Recently updated on November 14th, 2025 at 11:39 am
Out of its 3,500 watering holes, those claiming to be the oldest pub in London are ten a penny – but few truly live up to the title. With nearly 2,000 years of history England’s capital has many stories to tell, and many of its greatest took place in a humble pub.
Finding pubs that predate the Great Fire of London is a difficult task. In 1666 the Great Fire changed the course of London’s history dramatically, destroying 13,000 buildings from cosy pub houses to the grand St. Paul’s Cathedral. While the original sites of many London pubs date back long before the fire, the buildings themselves had to be rebuilt – but their tales remain, whether that’s within their walls or through word of mouth. Discover the stories, legends and locals behind the oldest pubs in London.
1. Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese
Claim: 1667
Location: Fleet Street, Holborn
Local’s Order: Cask Old Brewery Bitter
A favorite of Fleet Street, stepping into Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese is a step back in time. The pub you see now was constructed in 1667, just one year after the Great Fire of London destroyed the original building. With low ceilings, oak paneling and old fireplaces, the Grade II listed building is a prime example of the charm of the oldest pubs in London.
As you enter the pub through its side alley, you can see a list of every monarch that has visited the pub in its 350+ year history – but it wasn’t just royalty who frequented Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese. Esteemed guests included Mark Twain, P.G. Woehouse, and even Charles Dickens, who made reference to the pub in many of his novels, most notably “A Tale of Two Cities”.
As with all old London pubs there are plenty of ghost stories haunting Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese’s halls, and with its cellars and taxidermy it’s easy to believe them. Keep an eye out for Polly the stuffed parrot (who famously lived in the pub from 1895-1926) when you’re ordering a beer at the bar – all of which are brewed by Samuel Smith’s at the Old Brewery in Tadcaster, Yorkshire which was founded in 1758.
2. The Spaniards Inn
Claim: 1585
Location: Spaniards Road, Hampstead Heath
Local’s Order: Rioja
Claiming to be one of the “most haunted pubs in London”, The Spaniards inn sits at the top of Hampstead Heath. Originally built in 1585, the building was out of range of the Great Fire of London (though it didn’t become a pub until around 1715).
The pub’s name is the subject of debate: some say it’s named after the Spanish ambassador at the time of King James I; some say it’s in reference to two Spanish brothers who served as landlords, one of whom still haunts the pub today.
There are countless tales surrounding The Spaniards Inn, but one favorite is from 1780 during the Gordon Riots, a few days of anti-Catholic riots. As the story goes, a group of rioters were on their way to Kenwood House, the home of the Chief Justice Lord Mansfield. They stopped by the Inn for a quick drink but the landlord gave them so much beer that they never made it past the pub, preventing the mayhem that would have otherwise ensued.
Famous clientele included plenty of poets, namely John Keats, Charles Dickens and Lord Byron – allegedly Keats wrote his famous “Ode To A Nightingale” in the pub’s garden, but these days you’re more likely to spot a modern celebrity in the pub. It’s the perfect pit stop on your way to the beautiful Hampstead Heath.
3. Ye Olde Mitre
Claim: 1773
Location: Ely Court, Holborn
Local’s Order: London Pride Bitter
You could easily walk straight past Ye Olde Mitre, hidden down a narrow alleyway in Holborn. The site was originally built in 1546 for the servants of the Bishops of Ely, who owned a palace on the site until 1772, when it was demolished. From palace to pub, the current building dates from 1773.
When the pub was rebuilt in 1773, it was structured around a cherry tree that still supports the front of the building. But when it was a grand palace with grand gardens, Queen Elizabeth I and her court favorite, Christopher Hatton, are said to have danced around this very cherry tree. Look out for Hatton Garden next door to the pub, now a jewelry district rather than a green space.
Dark wood paneling, old oak furniture and plenty of Elizabethan memorabilia make this pub cosy and quintessential – you may even recognize it from Guy Ritchie’s 2000 movie, Snatch.
4. The Grapes
Claim: 1583
Location: Narrow Street, Canary Wharf
Local’s Order: Wine
With evidence of a pub on the site since 1583, The Grapes in Canary Wharf lays claim to being one of the oldest pubs in London. However, the current building dates back to the 1720s. Originally called The Bunch of Grapes, its riverside home in Limehouse has drawn many of London’s writers and artists, from Oscar Wilde and Charles Dickens (a clear pub lover) to Arthur Conan Doyle, and marine painter Napier Hemy. Legendary English actor Sir Ian McKellen purchased The Grapes in 2011 and still remains its co-owner alongside film director Sean Mathius and businessman Evgeny Lebedev.
The Grapes survived the Blitz bombing of the Second World War, with its maritime history and dark Victorian interiors making a cosy local haunt. 19th century oil paintings of Narrow Street from the Thames adorn its burgundy walls, with views of Canary Wharf to the pub’s left, and the City of London to the right, and a terrace directly over the River Thames.
5. The Hoop and Grapes
Claim: 1593
Location: Farringdon Street, Aldgate
Local’s Order: Nicholson’s Pale Ale
The Hoop and Grapes has had a few close calls – not only did it survive the Great Fire of London, which stopped just 50 yards from the buidling in 1666, but it was also saved from demolition in 1991 after being granted a Grade II listing while the area around it continued to develop. Because of this, it’s the only 17th century timber-framed building in the city, dating back to 1593!
As with many of the oldest pubs in London, its name has changed over the years. It’s thought the pub either started off a Hops and Grapes, to show punters it sold both beer and wine, or that the Hoop and Grapes referred to the metal hoops used to hold wine barrels together.
Over the years, the pub has slowly tilted so it now stands leaning 18 inches (46cm) to one side. Though currently closed for redevelopment, this historic pub is set to reopen in 2026.
6. The Lamb & Flag
Claim: 1623
Location: Rose Street, Covent Garden
Local’s Order: Red Fox Ale
The Lamb & Flag’s site dates back to 1623, though the first mention of a pub appeared in 1772 – then it was known as The Cooper’s Arms, and was only changed to The Lamb & Flag in 1833. Found down a back alley in Covent Garden, its history is less romantic than some. Stories of attempted murders, muggings, fist-fights and general bad behaviour earned it the nickname, ‘the Bucket of Blood’.
However, it’s now a much more wholesome affair. While the outside was refaced with brick in 1958, the inside transports punters much further back, with a surviving wooden partition inside from the Victorian era, or even earlier. Low ceilings, timber beams and hearty classic pub grub make it a perfect place to wile away an afternoon.
Many of the internal fittings are Victorian woodwork or earlier, including a remaining partition, meriting the pub a maximum three-star rating as a Real Heritage Pub.
7. The Olde Wine Shades
Claim: 1663
Location: Cannon Street
Local’s Order: Burgundy
The Olde Wine Shades predates the word ‘pub’, as it started out in 1663 as a wine merchant. One of the oldest remaining pubs in London, it survived the Great Fire as it was built out of brick, not timber as most of the other buildings, built in 1663. While the building itself survived the Blitz bombing, but the tunnel beneath collapsed.
More on the tunnel – known as the Smuggler’s Tunnel, because it was used to hide barrels of wine from the bar to avoid paying tax. After the tunnel collapsed it was permanently sealed, but continues to be a part of the pub’s legacy – you can head down to the Old Wine Cellar and see it while enjoying a glass of wine.
8. The Tipperary
Claim: 1666
Location: Fleet Street, Holborn
Local’s Order: Guinness
Not just one of London’s oldest pubs, but one London’s oldest Irish pubs, The Tipperary was allegedly the first establishment to sell Guinness, to homesick Irish soldiers and laborers in the 1700s. Originally called the Boar’s Head, the pub was rebuilt in 1666 after the Great Fire, and only became The Tipperary in 1918.
The beloved pub has 1700s charm in spades, with wood paneling, green glass and oil-style lamps. It’s currently undergoing a refurbishment, so you won’t be able to order a pint of stout until 2027. But in the words of the pub, it’s undergoing “a sensitive restoration to preserve its charm and character while trebling in size […] with enhanced facilities, improved accessibility, and the same heart and soul you’ve always loved.”
9. The Mayflower
Claim: 1550
Location: Rotherhithe Street, Rotherhithe
Local’s Order: Blue Moon
The oldest Thameside pub, The Mayflower’s roots trace back to 1550, when it’s claimed that the Mayflower first opened its doors as a pub called The Ship. The oldest parts of the current building date back to around 1780, when it was called the Spread Eagle and Crown. After the damage of the Second World War, only the ground floor was left standing, and rebuilt in the 1950s and renamed the Mayflower.
The Mayflower was named after the eponymous Pilgrim settlers’ ship, that was moored in 1620 at the very place where the pub now stands before sailing to America. The building is said to have some of the ship’s original timbers incorporated into its structure.
The pub’s ties to the Mayflower ship and the United States are still strong; visitors to the pub that can claim direct descent from one of the Pilgrim fathers can sign the ‘Descendants Book’, the grave of the ship’s captain Christopher Jones is in the church graveyard across the road, and it’s the only pub in the UK that is licensed to sell US postage stamps.
10. The Seven Stars
Claim: 1602
Location: Carey Street, Holborn
Local’s Order: Beaujolais
Joining the rather exclusive collection of the few pubs to have escaped the Great Fire of London, The Seven Stars was established in 1602 – just 14 years before William Shakespeare died. It’s believed that some original interior features like beams and even floorboards have survived from that original construction today.
It would have originally sat as a port-side pub on the Fleet river (which is now below ground and part of London’s sewer system), and the pub used to be called “The Leg and Seven Stars” – an alteration of “The League of Seven Stars” – referring to the seven provinces of the Netherlands to attract Dutch sailors who settled nearby.
These days it’s known for its legendary publican, Roxy Beaujolais, who took over The Seven Stars in 2001. As a pub food cookbook author, the dishes each day are decided by Roxy, so excellent British classics are always on the menu.
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