Burger and pint at The Salusbury gastropub.

Courtesy The Salusbury

A guide to London's best gastropubs

17 Mar 2026

Fine Dining Lovers

Editorial Staff

London's gastropubs offer some of the city's best dining experiences. Here's a list of need-to-know addresses

If there’s one thing London does well, it’s pubs, and in recent years, the city’s gastropubs have become some of the best places to eat in the UK capital. If you’re looking for British comfort food at its very best, including delicious Sunday roasts, and zingy and inventive European-influenced dishes, then this list of the best London gastropubs, all taste tested by our experts, is for you. So, order a pint, take a seat by a roaring fire and tuck in.

This article was last updated on 2 April 2026.

Marksman

Hackney’s Marksman has been packing them in as a food-focused pub for the past decade, having previously been a more conventional boozer. It's now one of East London’s most beloved gastropubs, perhaps partly due to its handy proximity to both Columbia Road and Broadway Market, and was the first in the city to be named Michelin Pub of the Year. The Sunday lunch is fantastic, but we’re also big fans of the bar menu, which includes snacks like a beef and barley bun with horseradish cream that is just perfect with a cold pint.

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Roast chicken at London gastropub, the Marksman.

The Anchor & Hope

The Anchor & Hope in busy Southwark, just down the road from The Old Vic theatre, is one of London’s original gastropubs, opened in 2003. Expect robust modern British dishes with French and Southern European influences, in a buzzy pub frequented by the after-work and pre-theatre crowds. You should also check out sister pubs, The Canton Arms in Stockwell and The Clarence Tavern in Stoke Newington, both of which have a strong food offering.

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Fish at The Anchor and Hope gastropub in London.

The Camberwell Arms

Located on Camberwell Church Street, something of a foodie hotspot, this sophisticated gastropub headed by chef Mike Davies leans Mediterranean-British. Sunday lunch, with most dishes designed to share – think big hunks of meat followed by occasionally old-school desserts – is unmissable, and fresh and funky wines and a short but on-point mixed drinks list add to the feel of a young, fun but highly competent gastropub.

_{Photo courtesy The Camberwell Arms}

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Burrata and onions at The Camberwell Arms in London.

The French House

The kitchen at this legendary Soho pub, once frequented by the likes of Francis Bacon and Dylan Thomas, is overseen by chef Neil Borthwick, who’s enlivened one of London’s most intimate and welcoming dining rooms – tiny, with burgundy walls and black and white photos of Soho revelry – with an assured French bistro-inspired menu. Look out for the heavenly chicken liver parfait.

_{Photo courtesy The French House}

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The Knave of Clubs

Upstairs at One Club Row, chef Patrick Powell has created an homage to Paris and New York dining with martinis and drinking food. Downstairs is The Knave of Clubs, a more traditional boozer, restored to its original Victorian moniker. Powell’s designed a short but precise menu at this Shoreditch gastropub centred on pub snacks and a rotisserie. While the chicken is worth your time, the pro move is the porchetta dressed with a wonderfully herby and sharp salsa verde.

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Pub snacks at The Knave of Clubs in London.

The Salusbury

In buzzy Queen’s Park, the rejuvenated Salusbury offers a more sophisticated gastropub experience with a dedicated, bistro-style restaurant space alongside a main pub area, with food by chef Tarryn Bingle (formerly of La Trompette and The Pem). The bar snacks game is strong here, with excellent parmesan churros and the obligatory Scotch egg; the restaurant menu leans into high-quality comfort food, with dishes like crab cacio e pepe, steak and chips and on FDL’s visit, a very good banana crumble soufflé. The Salusbury is the kind of pub we’d all like to have in our neighbourhood.

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Chicken dish at The Salusbury gastropub.

The Waterman's Arms

This Michelin-recommended pub in pretty Barnes sits adjacent to the Thames Path, making it the perfect start or end point to a leisurely riverside walk. The menu is European-inspired, think homemade merguez, ricotta gnocchi and bavette, with a terrific Sunday menu that goes beyond the standard roast. It’s also one of chef Jeremy Chan of Ikoyi’s favourite places to eat in London.

_{Photo by Matt Hague}

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