We know, a good pub is practically synonymous with a cosy space to hunker down on chilly winter evenings. Yet each year, when the leaves start falling, we begin searching for the best places to get rosy cheeked and merry in all over again. Here’s our round-up of London’s cosiest pubs and why we love them.
The Running Horse first opened its doors in 1738 and much of the decor speaks of a bygone era. This snug watering hole is decked out with wood panelling, rich green tiles lining stylish fireplaces and soft chairs practically hugging the drinkers sitting on them. It’s all very inviting, especially during the festive season when a Christmas tree and lights are thrown in for added effect.
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At the kookier end of the cosy scale is the Hemingford Arms in Barnsbury. From its leafy, flowery exterior to its warming decor and intriguing artifacts (a treasure chest housing prosthetic legs, vintage posters and taxidermy birds), there’s plenty just to look at here to keep you entertained on a cold and drizzly day. Pub nights are equally quirky, with drag bingo and spontaneous singing around its out-of-tune piano. Careful, you might find one beer rolls into staying for last orders.
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Wooden interiors, sprawling rooms with open fires and a decent collection of board games is what the Pineapple is all about. Oh, and a hearty menu of Thai food to really warm the cockles on a cold night. A true backstreet boozer, this tropical-sounding gem is tucked away behind rows of pastel-coloured houses in Kentish Town. The community-focused pub hosts a semi-annual beer festival and leaves a pay-what-you-like cheese board out for guests to tuck into, too.
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While you’re bound to have jostled your way along Columbia Road’s Sunday flower market at some point, you might not be aware of its Christmas offering. Every Wednesday evening in December, the street comes to life with residents selling mulled wine on their doorsteps, shops staying open late and shoppers gathering round a piano – which is wheeled out onto the street – to sing carols. If you’re looking for a cosy pub to duck into on your visit, the Royal Oak with its garish decorations, craft beer selection and rollicking-good-time atmosphere is the one to go to.
The Holly Bush pub in Hampstead Village makes almost every publication’s list of cosy London pubs with its open fire, stripped wooden floors and hearty roasts. All this coupled with a crisp walk on on the heath will have you rosy-cheeked in no time.
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This east London ale house has a pub cat (Lenny) and a piano. Need we say more? Ok, other things that make it cosy include its deep red walls, traditional patterned carpets and wood-burning stove. Oh, and rumour has it they hand out free roast potatoes to punters from time to time.
For a West End pub with a cosy village vibe, look no further than the Cross Keys in Covent Garden. Copper pots and pans hang from the ceiling and quirky paintings fill the walls of this watering hole. Ornaments aside, the Cross Keys is about as ‘trad British pub’ as it gets, and a warming space to thaw out on a cold and blustery day in central London.
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Housed in an old community centre in a quiet part of Crouch End, Earl Haig Hall has a vintage vibe with turntables and a sizeable collection of mismatched, lived-in furniture. Time your visit with one of its roaring DJ nights or baby yoga classes and the damp and dreary weather outside will soon become a distant memory.
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Perched close by the famous clipper ship Cutty Sark – and right by the Thames – is Greenwich’s Cutty Sark Tavern. Spread over three floors, each with low ceilings, comfy furnishings and snug corners, many of the pub’s tables offer a chance to gaze out onto the river without having to brace yourself with the cold winter breeze. The pub’s menu of hearty British pub fare (fish pie, sausages and mash etc.) will soon warm your soul, too.
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Fighting off local competition from fairy light-clad Stormbird, old-school boozer The Tiger and the homely Sun Tavern, is SE5’s aptly named pub the Hermit’s Cave. This Irish boozer, where pre-war drink advertisements line the walls, is popular year round, but never more so than on cold winter nights. Its large TV in the saloon bar attracts the football crowd, while other tables are usually dominated by groups of young, trendy types. Arrive early on weekends to bag a spot and wile away the hours cocooned in this den of snugness.
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Thanks to its roaring fire, hodgepodge decor and ceiling cluttered with rustic objects, the Churchill is often the first pub that comes to Londoner’s lips when asked to recommend somewhere cosy. This is all the more true in winter, thanks to the addition of Christmas trees and lights to the pub’s already shrub-adorned exterior.
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Richmond is certainly not short of cosy dens to hunker down in following a walk in its deer-populated park or by its glistening river. Our favourite is the Lass of Richmond Hill, with its giant armchairs, exposed brick chimney and open fire. The menu is standard pub fare with several comfort food classics (fish & chips; Angus steak etc.) that are sure to warm the cockles.
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Finally for something a little bit different. The Alma in Islington might not appear cosy in the traditional sense, but once you’ve tried its Sunday roast – one of the best in London – you’ll see why it fits the category. Step inside and you'll soon become aware of the pub's movie theme, too: posters advertising old favourites hang on the walls, while bits of film paraphernalia decorate its rooms. There’s also a pub quiz every Sunday, regular folk jam sessions and Buster, the much-loved resident pooch, creating a homely vibe.
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