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Historic Bars

Historic Bars in London

The White Horse

After Work / Artists / Artsy / Beer

Party Earth Review Located in an early 18th-century inn, The White Horse has a long history as a laid-back booze hall, though the 21st century has added a dash of dance club to the old stallion. The building retains few of its original features, and even the slick white sign out front aims for a modern flair, but the uncluttered interior ... more

94 Brixton Hill
Brixton, London SW2 1QN

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Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese

20s / 30s / 40s / Anything goes / Beer

Party Earth Review Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese had already been a London landmark for more than a hundred years when the Great Fire of 1666 destroyed it – and much of the city. Rebuilt shortly after, the pub saw famous scribes like Charles Dickens and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle become regulars over the years, and today’s pint- and history-loving ... more

145 Fleet Street
London, EC4A 2

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Bar Italia

20s and up / 30s / 40s / Café / Pizza

Party Earth Review Even though Soho is no longer the Little Italy it used to be, Bar Italia maintains its reputation as central London’s epicenter of the Italian social and coffee scene. Before there was Red Bull and vodka, there was grappa and espresso, and Bar Italia is sticking to it! Founded, and still run, by an Italian family from ... more

22 Frith Street
London W1D 4RF

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Dirty Dicks

Bar Food / Beer / Casual / DJ / Drinks

Reviewed by Live B.

"An Amazing place to drink and a great place to socialize it being after a hard days work or for a date. the staff are all lovely and never keep you wa ..." more

202 Bishopsgate
London EC2M 4NR

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The Argyll Arms

30s / 40s / Ambient / Average Joes

Party Earth Review It’s obvious that The Argyll Arms benefits greatly from its location; just a stone’s throw away from the Oxford Circus tube station, the pub provides shelter from the hustle and bustle of one of London’s busiest streets. It’s no wonder, then, that the bar is a popular meeting point for a variety of punters, from tourists ... more

18 Argyll Street
London W1F 7TP

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Gordon's Wine Bar

20s / 30s / 40s / After Work / Blazers

Party Earth Review Situated on a busy street just minutes from Trafalgar Square, Gordon’s Wine Bar is said to be one of the oldest wine bars in the world and a former haunt of luminaries like Rudyard Kipling and Sir Laurence Olivier. Despite its historic prestige and old-timey feel, the wine-only bar remains popular among young vino connoisseurs ... more

47 Villiers Street
London WC2N 6NE

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The Red Lion

Beer / Beer Lovers / Beer on Tap

Reviewed by Marjolein R.

"How nice it is to find a decent pub. What defines a decent pub? I would say two things: the character and drinks and The Red Lion has both. As soon as ..." more

48 Parliament Street
London
SW1A 2NH

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DUKES Bar

Cocktail Lovers / Cocktails

DUKES Hotel
St. James's Place
London SW1A 1NY

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The Wenlock Arms

20s / 30s / 40s / After Work / Ambient

Party Earth Review Where other pubs try to recreate the look and vibe of a nineteenth-century neighborhood watering hole, The Wenlock Arms is the real deal, a nearly two-hundred-year-old public house where visitors can savor award-winning cask ales alongside a colorful cast of regulars. Located in the artsy but unpretentious borough of Shoreditch ... more

26 Wenlock Road
London N1 7TA

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Pillars of Hercules

20s / After Work / Bar Food / Beer

Party Earth Review Although named after a Greek demigod and located on Greek Street, Pillars of Hercules is a pure English pub – a quiet place for a pint without the bells and whistles or musclemen seeking to slay the nine-headed Hydra. The site of a tavern since the 1700s, the venue has a good bit of history hidden inside its ... more

7 Greek Street
London W1D 4DF

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The Spice Of Life

After Work / Blazers / Blouses

Party Earth Review Right off bustling Charing Cross Road, The Spice of Life is a down-to-earth boozer with an impressive musical history that’s still going strong thanks to nightly live acts. The venue’s location has all the geographical trimmings of a tourist trap, but a diverse clientele can always be found inside the ... more

6 Moor Street
London W1D 5NA

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The Dog and Duck

20s / 30s / 40s / Ambient / Breakfast

Party Earth Review Cozy boozer The Dog and Duck appears to have changed little since its 18th-century beginnings, and serves as a budget-friendly destination in this traditionally wallet-shredding part of town. The pub isn’t exactly off the tourist radar, so visitors can expect to find lots of out-of-towners once they cram into ... more

18 Bateman Street
London W1D 3AJ

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All historic bars in London →

London Historic Bars Overview

It stands to reason that in such an historic city like London, there would be a ton of classic historic bars. With thousands of pubs and bars dating back hundreds of years, you’d be hard-pressed not to find an historic bar in London that was perfect for you.

Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese is an historic London bar and pub that dates back to the 1500s. Famous literary greats like Arthur Conan Doyle and Charles Dickens were regulars, and there are plenty of historic nooks for first-time visitors to explore and gawk at.

Another classic watering hole is The Wenlock Arms, which first opened in 1836. Here, incredible cask ales are served by the barrel-full to thirsty students and regular bar flies. The bar also features live jazz and blues throughout the week.

Set inside an 18th-century inn, The White Horse pub has a long history as a chill beer hall, but today has added enough modern flourishes to become a booming dance spot on weekends. A Brixton staple, The White Horse features DJs spinning funk, soul, reggae, and dub while occasionally hosting live jazz.

This is just a small sampling of all the incredible London historic bars, but in a city that has thousands of years of history, you can practically walk down the street and stumble into old-time haunts with hundreds of years under their belts.