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London’s Best Beer Gardens
There is nothing quite like a refreshing beverage in the warmth of the sun. London is full of watering holes with sun traps so here’s our fave beer gardens in the city…
Get ready to raise your glass and soak up the sun at London’s finest beer gardens. From charming outdoor bars with garden seating to rooftop havens with stunning views, we’ve curated a list of the best beer gardens that the city has to offer. Whether you’re in search of a lively ambiance, live music, or a hidden gem tucked away from the hustle and bustle, these top beer gardens in London have something for everyone. Sip on your favorite brew as you unwind in the inviting atmosphere of these pub gardens, each offering its own unique charm and character. From quirky spots with unconventional decor to beer gardens located near popular attractions, you’ll find the perfect pint in these beer havens. So grab your friends, bask in the vibrant atmosphere, and discover the hidden delights of London’s top beer gardens. Cheers to unforgettable moments and refreshing brews in the great outdoors!
They already had their indoor taproom, but in 2023 Five Points launched a new courtyard outside their Mare Street-based brewery. The al fresco bar is a huge 300-cover space where you can not only drink the brand’s own beer but also a range of cocktails and low-intervention wines. That’s not all, you can also grab a bite to eat from one of Five Points Courtyard’s indie food vendors. From The Ashes, a nose-to-tail concept created by two former Temper chefs, serves up their signature BBQ, while anoosh, founded by KERB alums Jack A. Fargher and Oli Stephen, dishes out their Mexico-meets-Middle-East tacos. You could easily spend the whole day here.
THE FAT WALRUS
The Fat Walrus is a fave amongst South Londoners with the FOH team completely re-building the interiors when they took over in 2016, adding the beer garden – and it’s a complete sun trap. YES! With plenty of beers on tap and in the fridge, plus a big cocktail list (including frozen ones) there’s lots of choice, and there’s knockout food from Whole Beast in the kitchen – don’t miss the Nashville hot chicken.
With levels of decking that creates a maze of seating and secret cubby holes surrounded by ivy, this old Irish pub could be the ultimate beer garden. Only a short walk from Finsbury Park Underground it’s a doddle to get to and hidden away from the nitty-gritty. Proper boozer with all your usuals on tap.
Deep in the heart of Walthamstow, just off Blackhorse Lane, you will find one of the city’s biggest beer gardens, Big Penny Social (and the inside is just as massive too). They’ve got a range of their own brews on tap alongside a classic cocktail list, and a crowd-pleasing menu of burgers and pizzas plus roasts on Sunday, so order up your fave and find a spot in the sun to enjoy it.
With the size of this place you won’t be fighting for a seat in the garden. Serving up plenty of leftfield drinks and cask conditioned ales expect modern flare injected into an old country style pub. It’s a certain Mr Gallagher’s local too…he’s mad for it isn’t he.
THE STAG
No London beer garden list should be complete without a mention of The Stag at Hampstead Heath. The beer garden is at the back of the pub and is very private, possibly the reason the pub attracts a host of celebs. During the summer the pub hosts garden parties, acoustic music and monster BBQ’s. Sunday arvo is the best time to visit although it is pretty busy all week long.
The Prospect of Whitby has been around since 1520. Overlooking the Thames, the traditional boozer is a great place to sink a few pints and enjoy some pub grub. Being a bit off the beaten track, you don’t have to be there by lunchtime to get a table either.
Sitting in the shadows of the Olympic stadium, Crate is a brewery, bar and pizzeria serving up unique craft beer and pizzas. The IPA is a beaut though weighs in at a punchy 5.8%. It’s a Hackney hotspot that sees the outside area by the canal full to the brim come summer. Be prepared to join the party or if you can’t stand the heat…don’t bother coming out then!
DUKE OF EDINBURGH
The Duke of Edinburgh has one of the biggest beer gardens in South London and it comes with a huge outdoor bar and BBQ pit. With lots of ales and cask beer on rotation, this one is a good spot for beer geeks. It’s super chilled and a great place to spend a sunny afternoon.
Whoar this is a big pub. HUGE. Just off the roundabout in Clapton, this is a great watering hole with excellent beers, including local brews and guest ales and it also knocks out decent food. You’ll find people drinking both out the front and the back…do check out the beer garden. You can have a bit of a dance with DJs on weekends too. Banging pub.
Perched on the edge of the river Thames, The Ship is a great place to spend the day drinking. As well as having a riverside BBQ, this place has three outdoor cabins each with their own TV and heater. Perfect if you want to escape the crowds or the rain.
The Gipsy Moth is a traditional boozer sitting right by The Cutty Sark. Famed for their roasts and beer garden that’s big enough to seat 200 people, this is the perfect place to spend a Sunday Afternoon. This one can get super busy though, so as soon as the sun shows its face get on down there to grab a table.
CLISSOLD PARK TAVERN
N16’s Clissold Park Tavern is a laid-back, local boozer with arguably one of the best beer gardens in London. Not only is it covered and heated but it features plenty of screens for watching the sport too. Beer-drinkers are also spoilt for choice with plenty of draught, bottled and canned craft beers behind the bar, as well as ales and ciders from breweries such as Beavertown and Brixton.
In 2015 our beloved Hobgoblin underwent a huge refurb and blossomed into The Rose. The HUGE beer garden out back is partially covered and heated – perfect for a British summer, but also a good spot for catching some rays. With bangin’ Sunday roasts and wood-fired pizza, there’s more to this place than the booze.
Just down the road from Highbury & Islington station, The Alwyne Castle has a mega beer garden out front, with plenty of tables and a few covered huts for bigger groups. They even get an outdoor bar up and running in the summer so you don’t have to miss any rays when getting the next round in. And with an all-day gastropub menu, you can settle in for a real session.
BLONDIES
Blondies may be a tiny dive bar on the inside but luckily it’s got TWO seating areas (one out front and the other out back) to enjoy an al-fresco drinking sesh. And this place not only features a menu of classic cocktails and special brews but an in-house vegan pizza joint and weekly live band nights too. You’ll find all sorts of shenanigans happening here.
The best thing about the Founders Arms is definitely the location; right on the river with a prime view of St Paul’s and the City and practically next door to the Tate Modern. There may not be a whole lot of greenery but there’s certainly lots of space, and with classic pub grub and a strong selection of ales, beers and gins, it makes a great pit-stop after a spin round the galleries.
THE CROOKED BILLET
This 1950’s inspired boozer in the heart of Clapton is home to a pretty huge beer garden where you can sop up the booze. It serves up ales from some of Hackney’s microbreweries, along with a short and sweet wine list. Hungry punters can also take their pick from the pub’s gastro-inspired menu featuring the likes of beer battered haddock and fries with gravy mayo. These guys are also known to host a garden party or two, so when the weather’s on our side this is the place to celebrate a summer scorcher.
Not only is the People’s Park Tavern right on the edge of Vicky Park, it’s got its own massive garden too. Covered and heated in winter, a sun trap in summer, the garden’s great year-round, and with Plonk crazy golf, BBQs and outdoor bars, there’s always something going on, and that’s before you get to their on-site Brew Lab and bangin’ roasts.
You’d never know it from the high street but The White Hart has a real cracker of a garden out back. With a courtyard surrounded by big hedges, which opens out onto a proper grassy garden, it’s no wonder this one is popular with locals. They do Saturday brunch and Sunday roasts alongside their regular menu, so you’re sorted on the food front, and they’ll even let you bring your pooch along too.
THE ANGEL OAK
We challenge you to find a leafier beer garden in London than The Angel Oak (formerly known as The Rye) in Peckham. Yes, this one is an ACTUAL garden with real-life grass and trees, and it’s absolutely huge. With enough picnic tables to seat half of Peckham, table tennis and a BBQ area, there is no better place to spend a sunny afternoon. Luckily they’ve also got a fully stocked bar and gastropub menu to keep you going inside if the weather isn’t cooperating.
THE ELGIN
When the market gets a bit too much and you want to sit in the sun in Notting Hill on a weekend, this is the place. It’s round the corner from Ladbroke Grove underground and the outdoor space is right on the street across two sides of the pub which makes for great people watching. Usual suspects at the bar and a few craft ales. Grab a beer and take a seat. It’s that easy.
The Albion is another North London pub with an excellent beer garden. This one has got to be one of the prettiest though thanks to all the fruit trees and hanging wisteria. Thankfully the inside of the Georgian pub is just as good too with log fires for when it’s cold, a solid gastropub menu for when you’re hungry and a well stocked bar for, well you know.