The top 5 London spots for pub grub

When it comes to pubs, The Cricketers ticks all the boxes. A large beer garden, classic pub dishes with fresh, seasonal ingredients, and a jaw-dropping gorgeous view over Kew Green, this is the jackpot of gastropubs. If you’re spending the day visiting Kew Gardens and fancy a pub grub after to relax and refuel, look no further. Besides, you can bring your pooch, and the menu accommodates for pretty much all tastes and diets without sacrificing the tradition. Tempting, right? If you need a little push, just imagine a cold pint pairing a baked camembert with apple & pear chutney with a sliced artisan baguette. Or the day’s pie with mashed potatoes or fries, with green beans and gravy.

Not that hungry? Why not share some snacks amongst your family and friends? Combine grilled Padron peppers with some honey & mustard cocktail sausages or venture into the mac ‘n’ cheese & jalapenos bites served with sweet chilli aioli. If you’re up for milder tastes, try one of their sandwiches – the classic BLT, the halloumi baguette, a falafel wrap – and pick your favourite choice of bread, including a gluten free option! Whatever you do, please don’t walk out without finishing your meal with a sticky toffee pudding, topped with some vanilla ice cream and toffee sauce.

If you ever looked for the definition of cosy pub, cosy restaurant, or perfect pub dining experience, White Swan in Richmond surely came up first in the search results. We’ll just say this: open fires. If the weather is amicable though, stay out in the beer garden and let the sun warm you up as you dig into a roast lamb rump, a British rib-eye steak, or a pan-fried sea bream. If you aren’t that hungry and only want some snacks to pair up with your beer, get some mussels with chips, a haggis Scotch egg with bacon jam, and a gin & tonic cured salmon with pickled cucumber – the ultimate roller-coaster for your taste buds.

The Sunday lunch crowd can book a table for the traditional Sunday roast, with three main options to choose from: beef, lamb, or pork, all paired with the usual combo of roast potatoes, carrots, cauliflower cheese, parsnips, Yorkshire pudding & gravy. The meat-free options include a Mushroom & spinach wellington with all the sides, and a vegan Sicilian bean stew. Wrap up your meal with an apple & berry crumble or a cheese plater and go for a walk around Richmond Park to digest this royal banquet.

This is your chance to dine in one of the top 50 gastropubs in the country, a title The Red Lion and Sun proudly wears since 2016. They have also won the best pub in the country at the Great British Pub Awards in 2018 and when you visit, you’ll have no trouble understanding why. A different menu is announced every day at 11am and you must wait until then to check their website and find out what’s being prepared in the kitchen pronto. Book a table for up to 8 people (children included) and, because this is England, you should only book for the uncovered back garden one or two days in advance. Yes, it got us wishing for a tiny heat wave, too.

As you navigate the day’s menu, nibble on a rosemary focaccia and a frozen mezcalita, but rest assured you will always have cheese boards on the desserts list, the eternal toffee pudding, and a delicious cheesecake.

Behold the 2023 winners of the Best Pub for Entertainment and the 2024 finalists in the Best Pub in Town. If you are looking for the best gastropub, with all the classic pub dishes, and a calendar brimming with fun events to keep you and your friends entertained, Bexleyheath has got your back.

This is the place for some homemade soup, fish finger sandwiches, fish and chips, southern fried chicken wings, and the summer classic eton mess. They also cater for vegetarians, vegans, and there is a separate children’s menu with smaller portions of all the classics. Visit at lunch and choose from any starter and any main, along with a drink or after work for a G&T and some prawn and chorizo on a toasted ciabatta. In the summer, make sure to book for their rooftop garden so you don’t miss on the fun – and the sun!

The Winchmore Pub is all about Pie Tuesdays, Wednesday Steak Night, Ribs Thursdays, and kids eat for free! And as if that’s not enough to get us booking a table, 10p from every meal purchased is donated to charity for the homeless. Famous for their Sunday roast, and located in Winchmore Hill, this independent pub will have you feel like a part of a community no matter where you are coming from – the true power of hearty pub meals. These are the masters of elevated tradition, serving a crispy beer battered haddock and hand-cut chips with minted peas and tartare sauce, a freshly prepared pot pie of the day with a creamy mash and seasonal veggies, and your grill favourites: sirloin steak, beef burger, and a veal Milanese with French fries.

Vegans fret not! The Winchmore serves a mouth-watering Moving Mountains plant-based burger with hummus, guacamole in a vegan bun with skinny fries that will revolutionise the concept of pub grub for you. Their specials also include a creamy miso penne and a green superfood salad or you can partake in the sharing platters with your friends and order an anti-pasti sharer with sundried tomatoes, grilled aubergine and black olive tapenade making a bold statement on this flavourful platter – you’ll just have to skip the mozzarella. Don’t forget to check out their wine menu to pair with the N1 patriot Bakewell tart.