoisseur Charlie Carroll and former Fat Duck chef Ashley Palmer-Watts run a restaurant and grill room built around Scottish beef dry-aged and butchered on site, creel-caught langoustines from Oban, and hand-dived Devon scallops. It’s become the place to be seen, with Margot Robbie and Nigella Lawson among its regulars.
Best for: The single best gastropub in the country right now, by national consensus.
The Red Lion & Sun — Highgate (Best North London Gastropub)
Ranked third nationally in the 2026 Top 50 Gastropubs list — up from sixth the previous year — The Red Lion & Sun serves what it calls “rustic modern British pub food.” Expect braised beef cheek, a bone marrow and pancetta pie, wild mushroom gnocchi, and a wagyu double cheeseburger, alongside Sunday roasts good enough to have their own dedicated following.
Best for: North Londoners chasing genuinely nationally ranked cooking on their doorstep.
The Camberwell Arms — Camberwell (Best South London Gastropub)
A legend of the modern gastropub scene since it launched in 2014, The Camberwell Arms ranked ninth in the UK’s 2026 Top 50 and remains the benchmark by which many South London gastropubs are measured. Expect crispy barbecued mackerel on sweet and sour peppers, pork loin chop with red cabbage, and crispy fried pig’s head with piccalilli, on a rustic, pastel-walled Camberwell Church Street site.
Best for: The South London gastropub gold standard, more than a decade running.
Canton Arms — Stockwell (Best Old-School Boozer Feel)
Arguably even more influential than its reputation suggests, Canton Arms is part of the respected group behind the Anchor & Hope, the Clarence Tavern, and Oxford’s Magdalen Arms. A genuinely old-school, dimly lit, dark-wood dining room serves a sprawling, Provençal- and Southern European-influenced menu — think Imam Bayildi with a simple green salad, mutton chops with coco beans, and golden skate wing.
Best for: Diners who want zero “gastropub” pretension alongside genuinely sophisticated cooking.
The Harwood Arms — Fulham (Best Michelin-Starred Gastropub)
London’s first Michelin-starred pub remains a defining example of what a gastropub can be at its most ambitious — built around game and rigorously sourced British produce, with a Sunday roast widely considered among the best in the city.
Best for: Michelin-calibre cooking that never loses its pub soul.
The Kerfield Arms — Camberwell (Best Newcomer)
Sister pub to the respected Baring, The Kerfield Arms made its debut on the UK’s Top 50 Gastropubs list in 2026 — a strong showing for a newer addition to South London’s gastropub cluster, and the second Michelin-starred pub to emerge from the same team behind it.
Best for: Getting in early on one of London’s most talked-about new openings.
Waterman’s Arms — Barnes (Best Riverside Setting)
Sitting directly on the banks of the Thames, this 1850s former Watney’s house was returned to pub use in 2019 and reopened under Patty & Bun founder Joe Grossmann in 2023. Under head chef Sam Andrews (previously of The Camberwell Arms and Soho’s Ducksoup), the menu blends traditional pub-aligned dishes with more inventive touches, and it climbed to 33rd place on the 2026 national list.
Best for: A genuinely beautiful riverside setting alongside serious food.
The Anchor & Hope — Waterloo (Best No-Bookings Institution)
Part of the same respected stable as Canton Arms, The Anchor & Hope has built a reputation for hearty, consistently excellent modern British cooking. It doesn’t take bookings, so arrive early or be prepared to wait — regulars agree it’s worth it.
Best for: A genuine walk-in institution with a devoted following.
The Clarence Tavern — Stoke Newington (Best Neighbourhood Gastropub)
Proof that Stoke Newington’s pubs have kept pace with the area’s changing character, The Clarence Tavern pairs a proper boozer setting with genuinely accomplished cooking, standing out even in a neighbourhood increasingly known for its food.
Best for: A relaxed, locals-first take on serious gastropub cooking.
The Marksman — Hackney Road (Best Modern British Menu)
Open since 2015, The Marksman blends Victorian pub charm with confidently modern British cooking, and its food (and Sunday roast in particular) has built it a reputation as one of East London’s most consistently excellent kitchens.
Best for: East Londoners who want serious, ingredient-led cooking without leaving the neighbourhood.
The Shaston Arms — Soho (Best New Central Opening)
A Soho follow-up to Waterman’s Arms from the same team, opened off Carnaby Street in late 2025, The Shaston Arms brings the same thoughtful blend of pub classics and more inventive cooking to the centre of town.
Best for: Central Londoners who don’t want to travel to Barnes for the same kitchen’s food.
The Hero at Maida — Maida Vale (Best from the Public House Group)
A new 2026 entry to the national Top 50 list, The Hero represents the Public House Group’s first appearance on the ranking — a strong signal that this small but growing group is producing gastropub food worth travelling for.
Best for: West Londoners looking for a newly recognised, up-and-coming kitchen.
The Baring — Islington (Best Sister Pub Pairing)
The Baring built the reputation that made The Kerfield Arms possible, and remains an excellent destination in its own right for anyone exploring North London’s gastropub scene.
Best for: Pairing with The Kerfield Arms for a two-pub crawl from the same respected team.
The Bull — Charlbury (Best Day-Trip Gastropub)
Just over an hour from London by train, The Bull was taken over in 2023 by James Gummer and Phil Winser — the team behind west London favourites The Pelican, The Hero, and The Fat Badger. Standout dishes include raw local beef with mustard, the Bull Pie filled with chicken and ham in gravy, and a notably good sticky toffee pudding.
Best for: A genuinely worthwhile foodie day trip out of the city.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the best gastropub in London right now?
The Devonshire in Soho was crowned the UK’s number one gastropub overall at the 2026 Estrella Damm Top 50 Gastropubs Awards, making it the current national benchmark as well as London’s top pick.
How many London gastropubs made the UK’s Top 50 list in 2026?
13 London gastropubs featured on the national list in 2026 — described as the city’s best showing in years.
What’s the difference between a gastropub and a regular pub?
A gastropub prioritises food as much as (or more than) drink, typically with chef-led menus that rival standalone restaurants, while still maintaining the atmosphere and drinks selection of a traditional pub.
Do I need to book a table at London’s best gastropubs?
For the top-ranked spots like The Devonshire, The Red Lion & Sun, and The Camberwell Arms, yes — book well ahead, particularly for weekend dinners and Sunday roasts. Some institutions, like The Anchor & Hope, deliberately don’t take bookings at all.
Which London gastropub has a Michelin star?
The Harwood Arms in Fulham was London’s first Michelin-starred pub, and The Kerfield Arms in Camberwell has since become the second, both proving that serious fine-dining technique and pub atmosphere aren’t mutually exclusive.
Are there good gastropubs for a day trip outside London?
Yes — The Bull in Charlbury is just over an hour away by train and ranked 17th nationally in 2026, making it a strong choice for a food-focused day out of the city.
Final Bite
London’s gastropub scene has gone from strength to strength, culminating in a Soho pub taking the UK’s top national ranking barely two years after opening. Whether you want Michelin-starred game cooking at The Harwood Arms, a riverside pint and plate at Waterman’s Arms, or the sheer bragging rights of eating at the country’s number one gastropub, London’s pubs are proving — once again — that this is a category the capital doesn’t just participate in. It leads it.