This tiny South London boozer has just been crowned the best in London

an image of the inside of the bar at the cockpit — (Image credit: CAMRA / Cockpit)

It can be hard to define what makes a place to drink the ‘best’, but if it’s actually having a decent pint without any gimmicks or accidental forays into your overdraft, then the geezers at CAMRA (the Campaign for Real Ale) are a good bunch to rely on for a recommendation. They have crowned their best London pub for 2026 – and for once, it’s not the usual Devonshire.

Instead, a small independent micropub all the way in Bromley has been awarded the coveted title. The Cockpit, which opened back in 2020, is a tiny old boozer which was set up in the back of Roses Florist in Chislehurst, and still shares the space with the flower shop, serving up cask ales and cider. It also operates a £1 fine for mobile phone usage and foul language – basically it’s like if your grandparents ran a pub which felt like it had annoying rules, then as an adult you realise said rules were not only fair but genius.

As well as serving up fine ciders and real ale, the bar also serves up locally made Wessex gin and Neal’s Yard cheeses.

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"Flabbersmacked we are," said the Cockpit team on the announcement.

"Absolutely gobberghasted. Honoured to be rubbing shoulders with such a resplendent arsenal of boozers, let alone to be recognised by CAMRA as top of the pubs for Greater London this year."

an image of the exterior of the cockpit pub in Chiselhurst

Adam Miller, who runs the pub with Paul Steadman, added: "A sea spanning embrace to everyone that has supported us since opening five years ago, so many of you have invested a titanic amount of enthusiasm into what we love to do, it makes every day a joy."

CAMRA has been running its Pub of the Year awards since 1988. Marks are awarded across eight different criteria: quality and condition of real ale/cider/perry, promotion and knowledge of real ale, cleanliness and staff hygiene, community focus, service and welcome, style, décor and atmosphere, sympathy with CAMRA’s aims, and overall impression and value.

There were 12 regional winners selected across London, from central London classics, to Croydon’s Dark Horse. The Cockpit was selected from the 12 regional winners as the overall winner.

The 12 regional winners for 2026 were:

Bexley – Long Haul
Bromley – Cockpit (winner)
Croydon & Sutton – Dark Horse
East London & City – Cock Tavern
Enfield & Barnet – Little Green Dragon
Kingston & Leatherhead – Antelope
North London – Wenlock Arms
Richmond & Hounslow – Mitre
South East London – Hand & Marigold
South West London – Trafalgar
West London – Bear
West Middlesex – Owl & The Pussycat

The overall UK winner for the CAMRA Pub of the Year award is yet to be announced, and will be awarded later this year.

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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.