Feeling Fancy? London’s 13 poshest pubs have just been named by The Times

Because pints aren’t getting pricey enough

People enjoying a drink outside The Devonshire pub and restaurant in the West End on 30th November 2025 in London, United Kingdom.
(Image credit: Mike Kemp/ Getty Images)
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Does a day go by without someone (probably us) making a crack at how expensive London is? Rarely, to be honest. But it’s kind of with good reason. But, we guess that’s the price you pay for top tier culture – theatre, museums, art, history, and of course, the pubs.

London (well, the UK) is the pub capital of the world (unofficially) and our beloved big smoke is certainly home to one or two wonderful watering holes. You’ve got the shabby-but-chic locals, the old-man-boozers, and the more commonly spotted gentrified gastro-pubs. Think reclaimed oak tables, low beams, fairy lights all year round, cosy booths, and £7+ pints. Now, in peak pub season, The Times has officially named its 13 favourite spots in the city.

The team over at The Times - in true journalistic authenticity and commitment - embarked on ‘the ultimate pub crawl’ to work out which pubs are the poshest of the lot. Jealous...

an image of a bartender pulling a pint of Modelo

(Image credit: All Bar One)

Unsurprisingly, a lot of the entries were based in the Notting Hill, Marylebone, Belgravia triangle of London, firmly keeping on trend with the stereotype. And speaking of stereotypes, one of Jack Whitehall’s named checked favourites, The Fat Badger, made it into the list, as well as another of his Notting Hill faves The Pelican.

Four Notting Hill spots made the top spots, including The Cow and The Princess Royal alongside Fat Badger (one of our favourites too), and The Pelican. Obviously, for Soho, The Devonshire made it in, as well as the newly opened The Marlborough x Crisp Pizza.

The George in Fitzrovia also made the cut – although we wouldn't be surprised if it made the list for its loos alone (the scenic interiors will have you popping up the staircase at least twice). It’s one of those best-of-British pubs but not in a pretentious way.

an image of the pub's interiors

(Image credit: Fat Badger)

The top 13 pubs were:

  • The Cow, Notting Hill
  • The Camberwell Arms, Camberwell
  • The Devonshire, Soho
  • The Fat Badger, Notting Hill
  • The George, Fitzrovia
  • The Hart, Marylebone
  • The Marlborough X Crisp Pizza, Soho
  • The Pelican, Notting Hill
  • The Prince Arthur, Belgravia
  • The Princess Royal, Notting Hill
  • The Tamil Crown, Angel
  • The Trafalgar, Chelsea
  • The Knave of Clubs, Shoreditch

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Hermione Blandford
Hermione Blandford
Content Editor

Hermione Blandford is the Content Editor for Shortlist’s social media which means you can usually find her scrolling through Instagram and calling it work, or stopping random people in the street and accosting them with a mini mic. She has previously worked in food and drink PR for brands including Johnnie Walker, Tanqueray, Gordon's, The Singleton, Lagavulin and Don Julio which means she is a self confessed expert in spicy margaritas and pints, regularly popping into the pub in the name of research.

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