As the leaves turn from green to gold and a chilly breeze starts to creep into the air, we say goodbye to our favourite pub gardens and start looking for cosy spaces to get rosy-cheeked and merry instead.
From roaring fires to quirky decor, the one with the weekly folk jam to the one with a communal cheese board, read on for our round-up of London’s cosiest pubs and why we love them.
With its roaring fire, dimmed lights and enveloping armchairs, it doesn't get much cosier than The Wrestlers in Highgate. Having stood on the same spot since the 1500s (and been run by the same owners for the last 30 years), it's a stalwart of the London pub scene. Combine a trip here with a walk through Highgate Woods or along the Parkland Walk for the ultimate countryside-in-the-city experience.
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At the kookier end of the cosy scale is the Hemingford Arms in Barnsbury. From its leafy, flower-dotted 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 tinsel-led decorations, craft beer selection and rollicking-good-time atmosphere is where to head.
The Holly Bush pub in Hampstead Village makes almost every publication’s list of cosy London pubs, and with its open fire, stripped wooden floors and hearty roasts, it's easy to see why. Couple this with a crisp walk on the heath and you'll be rosy-cheeked in no time.
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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 let tingling toes thaw on a cold and blustery day in central London.
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Greenwich’s Cutty Sark Tavern is perched right on the edge of the Thames, neighbouring the famous sea clipper of the same name. The pub is spread over three floors, each with low ceilings, comfy furnishings and snug corners. Many of the tables offer a chance to gaze out onto the river, meaning you can enjoy views of the outside world without having to brace yourself for the cold winter breeze. The menu features the kind of hearty pub fare (fish pie, sausages and mash) fit to fend off any chills, too.
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Fighting off local competition from fairy-lit 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 while away the hours cocooned in this den of snugness.
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With its roaring fire, hodge-podge decor and ceiling cluttered with rustic objects, the Churchill is often the first pub that comes to Londoners' lips when they're 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 o' Richmond Hill, with its giant armchairs, exposed brick chimney and open fire. The menu is standard pub fare with several comfort food classics (fish and chips; Angus steak etc.) that are sure to warm the cockles.
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Finally, 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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