Christmas Drinking in London

Cosy alcoves, open fires, wood panelling, rich ales, candlelit tables, mulled wine and colourful histories - London’s pubs provide the perfect setting for a winter hideaway. While the city has witnessed, over the years, an increase in the number of modern bars and slick, bright gastropubs, the capital is still seething with traditional, centuries-old inns that come into their own during the winter months.

From the underground caverns of Gordon's 17th century wine bar to the wooden settles of Hampstead’s Holly Bush pub, wherever you are in the capital you’re guaranteed a warm welcome in one of her many traditional inns.

Find an inviting inglenook, stretch your feet in front of the fire, wrap your hands around a piping glass of mulled wine and raise a toast to Christmas.

Cheers!

Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese

145 Fleet Street, EC4A
Find yourself a cosy nook in one the this 17th century pub’s many vaulted cellars and hide away from the winter chill as you sip a warming pint of ale. Steeped in history, this pub’s story stretches back through the reigns of fifteen monarchs. Hidden away down a tiny alley, a quaint, creaking sign protruding from a wall is all that alerts passers-by to its presence. Once inside, the Cheshire Cheese is just as a traditional English pub ought to look: all narrow passageways and staircases, connecting a rabbit-warren of bars and dining rooms located on various different levels. The interior is done out in dark wood with correspondingly low ceilings. This haphazard network of cosy nooks and crannies is dotted with open fireplaces - especially good for thawing out over a cheerful pint in the cold winter months.

While the tavern’s vaulted cellars are thought to date back to the 13th century, when they formed part of a Carmelite Monastery, most of the pub was rebuilt in 1667 after the previous inn on the site was razed in the Great Fire of 1666. The past century saw many a journalist cross the threshold thanks to its location on Fleet Street, the erstwhile home of the country's newspaper industry. As well as all the journalists, in times past Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese has played host to its fair share of literary celebrities, including Charles Dickens, Oliver Goldsmith and Samuel Johnson (whose house, in nearby Gough Square, is open to visitors). Nowadays the typical customer is more office worker than man of letters but this doesn’t detract from the pub’s undeniable charm. Serving up a very reasonably priced selection from the Samuel Smith’s Brewery this is also a great place to sample a tasty range of traditional English grub. This is a pub that is true London and one that, for once, genuinely deserves its “Ye Olde” epithet.

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Holly Bush

22 Holly Mount, NW3
One of the most popular out-of-town pubs in London, the Hollybush rightly deserves the attention it gets – especially on winter days. A quintessential London pub, the inn was built in 1643 and has changed little over the centuries. Secreted in the attractive back streets of Hampstead - only a short walk away from Kenwood House and the heath - outside its delicate pink shade and collection of hanging baskets welcomes visitors inside into a cosy warren of small rooms. A roaring coal fire, creaking oak floorboards and wood panelling, all lit with overhead gas lamps give the inn a distinct homely feel. Great beers and hearty gastro grub make this an ideal place to while away a wintery weekend afternoon.

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The George Inn

Borough High Street, Southwark, SE1
Now in the safe hands of the National Trust, a small slice of history has been salvaged with the preservation of this 17th century, galleried, coaching inn. The current building dates back to 1676 when it was rebuilt following a fire. Thick walls, oak beams, roaring open fires and latticed windows looking out onto a cobbled courtyard, all combine to make this the perfect winter refuge.

Once upon a time, Borough High Street - leading up to London Bridge from Canterbury - had gangs of coaching inns crowded on either side. The George Inn is all that remains of these traditional stop-offs for pilgrims, merchants and travellers. It nearly disappeared too when the Great Northern Railway demolished part of it to make way for a depot around the turn of last century.

The traditional food and hot mulled wine they serve tallies perfectly with the setting and is best enjoyed in winter months. You’ll not be disappointed with their battered cod and chips or the succulent steak and kidney pies. It’s surrounded by plenty of office buildings, so it’s often packed out which means there’s always a cheery, busy mood. If you want to get a table, the best time to visit is during the afternoon. Sip yourself back in time over a pint of traditional ale on this islet of history.

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The Flask

77 Highgate West Hill, N6
One of the villages lost to London’s urban sprawl, Highgate does at least retain a modicum of rustic charm, community atmosphere and a fine local pub. The beautiful building is one of the village’s oldest and dates back to the early 18th century. Through the low doorway, over the ancient wooden floorboards, into the various interconnected bars; the Flask is as cosy as they get. It might not be as antiquated as it once was – sturdy wooden tables and chairs have given way to more contemporary low tables, leather sofas and poufs – but it still has a pleasant, age-old air about it.

The menu has a tasty gastro stab at all the time-honoured classics – be it a Sunday roast or a full English breakfast (available on Saturday mornings). There’s a generous selection of real ale and Belgian beer on offer from the bar. The wild expanse of Hampstead Heath and the curious graves of Highgate Cemetery are both just a short walk away – perfect for a reviving winter walk. So, if you fancy a bit of village ambience but don’t want to travel miles to get it, jump on the tube to north London’s next best thing.

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The Windsor Castle

114 Campden Hill Road, Notting Hill, W8
Tradition, tradition, tradition! As the colder months draw in The Windsor Castle prepares in the most time-honoured ways. Pull up a stool next to the open fire and sip from a piping glass of mulled wine. Folk have been warming up around their roaring fireplaces since 1835 and this year will be no exception.

The view has long been obscured, but when the pub was built you could reputedly see Windsor Castle on the horizon, 20 miles distant. The tiny doors chopped into the wooden panelling separating the three bars, add to the cosy, warm ambience of the place. They also make manoeuvring around the pub armed with pints of lager an amusing and entertaining experience.

The menu is diverse but the focus is on British cuisine. Their selection of sausages (served with mash and gravy) is particularly noteworthy; the venison and wild boar and apple varieties taste like they’ve just wiggled out of one of the capital’s finest butchers. They do a good line in oysters too.

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The Churchill Arms

119 Kensington Church Street, W8
Combining roaring open fires, rich filling ales and hot, spicy Thai food - The Churchill Arms is guaranteed to warm you up on brisk, December days. Now as much England’s national cuisine as sausage and mash, Thai food (the perfect accompaniment to a cooling pint of lager), saw its inauguration in the small, independent pubs of her major cities. The Churchill Arms is said to have been one of the first pubs to serve up a green curry, and has continued to cook authentic, reasonably priced, Thai food in extremely attractive surroundings ever since.

Overflowing with hanging baskets on the outside this is one of the prettiest pubs in London. The drinking section is very much a traditional boozer dripping with knick-knacks, ranging from chamber pots to hat boxes and photos of the great Winston Churchill himself, and dotted with open fires throughout. The conservatory, where food is served, couldn’t be more of a contrast. Bright, light and packed to the ceiling with greenery it offers a cooling, fresh backdrop for the tongue-tingling, spice-filled dishes.

It gets very busy – especially at weekends – and they don’t take bookings on a Sunday, so you may have to wait in the bar for a table. Once you are seated your slot is limited to a few hours - lingering over coffee is not really the done thing. However, being nudged off your table is no great hardship at the Churchill. Just head across to the bar for a digestif and make the most of the pub’s two contrasting spaces. Plus they pull a mean pint of Guinness.

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Ye Grapes

16 Shepherd Market, W1J
Built in 1882 this Victorian pub provides the perfect ambience for a wintery tipple. Tucked away in the secluded Mayfair refuge of Shepherd Market, it can be hard to spot but once you’ve found it you won’t want to leave. The narrow streets are dotted with boutique shops and classy brasseries, so you'll feel a million miles away from the hubbub of central London’s Christmas shopping frenzy.

Inside the decor is a fantastic example of olde England, but betrays none of the pub's racy past as a centre of Victorian prostitution. The interior is dark and atmospheric with plenty of snug inglenooks, high dark ceilings and wood-panelled walls hung with all manner of historic bric-a-brac; flintlocks, stuffed animals, and horns dangle interestingly.

They serve a decent range of well kept real ale, as well as the usual tipples, while the menu is packed with delicious traditional fare. An ideal refreshment spot, only a short walk from the bustle of the city.

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Gordon’s Wine Bar

47 Villiers Street, WC2N
When the winter wind starts to blow, head underground into London’s oldest wine bar for a schooner of port and a huge hunk of cheese. Buried deep and dark beneath the streets with only a small doorway and a subtle sign indicating its presence, Gordon’s Wine Bar is one of central London’s best hidden gems and one of the capital’s favourite winter hideaways.

The subterranean setting is accessed by a steep, wood-panelled staircase which leads into a rickety old room plastered with centuries old newspapers cuttings and dusty wine bottles. Once you’ve made the somewhat perilous descent and have chosen your tipple from the award-winning wine list (this isn’t the place for lagers and spirits), head for the low-ceilinged arches, under which tables and chairs huddle together, bathed in gentle candlelight. You’ll probably have to wait a while for a table, but there’s no great hardship in propping yourself up in a corner and waiting for one to become available or, alternatively, asking to share the corner of someone else’s.

Home to Samuel Pepys in the 1680s, this friendly, family-run establishment has resolutely resisted change. Enjoy a sturdy tumbler of port or sherry served straight from casks behind the bar accompanied by a selection of hearty home-cooked food – there’s not better way to get in the mood for Christmas.

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Hemingford Arms

158 Hemingford Road, Islington, N1
Tucked away in the sleepy back streets, the Hemingford isn’t screaming at customers “come, drink here!” - it doesn’t need to. This long-established, friendly, community pub already has a shining reputation with locals and knowledgeable visitors alike. It’s a welcoming place to snuggle in winter months.

Dangling from the ceiling, draped across the walls - in just about every conceivable location - is an endless collection of oddities; antiquated instruments, old oak chests, film posters and the rest spark an interest in all who visit. Music can be heard seeping out of the doors and windows on a regular basis - the Monday night Bluegrass sessions are particularly popular. Your thirst can be quenched with the usual range of generic beverages as well as a reasonable assortment of bitters. At lunchtime they offer an assortment of traditional British food, but we recommend waiting till the evening to sample their delicious Thai menu.

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