Clerkenwell packs more good pubs into a few streets than almost anywhere in London. Medieval monks, watchmakers, printers and radicals all left their mark, and the pubs kept the stories. Here are nine of them, grouped by what makes each one special.
Start with a landmark
The Eagle on Farringdon Road is often credited as the birthplace of the modern gastropub. It opened in 1991, so it is a good first stop if you want to understand what "a proper pub that serves proper food" means in London today.
Beside Farringdon station, The Castle is the only London pub with a pawnbroker's sign out front. The three brass balls are real, and the Grade II-listed Victorian building is worth a look even if you only stop for a drink.
Politics and history around the Green
Clerkenwell Green has been a meeting place for radicals for centuries. The Crown Tavern sits right on it, and local tradition holds that Lenin and Stalin first met here. The pub is a few steps from the building where Lenin edited the newspaper Iskra.
Close by, Holy Tavern is a small, dark-timbered pub in a Grade II-listed building. It is a candlelit re-creation of an eighteenth-century tavern, formerly the Jerusalem Tavern and now independently run. It is also dog-friendly.
Victorian corners and craft beer
On St John Street, The George & Dragon reopened under its historic 1889 name. The original mosaic floor of St George and the dragon is still intact. Downstairs it is a neighbourhood pub, with the Island restaurant upstairs.
For craft beer, head up Amwell Street to The George & Monkey, where fifteen taps rotate constantly and the pizza is stone-baked.
Cocktails, gigs and a quiet local
The Slaughtered Lamb has three moods in one building: a bright main bar, a velvet cocktail lounge upstairs and a basement for live music and comedy.
For something calmer, The Sekforde is an independent pub on a quiet street, with a restaurant in the basement and a small pavement garden by the door.
One more on Farringdon Road
Back on Farringdon Road, The Betsey Trotwood is a Victorian pub named after a character from David Copperfield. Its basement hosts live gigs and is very active in the local scene, so check who is playing before you arrive.
Planning your visit
- The pubs are all in and around Clerkenwell and Farringdon, so you can walk between them. Pick three or four for an afternoon rather than trying all nine.
- Farringdon station (Elizabeth line, Thameslink and Underground) is the easiest way to arrive.
- Opening hours change, so check each pub before you set off. You can find full details, addresses and maps on every pub's page on The Pint Alley.