Guidebook for San Francisco
Drinks & Nightlife
40FT is the only brewery in London based in a shipping container, and it houses one of the best tap rooms around. They only have a few beers on at a time, but they’re always fantastic. The smooth and creamy 40ft Pale Ale is one of my favourite in the city. And the vibe is always welcoming and fun.
Don’t be afraid to request a tour of the brewery. The tap room is usually open on Fridays and Saturdays, and if they’re not too busy they’ll give you a personal tour of the brewing equipment then.
Bootstrap Charity
18 Ashwin St40FT is the only brewery in London based in a shipping container, and it houses one of the best tap rooms around. They only have a few beers on at a time, but they’re always fantastic. The smooth and creamy 40ft Pale Ale is one of my favourite in the city. And the vibe is always welcoming and fun.
Don’t be afraid to request a tour of the brewery. The tap room is usually open on Fridays and Saturdays, and if they’re not too busy they’ll give you a personal tour of the brewing equipment then.
Fourpure is the first stop on a pub crawl for people who like really good craft beer: the Bermondsey Beer Mile, a trail of eight or nine little breweries open their tap rooms on Saturdays. Most people start at the one closest to London Bridge station, but start at Fourpure, at the other end, in order to avoid most of the crowds.
A map is easy to find online. Check the opening hours before you set off and be aware that the tap rooms can get really busy between 2 and 7 pm on Saturdays. Be sure to stop by Partizan, Brew By Numbers, and Anspach & Hobday.
16 locals recommend
Fourpure Brewing Co.
Rotherhithe New RoadFourpure is the first stop on a pub crawl for people who like really good craft beer: the Bermondsey Beer Mile, a trail of eight or nine little breweries open their tap rooms on Saturdays. Most people start at the one closest to London Bridge station, but start at Fourpure, at the other end, in order to avoid most of the crowds.
A map is easy to find online. Check the opening hours before you set off and be aware that the tap rooms can get really busy between 2 and 7 pm on Saturdays. Be sure to stop by Partizan, Brew By Numbers, and Anspach & Hobday.
Beavertown is a huge deal on the London brewing scene. Founded by Logan Plant, son of Led Zeppelin’s Robert Plant, it’s grown from a tiny outfit under a pub to one of the biggest craft breweries in town. And its taproom has set the tone for others with its industrial styling. The focus is on the beer rather than the decor.
They make a wide range of beers, and I don't think they've ever done a bad one. I'm a big fan of the Gamma Ray, a fruity American-style beer that’s surprisingly high in alcohol but very smooth to drink.
45 locals recommend
Beavertown Brewery
Mill Mead RoadBeavertown is a huge deal on the London brewing scene. Founded by Logan Plant, son of Led Zeppelin’s Robert Plant, it’s grown from a tiny outfit under a pub to one of the biggest craft breweries in town. And its taproom has set the tone for others with its industrial styling. The focus is on the beer rather than the decor.
They make a wide range of beers, and I don't think they've ever done a bad one. I'm a big fan of the Gamma Ray, a fruity American-style beer that’s surprisingly high in alcohol but very smooth to drink.
This is a traditional Clapton pub just a few minutes away from Brew Club, so I spend a lot of time there. The staff is unwaveringly friendly, and the massive beer garden is lovely in the summer. They have good beers on tap—a range of keg ales, cask ales, and craft beers, some from small local breweries. The food is excellent, too.
Modern British pub grub is done with real imagination here, but if you’re just after a decent pint and something to snack on, treat yourself to an Oakham Ales Citra and a black-pudding scotch egg. They’re proper scotch eggs with a runny middle—always a good thing.
44 locals recommend
Crooked Billet
15 Crooked BilletThis is a traditional Clapton pub just a few minutes away from Brew Club, so I spend a lot of time there. The staff is unwaveringly friendly, and the massive beer garden is lovely in the summer. They have good beers on tap—a range of keg ales, cask ales, and craft beers, some from small local breweries. The food is excellent, too.
Modern British pub grub is done with real imagination here, but if you’re just after a decent pint and something to snack on, treat yourself to an Oakham Ales Citra and a black-pudding scotch egg. They’re proper scotch eggs with a runny middle—always a good thing.
Part of a small chain of pubs across London that focuses on craft beer, the Clapham outpost has been done up in a minimalistic way and serves a huge array of beers from small craft breweries, as well as weird and wonderful beers from around the world. The burgers and roasts are reliably good, too.
Ask for a recommendation as the staff are really knowledgeable. Much of what they stock you’d struggle to find elsewhere. The last time I was there I discovered Millionaire, the Wild Beer Company’s chocolate and salted caramel milk stout. It’s absolutely amazing.
12 locals recommend
The Craft Beer Co.
128 Clapham Manor StreetPart of a small chain of pubs across London that focuses on craft beer, the Clapham outpost has been done up in a minimalistic way and serves a huge array of beers from small craft breweries, as well as weird and wonderful beers from around the world. The burgers and roasts are reliably good, too.
Ask for a recommendation as the staff are really knowledgeable. Much of what they stock you’d struggle to find elsewhere. The last time I was there I discovered Millionaire, the Wild Beer Company’s chocolate and salted caramel milk stout. It’s absolutely amazing.
Open since 1546, this beautiful little pub tucked in an alley in Holborn has loads of history. Queen Elizabeth I once danced round a cherry tree here. It can be hard to locate, and it’s not open on weekends, but seek it out for the fireplace, wood-panelled walls, and traditional cask ales from Fullers, one of the oldest English breweries.
If you’re after a cold, fizzy beer you’re going to have to adjust your expectations. Here it’s all about enjoying a classic, smooth, creamy room temperature cask ale. Don’t rush it. Drink it slowly to appreciate the flavor.
14 locals recommend
Ye Olde Mitre
1 Ely PlOpen since 1546, this beautiful little pub tucked in an alley in Holborn has loads of history. Queen Elizabeth I once danced round a cherry tree here. It can be hard to locate, and it’s not open on weekends, but seek it out for the fireplace, wood-panelled walls, and traditional cask ales from Fullers, one of the oldest English breweries.
If you’re after a cold, fizzy beer you’re going to have to adjust your expectations. Here it’s all about enjoying a classic, smooth, creamy room temperature cask ale. Don’t rush it. Drink it slowly to appreciate the flavor.
Right by the canal in trendy Hackney Wick, this was the UK’s first tank bar, meaning beer is served straight from massive tanks behind the bar. There’s a constantly changing selection of beers and, with neighbours like Crate Brewery—which also has a great pub—it’s the perfect place for a beer lover to hang out.
They have 10 tanks, and all the beers are very good. It’s become a bit of a thing for people to try and work their way along the whole bar, but the beers are served in ⅔ pint glasses, so not many customers get that far.
53 locals recommend
Howling Hops
Unit 9A White Post LnRight by the canal in trendy Hackney Wick, this was the UK’s first tank bar, meaning beer is served straight from massive tanks behind the bar. There’s a constantly changing selection of beers and, with neighbours like Crate Brewery—which also has a great pub—it’s the perfect place for a beer lover to hang out.
They have 10 tanks, and all the beers are very good. It’s become a bit of a thing for people to try and work their way along the whole bar, but the beers are served in ⅔ pint glasses, so not many customers get that far.
London Fields is a park in Hackney, and a great one at that. It’s the kind of place you want to kick back and while away a sunny afternoon. There are a lot of great pubs near here, but the Pub on the Park does really good local beers. It’s also next to Broadway Market, which has fantastic restaurants, cafes, and artisan food stalls.
Go for a swim at London Fields Lido to work up a thirst, then head to the pub and order a well-deserved Five Points Pale Ale, an excellent beer for easy summer drinking, and brewed just up the road.
162 locals recommend
Pub On The Park
19 Martello StreetLondon Fields is a park in Hackney, and a great one at that. It’s the kind of place you want to kick back and while away a sunny afternoon. There are a lot of great pubs near here, but the Pub on the Park does really good local beers. It’s also next to Broadway Market, which has fantastic restaurants, cafes, and artisan food stalls.
Go for a swim at London Fields Lido to work up a thirst, then head to the pub and order a well-deserved Five Points Pale Ale, an excellent beer for easy summer drinking, and brewed just up the road.
These guys make lovely beer, and their taproom opens on weekends so you can drink them from the source. They specialise in farmhouse brewing, using things like wild yeast and foraged berries to make incredible sour and Gruyt beers. Playing with bacteria and wild yeast can be tricky, but Redchurch has perfected it.
If they have it on tap, try the Tartelette, a Berliner-weisse sour beer fermented with live bacteria. It's very tart but, unlike some sour beers, not overwhelming.
22 locals recommend
Redchurch Brewery
15-16 River WayThese guys make lovely beer, and their taproom opens on weekends so you can drink them from the source. They specialise in farmhouse brewing, using things like wild yeast and foraged berries to make incredible sour and Gruyt beers. Playing with bacteria and wild yeast can be tricky, but Redchurch has perfected it.
If they have it on tap, try the Tartelette, a Berliner-weisse sour beer fermented with live bacteria. It's very tart but, unlike some sour beers, not overwhelming.
This modern taproom near Bethnal Green has bare wood floors, graffitied walls, and long communal tables, and it’s set beneath a cool, old railway arch. The owners pride themselves on stocking a massive selection of craft beers, on tap and in bottles, so you’re bound to find something that excites you.
If they have Pale Fire from Pressure Drop Brewery on tap, get one. It’s crisp and refreshing, but so popular that it can be quite hard to find as they’re only a small brewery. It’s almost legendary in east London, the gold standard of what a modern pale ale can be.
109 locals recommend
Mother Kelly's
251 Paradise RowThis modern taproom near Bethnal Green has bare wood floors, graffitied walls, and long communal tables, and it’s set beneath a cool, old railway arch. The owners pride themselves on stocking a massive selection of craft beers, on tap and in bottles, so you’re bound to find something that excites you.
If they have Pale Fire from Pressure Drop Brewery on tap, get one. It’s crisp and refreshing, but so popular that it can be quite hard to find as they’re only a small brewery. It’s almost legendary in east London, the gold standard of what a modern pale ale can be.