The 5 Best Pubs in the United Kingdom

Pubs. Britain. Like salt and vinegar, Starsky and Hutch and George Bush and poor foreign policy, the two go absolutely hand in hand. The classic British Pub - a symbiotic relationship as old as time (or alcohol) itself, the Pubs of Great Britain are legendary for a reason – they are generally warm and hospitable, serve up very good food, and carry the best beer you’re likely to find on this wee little isle. While I’m no expert on either beer or food, I’d like to consider myself something of a connoisseur of the pub scene in Great Britain after travelling the entire length and breadth of this country over the past two months. Read on for my top five pubs of the U.K. (NB: highly, highly subjective list.)

If you’re interested, read my guide to the best pubs in Surrey here.

THE CROSS KEYS

31 Endell St, London

Vine covered entryway to The Cross Keys

My goodness, what a bloody awesome night we had here. Smack bang at 11 pm on Saturday night, Carlie, myself and our mate Nick turned up to The Cross Keys for a quiet pint after dinner. As we walked through the vine covered entranceway we were greeted with a smorgasboard of accents and languages, and were greeted with a veritable panoptical vision of British memorabilia clinging to the walls. I’m talking about Beatles photographs, signed guitars, and an ancient grandfather clock. The staff here are no-nonsense, proper British pub types, and I can vouch for the company I kept whilst drinking at the bar. This was my absolute favourite bar in London, no doubt in the world.

THE WINKING MAN

Buxton Rd, Upper Hulme, Leek

Located directly in the heart of Britain, The Winking Man is a true country pub. Not owned by any large chains, this little bastion of good ale and excellent company served Carlie and myself all too well on our way back south from Scotland. You’ll find the Winking man on a winding country lane, North of the township of Leek. When we arrived it was shrouded in mist, and felt extremely Dickensian – however, after entering, we were served the best pub fare we’d found all trip, and some of the best priced beers anywhere in the midlands. Also, they let campervans park overnight in the carpark, free of charge. Can’t get any better than that.

BEN NEVIS

1147 Argyle St, Glasgow

Oh the Ben Nevis. Our time together was all too brief. For a brief hour-long window, you were my confidante, friend, and drinking buddy. However, like any good thing, our time together had to end, and I was whisked away to more expensive climes. However, with a 300 strong whisky list, and a veritably distressingly long ale list, the Ben Nevis was my pick of pubs in Glasgo. Located a bit off the main tourist drag in the west end, The Ben Nevis was a standout for Carlie and I, and I wished we could have stayed there longer, or possibly, forever.

TURF TAVERN

4-5 Bath Pl, Oxford

As an Australian, the Turf Tavern holds a special place in my heart. Our illustrious former Prime Minister, Bob Hawke once set a world record for beer consumption here, so it was with considerable excitement that Carlie and I had a meal here with an old friend of hers, Charlie. The low ceilings, twisting corridors and heavily mediaeval vibe inside the tavern only adds to the otherwise excellent food and drink on offer. As I drank, I was struck by the strong desire to open a book, request that the barman open me a tab, and sit there for an afternoon. However, this would have been less than social, wouldn’t it? As far as classic English Pubs go, you can’t go far past this one.

Read my walking tour of Oxford guide here.

THE JOLLY FARMER

Burdenshot Rd, Worplesdon, Guildford

As previously detailed, we spent way too long in Surrey. Comparable to an age or epoch, our time there extended beyond belief. However, the major benefit of this was that we were able t sample more than one pub in the region, leading both of us to the conclusion that The Jolly Farmer reigns supreme in Surrey. Arriving here in our newly purchased caravan we were greeted by a genuine innkeep, whom swiftly took our order, served us some very, very tasty beer, and attended to us for the next hour in the best possible way. Goodness gracious me, can we talk about the Sunday Roast here for a minute? That bad boy was delectable, and I’d thoroughly recommend the Jolly Farmer on this alone. Filling, hearty, and screaming ‘country fare,’ this was up there with the best pub grub I had anywhere on the isles. Carlie ate a beef pie here, with Guinness sauce and a side of mashy peas, which she tells me was also possibly life changing.

So, there you have it. My highly biased, highly subjective listicle on pubs that I happened to like whilst in the U.K. However, I’m willing to bet you have your own selection of fave pubs right? Let us know in the comments below!