Here are a few of the historic pubs we visited on our recent five day trip to London. These weren’t selected for any particular reason, they just happened to be near to places we were already visiting and looked very traditional. Some of them had gluten free food options which was a nice bonus.
The Anchor, Bankside, Southwark
This is a short walk from where we stay when in London so it has become a sort of tradition to have our first drink here. This was the first time we have visited in Winter for a while but it was a reasonably sunny day and we were pleased to see that the outside bar and seating remained open. I asked if they had a gluten free peroni and was informed that they only had stock of those indoors currently. I was about to switch my order to a wine when a very helpful bar tender suggested I might to try their gluten free draught lager – Jubel Peach. I was a bit sceptical as the pump didn’t mention gluten free at all so I wouldn’t otherwise have ordered without being told. They are definitely missing a trick there and should have it up on the blackboard. A quick google confirmed to me that it was safe and a few sample sips confirmed that it was nice, so I ordered a pint and enjoyed what small amount of Winter sunshine was available.
The outside seating overlooks the Thames between London Bridge and Southwark Bridge. There is plenty of opportunity to wave at the passing boats full of tourists and at the time of our visit, West Ham fans! The original building was destroyed during the Great Fire of London, but rebuilt in 1676. In Shakespeare’s time there were many river taverns along the Thames and The Anchor is now the only survivor from this era.
Inside the pub is like a maze of larger and smaller rooms plus outside space. Much of this was reserved for fixed times. Food and drink can be ordered at one of several bars or by QR code. At 1pm the place was very busy. We did find a table inside but decided not to eat as the non-gluten containing menu was very limited.
The Southwark Tavern, Borough Market
You have to pick your times with this one as it is located right on the corner of the entrance to Borough Market and does get incredibly busy at peak times. Popular with both locals and tourists, In the Summer months it is not unusual to see crowds of people standing outside.
The building itself dates back the Victorian era and was formally a debtor’s prison. The cells were converted into seating booths which added to the open fireplace gives the place a real homely feel. It’s distinctive orange tiled frontage makes it easily one of the most recognised places in the area. A great meeting spot if you have been exploring the market.
They have a wide range of cocktails. – I highly recommend the Hugo Spritz, made with St Germain liqueur.
The food menu can be allergen filtered and there are a handful of mains available – at the time of our visit these were sea bass, steak, butter chicken curry and a salad. There are also a couple of small plates and a chocolate brownie for dessert.
Chesterfield Arms, Mayfair
This was a place we stumbled upon after our Hidden London Underground tour of Green Park (formerly Dover Street). We were looking for somewhere to take a quick break between that and our plan to visit the Transport Museum in the afternoon.
We walked in at almost exactly 12 noon and were soon followed by several others, it felt like people had been staking the place out and waiting for a respectable hour (not that we had done the same or anything…..)
We didn’t eat but did have a quick look at the menu which did not have allergen markings but clearer information is available on the website. There are a couple of fish dishes and steaks that would probably be suitable and the fries are gluten free but probably worth checking about cross contamination. The couple sat next to us ordered a Sunday Lunch which looked amazing. We had a larger meal planned for that evening so didn’t want to fill ourselves up to much, so settled for a couple of bags of crisps.
From here we were easily able to walk to Selfridges where we took the opportunity to re-visit Borough ’22 for a gluten free jam doughnut.
Cahoots Underground, Soho (Kingly Place)
Cahoots is a quirky chain of bars with a war time ‘keep calm and carry on’ theme. We have previously visited the old postal service branch branch in Borough Yards so thought we would give this one a try.
Staff are in character and you are greeted personally and really made to feel welcome when they show you to a table. The drinks menu comes in the form of a vintage newspaper and there are so many cocktails to choose from it took us a while to decide our order. You can also order snacks such as olives and nuts and there is a selection of small plates, which is different at each branch. All of the bar snacks are gluten free as well as the chips.
At an average of £15 each the cocktails are not cheap but the quirkiness and novelty value is worth it. Your drink might come in a cup and saucer or a jam jar. We ordered one of the large cocktails for two people (aptly named ‘Is it a pot of mustard?” and it came in a Colman’s Mustard tea pot that we could pour into a tea cup – complete with saucer. Lovely atmosphere and staff.
The Queens Arms, Kensington
We knew about this one prior to visiting as we had heard that it offers a gluten free Sunday lunch so though we would pop in for a drink after visiting the V&A museum.
The pub is located just off Queen’s Gate Road/Queen’s Gate Terrace, on other side of the Imperial College campus, and is down a residential street and mews so not something you would stumble upon in passing.
The building dates back to 1859 and came about as part of the development of the wider area after the Great Exhibition of 1851, which would later lead to the development of the cluster of museums that we see today on Exhibition Road. Lots of new businesses set up in the area to attract custom from the large numbers of visitors to the newly opened South Kensington Museum, opened by Queen Victoria in 1859.
Friendly service and got quite busy. We needed a quick lunch/snack so we ordered the Rosemary and Parmesan Fries and the Rostis with mayo and ketchup dips. The staff were super helpful and showed us the allergen information (there is also a filter on the website). They also reassured us that the fryers were not used for anything else.
Retro Bar, The Strand/Westminster
This is tucked away down a side street near Charring Cross Underground Station. There has been a pub of some form on this site since the 17th Century although the decor today is 80s themed. The music in here was excellent and I was pleasantly surprised to see that they had a jukebox which seems rare these days. Almost every inch of the walls is covered in photographs of celebrities making up a fascinating who’s who of the rock & roll world.
We met one of my daughters friends in here for a quick drink on the way to the Port House and I was pleased to be able to order a gluten free Peroni. The atmosphere is warm and welcoming. The bar is well-known as a safe space for alternative and LGBTQIA+ communities.
The George, Borough High Street
We usually stay on Borough High Street when we visit London so we have passed The George many times without going in. As we usually visit in Summer the outside seating area is always packed to the rafters with people watching sport on the big screen so we have usually avoided it due to it maybe being a little louder than we would like! We also wanted to explore inside so we went in on the rainiest most miserable day to visit. We went in around 4pm and it was really strange to see the beautiful structure with a back drop of modern office building. I would live to have seen what the area looked like in the 1600’s.
Much like The Anchor there are multiple bars and rooms to explore and plenty of seating. There are rooms that can be hired for private parties.
The George is the only surviving galleried pub in the UK and is thought to date back to medieval times. It was rebuilt after the Great Fire of London and Charles Dickens is just one of the reported famous visitors. Upstairs there is a separate restaurant area that is bookable. This part also has open air seating along the balconies. The building is Grade I listed and you really do feel like you have stepped back in time in this beautiful timer framed, wood panelled building. I don’t think we saw anything close to all of it so will definitely be returning.
Across the courtyard is The Coach House, which used to be exactly what it says and also offers cosy seating and dining options.
I bet the atmosphere is immaculate on a Summer’s afternoon, especially if your team is winning! It’s another Greene King owned pub so there is a small non-gluten containing menu.
The Ship Tavern, Holborn
After a visit to the Sir John Soanes Museum (highly recommended, very unusual and free of charge to visit) we walked straight around the corner and saw the Ship. We thought it looked very gothic and interesting so in we went. The Ship Tavern dates back to the mid 16th Century and has survived some traumatic periods in history. It is rumoured to have been at the centre of smuggling plots, been a hiding place for Catholic Priests and for a time in the early 18th Century operated as a masonic lodge.
If you are a gin drinker, this place has over eighty gins to choose from so you’ll be spoilt for choice. A separate dining room – the Oak Room – offers a fulll dining experience and there is a separate bar menu which can be ordered to eat anywhere. Not much at all on this is gluten free except for the steaks and a chicken breast option so we didn’t opt to eat here.
Cittie of Yorke, Holborn/Chancery Lane
We walked down the road to this one from The Ship Tavern because we didn’t want a full sit down meal maybe just a snack. The building was rebuilt in the early 20th century and has a clock on the front. We walked right through the bar at the back of the building which was wood panelled in parts and had barrels surrounding the walls.
Dylan Thomas reportedly wrote and Ode to the pub in 1951 back when it was known as Henneky’s Long Bar. The long bar is still a main feature of the room we sat in.
As soon as we walked up to the bar, we saw a blackboard telling us they had gluten free fish and chips and all thoughts of a small lunch went out of the window. There was cosy booth seating down one length of the wall opposite the bar and the whole room was wood panelled. There is a huge menu none of which is marked but a fair bit of it looks to be naturally gluten free. Staff are happy to talk through allergen information. Lovely ambience. There is also a separate cellar bar downstairs.
No Pinot Grigio but the Chenin Blanc was excellent as were the Fish & Chips. Probably the most expensive round of our trip for a large wine and a double gin and lemonade!
Lamb & Flag, Bond Street/Oxford Circus
Ended up in here after another visit to Selfridges and Borough 22. We just googled the nearest place and this is where we ended up! The street itself has a good selection of food and drink outlets to choose from. The building is a beautiful wood panelled structure dating back to the Georgian era, around 1813. Not be be confused with the other possibly more famous Lamb & Flag in Covent Garden.
Its a Greene King pub so there is a non-gluten containing menu which pretty decent especially if you are just having lunch.There is a burger, a veggie chilli, steak and couple of salads and also a selection of toasted sandwiches and starters/sharers on offer which is a much wider selection than at some of the other venues run by the same chain.
compass and coaster 
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