Spring has sprung. The race is now on to make sure you spend every last minute of sunshine whiling away the hours in a beer garden, cooling yourself down with a nice pint of beer and lining your stomach with the best grub. But which pub gardens are the best in London? We asked our team of London serviced apartment public house experts for their favourite places to spend the day, catching some rays.
The Duke of Edinburgh - Brixton - Josh Ballard
To say the Duke of Edinburgh is rather unassuming from the outside is an understatement. What looks like quite a humble establishment is actually home to a humongous beer garden that catches the sun right throughout the day. The menu changes fairly frequently with different pop-ups taking residency. At the moment, White Men Can’t Jerk are serving up lip-smacking jerk chicken to accompany the decent range of beer available on tap.
The Eagle – Shepherds Bush - Sophie Brinsley
Another whopper of a beer garden. This wonderfully furnished sun trap has little individual huts, big comfy cushions to lounge around on and a BBQ that gets lit up when the weather’s just right. Oh, and there’s lots of bunting too. Who doesn’t love a bit of bunting?
The Queen of Hoxton - Shoreditch - James Sales
The Queen of Hoxton offers a bit of everything. Depending on the day of the week, you can find DJ sets, film nights, finer lickin’ food and everything in-between. However, when its summer, the main reason it’s rammed is the amazing rooftop bar. There’s a bit of a debate as to whether a rooftop bar is technically a beer garden, but, with such stunning views of London, it’d be a shame to leave out the Queen of Hoxton.
Pub On The Park - London Fields - Amanda Go
Pub On The Park does exactly what it says on the tin (or rather what it says on the front of the pub). Located conveniently in London Fields, Pub On The Park is a proper summer hotspot with a range of locally brewed ales on tap and acres of space to sprawl out and enjoy the best of the sunshine. Oh, and the scotch eggs are worth the visit alone.
The Anglers - Teddington - Anton Constantinou
With its peaceful riverside location, The Anglers’ spacious pub garden is the ideal spot to relax and bask in the glory of a sunny day in London. It’s also said to be a frequent haunt for famous faces, so bring some dark sunglasses on the off-chance of some proper celeb stalking.
The Faltering Fullback - Finsbury Park - Sam Smithies
With its massive tiered beer garden and lots of sunny and shady spots, the Faltering Fullback is a place you can sit and sip on your favourite tipple all day long. There’s also extensive sport coverage and it’s open ‘til late most nights.
The White Swan - Twickenham - Isabel Beeby
The White Swan in Twickenham is another riverside favourite. The tasty BBQ food and varied live music is a winning combo and you can even rent out rowing boats for a quick punt. A nice touch. Just make sure you time your visit to the pub garden. If the tide goes out, you may have to wade back to the pub.
Railway Tavern - Tulse Hill - Martin Klima
A little bit further afield, the Railway Tavern in Tulse Hill humbly refers to itself as a ‘no-frills pub with outdoor seating’. However, with a huge beer garden; complete with table tennis, BBQ, bar and private huts; it’s clearly no ordinary establishment. At the weekend, after the sun goes down, stick around for the live music. And make yourself comfy, last orders aren’t ‘til 3am!
The White Horse – Parsons Green - James Buckley
Colloquially referred to as the Sloaney Pony, The White Horse spills out on to a large attractive pub garden, just on the edge of Parsons Green. While it’s renowned for its broad, ever-rotating, selection of quality beers, if you pick the right day, you may be even more impressed by what’s served up fresh off the barbey.
The Crabtree - Fulham - Lily Galvin
The Crabtree in Fulham has a sprawling, lively pub garden that’s full to the brim with flora and fauna, as well as punters. Tables on the terrace overlooking the River Thames are reserved for diners, but with an impressive gastropub menu, you’ll be easily swayed to stay for a bite.
The Black Lion - Hammersmith - Catherine Tibbs
The Black Lion, in-between Chiswick and Hammersmith, is right on the river and, while the beer garden might not be the prettiest, it has a table tennis table and they also do great BBQs in the summer.
