You want to explore London’s culture and history, but at the same time, it’s quite tempting to check out London’s pubs instead, am I right? But what if I told you can do both at the same time? Here are some of London’s greatest literary pubs, so you can grab a drink at what used to be some of your favourite author’s locals. Many of these pubs were frequented by Charles Dickens, as it turns out, he had a fair few locals!
If you want to see more literary attractions in London (other than just pubs I mean), check out our list of the top literary attractions in London.
1: The George Inn – Southwark
Coaching Inns used to be the norm, but now the George Inn is the last one that’s still in service. This pub dates back to the 16th century, and has been visited by some of the greatest names in literary history.
William Shakespeare often popped into this quaint little pub for a drink, and Charles Dickens even mentioned it in Little Dorrit.
As well as being a place of literary and historical interest, it’s also a really nice pub to stop at, with a friendly and warm atmosphere. There are plenty of tables in the historic building, or if you’d rather take your drink outside, there are plenty of benches where there once would have been horses and carriages.
2: Pillars Of Hercules – Soho
A literary pub with a literary name. Charles Dickens was a fan of this pub, and mentioned it in his novel A Tales Of Two Cities. In appreciation of the mention, one of the side streets by the pub was renamed Manette Street, in honour of the story’s Doctor Manette.
The modern writer Ian McEwan has also visited the pub, so it’s good spot to stop for a drink, if you want to drink at the same pub, perhaps even sit at the very same table as some of your favourite writers.
3: The Duke Of York – Fitzrovia
This is the pub that inspired Anthony Burgess’ popular dystopian novel, A Clockwork Orange. Burgess and his wife saw a razor gang’s invasion and violent outburst in the Duke Of York, and it was this horrific event that sparked the horrowshow story line of his most popular novel.
4: The Fitzroy Tavern – Fitzrovia
This pub is such a literary location that it even as a writers and artists bar downstairs. Plus, George Orwell and Dylan Thomas were both regulars at this pub. So you can imagine, this corner pub gets pretty busy, with creatives keen to grab a drink at the writers bar.
5: The Flask – Highgate
This pub is a must-visit for any fans of the Romantic. It was frequented by Romantic writers including Mary and Percy Shelley, Lord Byron, and John Keats. Even Karl Marx was known to stop off here every now and then for a drink.
6: The Grapes – Limehouse
A pub visited by many different authors, and mentioned in a handful of famous novels, including in the Sherlock Holmes books, and in Oscar Wilde’s The Picture Of Dorian Gray. Charles Dickens liked it here, but then it seems he liked it in many pubs across London.
7: The Dog And Duck – Soho
This is a great pub with a real local feel, and it was one of George Orwell’s favourite public houses (he, like Dickens, enjoyed drinking at a range of pubs).
The pub is now owned by a chain brand, but they’ve done their best to keep the Victorian décor as it would have been, so you can sip a not-too-badly priced drink whilst stepping back in time.
8: Dickens Inn
This literary pub may not have the same literary history as many of the other pubs on this list, but it was opened by Dickens’ grandson. When he formally opened the Inn he said that his grandfather would have loved it.
It’s a popular place to drink, and is even known as a tourist spot, thanks to its ideal location beside the River Thames and historical atmosphere.
I live in the UK, in the country’s most uneventful city, where the most interesting story in the local paper is about banning dressing gowns in supermarkets.
I travel and I write, because surely there are more interesting stories than that to write about and share.