The 22 best pubs in the UK

Manchester

The Peveril of the Peak — or the Pev, for short, always — is the kind of pub that’s so perfect, it deserves to serve as the venue for the wetting of your head, your wedding and your wake. And, preferably, as much life between. Standing freely on Great Bridgewater Street, the Pev beckons you in with its dazzling green, yellow and brown tiling, retro windows and heavy emerald door. Inside, it’s a ‘proper pub’ and then some: a jukebox, pool table and dartboard are all crammed into a cosy snug, smattered with vintage stools, sticky tables and framed Pub of the Year awards from decades gone by. The boozer — rumoured to be both a former brothel and a haunt for ghosts — was overseen by legendary landlady Nancy Swanick, who lived above the bar, for over 50 years. While she sadly passed away on July 28 (just after the publication of this guide), the Pev has urged everyone to ‘raise your glass to the wonder that was Nancy’. Cheers!

127 Great Bridgewater St, Manchester M1 5JQ.

📍The best pubs in Manchester.

Whitstable, Kent

Many pubs end up a victim of their own success, but this almighty one is the exception. The Old Neptune is the jewel in Whitstable’s crown, stuck right on the beach with waves splashing just below. It serves up a good selection of draft beers, from classic lagers to a few local ales – but don’t expect anything from the likes of Beavertown or Brewdog. Prices across the board are completely reasonable, especially for somewhere so loved by weekend  tourists. Things are incredibly cute inside in winter (there’s often live music by the fogged-up windows), but come summer, a table outside is a thing of glory. The food menu is great too – classic fish and chips, scampi, crab sandwiches and jacket potatoes with beans. Mark my words: you could visit Whitstable, come here and go nowhere else, and you’d still have had the absolute time of your life. Long live the Neppy.

Marine Terrace, Island Wall, Whitstable, CT5 1EJ

🐚 The best things to do in Whitstable.

West End, Glasgow

Beaming through the pouring rain or glistening in the sunshine – but this being Glasgow, usually the former – the Doublet’s uncial lettering beckons West End wanderers into a local institution.That lettering (and the wood-panelled, stoney exterior) may give more ‘medieval tavern’ than ‘top-tier boozer’ but both it and the Doublet have remained unchanged for decades. Since the 1960s (and even after changing ownership a decade ago) it’s remained a constant amid an ever-changing West End, best-loved for its Scottish-brewed ale and whisky selection, live music and comedy lounge and, most of all, its cheery atmosphere. If you don’t spend the evening chatting to extraordinarily friendly strangers, you’re doing the Doublet wrong.

74 Park Road, Glasgow G4 9JF.

📍 The best pubs in Glasgow.

Great Langdale, Lake District

Great Langdale is a particularly beautiful and isolated section of the Lake District. This pub-with-rooms, which has the kind of bare-bones aesthetic you might associate with a middle-ages inn, is its heart. Loved by both locals and visitors (many of whom are there to climb the valley’s many peaks) the Old Dungeon Ghyll shimmers with tangible magic. Whether you choose to admire the scenery in the eye-wateringly picturesque beer garden, prop up the wonky bar or settle in for one of the pub’s boisterous music nights, you cannot fail to have a night so good it will seem surreal in retrospect. Exceptional atmosphere, great service and nourishing food that puts a lot of the posher pubs in the area to shame. Long live this incredible and timeless establishment.

Great Langdale, Ambleside LA22 9JY.

Todmorden, West Yorkshire

The UK’s foremost rave pub, the Golden Lion is a unique proposition. Found in the quirky Yorkshire town of Todmorden, the pub is basically a year-round equivalent to one of Glastonbury Festival’s more unhinged tents, with a late-night licence, some of the best artists in the country on DJ duty, and an enduring sense of lawlessness. Expect to find the likes of Jarvis Cocker, Don Letts and Kevin Rowland behind the decks. The late Andy Weatherall was something of the pub’s patron saint: after his death in 2020, a shrine to the acid-house hero was erected behind the bar. The Golden Lion is owned by Matthanee Nilavongse (aka Gig), and Richard Walker (aka Waka), who’ve transformed the Grade II-listed boozer into a community hub and party HQ since taking over the lease in 2015.

🎵 How The Golden Lion became a magnet for retired ravers.

Fielden Square, Todmorden OL14 6LZ

Deritend, Birmingham

The Old Crown is Birmingham’s oldest pub, housed in one of the city’s oldest buildings. In other words, this fourteenth-century timber-framed beauty is packed to the low-beamed rafters with history and character. There are sloping floors, an out-of-use well and a massive beer garden where you can catch summertime DJ sets, try street food and chat to friendly Brummies ‘til the wee hours. The Digbeth-based pub still serves as an inn, with a handful of creaky, characterful rooms (who knows, you might stay in the same room Queen Elizabeth I slept in). 

188 High St, Deritend, Birmingham B12 0LD.

🍺 The best pubs in Birmingham.

Sheffield

There is a rugged charm to this low-key but excellent Sheffield pub that has been my go-to for many years. After entering its gloriously yellow tiled art deco exterior, you are welcomed into a place, filled with various nick nacks, that has no time for pretentiousness or fancy adornments. Instead the Rutland Arms focuses on the bare necessities: superbly curated beer, delicious food (it’s as famous for its knockout small plates as it is its chip butties) and a stacked jukebox. It’s always lively, with a nicely tucked-away beer garden, and it’s a rare kind of pub that is bursting with personality.

86 Brown Street, Sheffield S1 2BS.

📍 The best things to do in Sheffield.

Glasgow

Make it a rule: when in Glasgow, drop in to the Laurieston. Last time we ranked the UK’s finest pubs back in 2024, the Laurieston took top spot – and the Glaswegian bar remains somewhere everyone should have a pint at least once in their lives. Everything about it – from the Formica-topped tables to the horseshoe-shaped bar – has remained unchanged since the 1960s. Even the big red ‘BAR’ sign outside fits with the old-school aesthetic. The Laurieston Bar is a proper drinking den and a living, breathing embodiment of the sort of cultural curios and historic spaces that cookie-cutter pub chains are robbing us of. 

58 Bridge Street, Glasgow G5 9HU.

Kings Heath, Birmingham

This legendary Kings Heath High Street centrepiece is both Grade II-listed and entrenched in local lore. The inventor of the board game Cluedo used to drink here, for one, while a plaque on the wall commemorates UB40’s first ever gig, which was played ‘to about 50 people’ here in February 1979. Live music remains the beating heart of the Hare & Hounds’ culture to this day — with the two upstairs rooms hosting everyone from Lizzo and Sleaford Mods to psych-rockers Khruangbin over the years. If that’s not your tipple, then enjoy the downstairs bar instead: the art nouveau tiling, Victorian clock faces, and Chesterfield leather sofas hark back to the pub’s 200-year-old history.

106 High Street, King’s Heath, Birmingham B14 7JZ.

Liverpool

Not only is the Roscoe Head (est. 1830s) one of the oldest surviving boozers in Liverpool, it’s also one of the cosiest. In the shadow of St. Luke’s Bombed Out Church, enter through the postbox-red front door and you’ll find this tiny, family-run ‘conversation pub’ furnished with cushioned stools, wood-finished fireplaces, checker-tiled floors and amber-hued light fittings — all of which shape the feeling that you’re glugging away in someone’s living room. It’s a member of an exclusive club, as one of only five drinking holes (and the only one in the North) to have appeared in every edition of the CAMRA Good Beer Guide since its first publication in 1974. Oh, and it’s named for the guy whose campaigning eventually helped abolish slavery in the British Empire — so, in a way, drinking here is for a good cause.

24 Roscoe Street, Liverpool L1 2SX.

🥃 The best pubs in Liverpool.

Lee Bay, Devon

There isn’t even a shop in the teeny tiny village of Lee Bay, but there is a pub – and what a pub it is. The Grampus Inn looks like an archetypal country cottage (it was a working farm until the 1970s) but is actually a friendly community hub that welcomes visitors from far beyond this stunning slice of coastal Devon. The local Otter Brewery provides beer and ale, while Friday nights are given over to rowdy open-mic sessions. The cosy main area feels like a living room in the winter, but in the summer the picnic benches outside are where you’ll want to be. What’s a grampus? The local name for an orca whale, the distinctive shape of which you’ll see carved into the bar. It’s also the name of a Japanese football team, but you can just ignore that.

The Grampus Inn, Ilfracombe EX34 8LR

Kelham Island, Sheffield

Tell a Sheffield native that the Tav is your favourite pub and watch an expression of quiet admiration wash over their face. Perched on a street corner on the city’s man-made islet, this gem was rescued from dereliction in 2002, and boy are we glad to see it still standing. With no less than 13 ale hand pumps and an ever-rotating list of beers from the country’s best brewers (including co-owner Josh Jepson’s signature blonde), Kelham Island Tavern is to Sheffield’s pub scene what barley is to, well, beer. Not a fan of real ale? Take a trip to the Kelham Island Tavern and come back to me.

62 Russell Street, Sheffield S3 8RW.

Glenridding, Cumbria

A pint tastes even better with a view, and in my opinion there’s none that compare to the vista which presides over the beer garden of this small but mighty Lake District pub. The Travellers Rest sits at the edge of Glenridding, a village nestled at the western tip of the region’s second largest lake, Ullswater, and under the shadow of two Wainwrights – Sheffield Pike (behind) and Place Fell (opposite). Head here if you’ve been stomping around all day and choose from either a cosy, low-ceilinged indoor table or a picnic bench outside to enjoy the stately views. Then tuck into a hearty portion of fish and chips and a pint of local Cumbrian beer.

Greenside Road, Glenridding, Penrith CA11 0QQ.

Nunhead, London

London’s best pub is also its funnest: an excellently offbeat, queer-friendly boozer in the bones of a grand 1930s building. The Old Nun’s Head has in recent years become south-east London’s favourite unofficial queer venue, thanks to an array of campy entertainment including speed-dating, drag-king cabaret, and nights like Pop-Up Dyke Bar and the messy, cream-splattered and highly NSFW Cake Sit. Wondering about the name? A nunnery once stood on this site; the rebellious Mother Superior was murdered during the Reformation and her head stuck on a pikestaff on the green. Cheery!

15 Nunhead Green, London, SE15 3QQ.

🍻 The best pubs in London.

Ancoats, Manchester

The first time I went to the Marble Arch, I was told the (possibly apocryphal) story of the regular who got so wasted he fell down and rolled all the way from the door of this pub to the bar. As well as some of the most glorious tiling you've ever likely to see in a boozer, this Grace II-listed pub does indeed have a rather noticeable incline on its sloping mosaic floors. If you're able to traverse it, then you'll be rewarded with excellent ales from the pub's own Marble Brewery. I like it because it's slightly set away from the bustle of the Northern Quarter, but also because I can order a pint of their very good Pint. Which never stops being a fun thing to say.

73 Rochdale Road, Manchester, M4 4HY.

Dungeness, Kent

The view from the Britannia’s outside seating isn’t just the finest I’ve ever witnessed in a pub garden: it’s among the most fascinating views in Britain, full stop. Plonked in the middle of Dungeness’ vast, barren desert of shingle, it feels like a flat roof at the end of civilisation. It’s a view of contrasts: a beastly nuclear power station and a monolithic lighthouse with the gentle choo-choo of the miniature steam engine and birds arabesque from the surrounding nature reserve. Visiting during crummy weather? The inside of this Shepherd Neame pub is also pretty, with dark beams, seafaring paraphernalia and cute wooden tables and chairs.

Dungeness Road, Dungeness, Romney Marsh, TN29 9ND.

Govanhill, Glasgow

Let’s set the scene: it’s 2023 and a woman in a tartan scarf is snipping the red ribbon draped across the entrance of a Govanhill boozer. The woman? Rose Reilly, a Glaswegian football pioneer who famously left the country in the ’80s to play for Italy after the Scottish Football Association refused to recognise the women’s game as a professional sport. The pub? Well, the Rose Reilly, named in tribute to the iconic Scottish striker. Its strong ties to the beautiful game make this boozer on Glasgow’s southside the perfect place to watch the match. Plus, an impressive stack of board games, selection of vintage pint glasses and an army of friendly, loyal locals are all enduring draws.

58 Albert Road, Glasgow G42 8DN.

Brighton

Frequented by everyone from students to ale-chugging locals, The Basketmakers Arms is the most quintessentially Brighton pub you’ll find. It sits on the corner of a long row of little terraced houses, pleasingly hidden away from the slightly-too-busy streets of the North Laine, and inside – as well as spilling out into the street the second the temperature reaches double digits – drinkers cram around the limited table space in an atmosphere so sociable it feels like you’ve entered a different era. The ceilings are low in a cosy (rather than oppressive) way, vintage tobacco tins bursting with handwritten notes are affixed to the walls, and the food has recently gone from good to excellent: order the Branston pickle croquettes.

12 Gloucester Road, Brighton, BN1 4AD.

🍻 The best pubs in Brighton.

Edinburgh

There are four pubs belonging to Brass Monkey in Edinburgh and, no doubt, everyone will have their favourite. But for me, you can’t beat the original on Drummond Street. Snug and well-stocked with local brews, it’s long been loved by locals and students but somehow still manages to feel like a well-kept secret a stone’s throw from hectic South Bridge. Walk through to the backroom and you’ll see the emperor-sized ‘beds’ lining the walls. This is where punters can hide away and watch daily screenings of classic and cult movies.

14 Drummond Street, Edinburgh EH8 9TU.

🥃 The best pubs in Edinburgh.

Perranporth, Cornwall

The inside of this waterside drinking den might not be much to write home about – the sand-filled spot could be described as a bit soulless – but it doesn’t matter too much, because it’s the views you come here for. No other pub in the UK can claim that its location is literally on the beach. It’s hard to miss it – the Watering Hole is smack bang in the middle of the three-mile stretch of sand that is Perranporth Beach. Local rumour has it that what started as a temporary shack in the 1970s was there for so long, it just became part of the furniture. Over the years it has expanded to include a small stage for live acts, and an outdoor terrace. It even hosts its own music festival every summer. To get there you’ll have to cross a river, or some sand dunes – make sure you leave enough time to reach it for sunset.

19 St Pirans Road, Perranporth TR6 0BH.

Newington, Edinburgh

Lively atmosphere, cold pints, dog-friendly. Those are the three main draws of The Dagda Bar and, honestly, what more could you ask for from a pub? You’ll mainly find this place full of locals but it’s well worth seeking out if you’re in Edinburgh on a day trip and gagging for a pint. The tap selection is fairly interesting and they’ve got a range of whiskies you can explore, too. Be warned, however: the pub quizzes get extremely competitive.

93-95 Buccleuch Street, Edinburgh EH8 9NG.

Cardiff

For many Cardiff-based Guinness aficionados, the Flute and Tankard is the centre of their universe when they’re out for the evening. Tucked away off the eastern end of Queen Street, this independent one-bar tavern is unrivalled not only for its pouring of the black stuff, but also for the range and quality of beers available on draught. Here you'll find rich ruby ales, crisp and malty local lagers, international gems, and the occasional old-school bitter. The Flute's décor is a glorious kitsch-a-rama of trinkets and metal signs, while its clientele ranges from CAMRA enthusiasts, comedians and musicians to curious newcomers discovering one of the Welsh capital's most characterful pubs.

4 Windsor Place, Cardiff, CF10 3BX.