A listing of historical public houses, Taverns, Inns, Beer Houses and Hotels in London.
1991 Beer index
The 1991 edition of the East London Beer Guide - East London & City CAMRA.
EC1 Clerkenwell & Angel.
Stations - Angel (Northern), Old Street (BR/Northern), Barbican and Farringdon (BR/Circle/Metroplitan).
A mixed area extending from Smithfield and the Barbican up to the City Road and including all of Clerkenwell but only the fringes of the City. For the most part it is residential and there are a number of good locals pubs. In the evenings a surprising number have live music on offer.
Smithfield and the area near Farringdon Street station are the best for finding the regional brewers pubs, although in these days free houses are cropping up all over the place. Smithfield also offers a range of places with early morning opening for the Market. Strictly speaking you should have business there, but most pubs are flexible about this.
In parts of this area the pubs serve mainly the office trade and you should check opening time carefully, particularly on Saturday when those in this category may be shut. In the more residential areas there may be afternoon and early evening closing on a Saturday. To help you in this respect treat all pubs as being closed at weekends unless otherwise stated in the pub description.
EC1 ANGEL: 73 City Road. (D1/1) Ind Coope Taylor Walker.
EC1 ARTILLERY ARMS: 102 Bunhill Row. (D1/2) Fullers.
EC1 BARLEY MOW: 50 Long Lane. (C2/3) Whitbreads.
EC1 BETSEY TROTWOOD: 56 Farringdon Road. (A2/4) Shepherd Neame. Formerly the Butchers Arms and latterly the Betsey after the Dickens character in David Copperfield.
EC1 BILBO BAGGINS BEER & BANJO EMPORIUM: 122 Newgate Street. (C2/5a) . Former Indian restaurant that opened early 1991.
EC1 BISHOPS FINGER: 8 West Smithfield. (B2/5) Shepherd Neame. Also known as the Rutland.
EC1 Blue Angel: 415 City Road, Ind Coope Taylor Walker. Pub demolished.
EC1 BLUE POSTS: 86 / 89 Cowcross Street. (B2/6) Bass Charrington.
EC1 BRITANNIA: 94 Ironmonger Row. (C1/7) Whitbreads. The present building dates from 1939.
EC1 BRITISH LION: 155 Central Street. (C1/8) Whitbreads.
EC1 Bulls Head: 125 Central Street. (C1/9) Bass Charrington.
EC1 BURGUNDY BENS: 102 / 108 Clerkenwell Road. (B2/10) .
EC1 CASTLE: 43 / 45 Cowcross Street. (B2/11) Bass Charrington.
EC1 CHEQUERS: 44 Old Street. (C1/12) Whitbreads.
EC1 CITY PRIDE: 28 Farringdon Lane. (A2/13) Fullers. CHISWICK. Formerly the White Swan (Charrington).
EC1 CLOCK HOUSE: 82 Leather Lane. (A2/14) Bass Charrington.
EC1 COACH & HORSES 2 St John's Square. (B2/15) Whitbreads.
EC1 COACH & HORSES: 26 / 28 Ray Street. (A2/16) Ind Coope Taylor Walker.
EC1 COCK TAVERN: East Poultry Avenue-Central Markets. (B2/17) .
EC1 COLONEL JASPERS: 190 / 196 City Road. (D1/18)
EC1 CROSBY HEAD: 243 Old Street. (D1/19) Grand Met-Trumans.
EC1 Crown & Woolpack: 394 St John Street. (A1/20) Courage. No beer - closed.
CROWN TAVERN: 43 Clerkenwell Green. (B2/21) Ind Coope Nicholson Free Hse.
EC1 DRUM & MONKEY: 167 Whitecross Street. (C1/22) Whitbreads. Formally the British Queen.
EC1 DUKE OF WELLINGTON: 21 / 25 Lever Street. (B1/23) Ind Coope Taylor Walker.
EC1 DUKE OF YORK: 156 Clerkenwell Road. (A2/24) Grand Met-Watneys.
EC1 EAGLE: 159 Farringdon Road. (A2/25) .
EC1 EMPRESS OF RUSSIA: 362 St John Street. (A1/26) Whitbreads.
EC1 EXMOUTH ARMS: 23 Exmouth Market. (A1/27) Courage.
EC1 FOUNTAIN: 68 Amwell Street. (A1/28) Ind Coope Taylor Walker.
EC1 FOX & ANCHOR: 115 Charterhouse Street. (B2/29) Ind Coope Taylor Walker.
EC1 GEORGE & DRAGON: 240 St John Street. (B1/30) Grand Met-Trumans.
EC1 George IV: 39 Goswell Road. Courage. Pub demolished.
EC1 GOLDEN HIND: 58 Old Street. (C1/31) Whitbreads. . Formerly the Vertical Refreshment Co. and Golden Cock.
EC1 GREEN MAN & STILL: 161 Whitecross Street. (C1/32) Courage. This pub was
closed late 1990 for six months whilst supportive repairs were made to this listed building.
EC1 GRIFFIN: 125 Clerkenwell Road. (A2/33). G Met Watneys. Websters. Guest beers. Stands on the site of Reid's Griffin Brewery.
EC1 GUNMAKERS ARMS: 13 Eyre Street Hill. (A2/34). Bass.
EC1 HAND & SHEARS: 1 Middle Street. (C2/35). Scottish & New. , Courage . This pub was closed late 1990 for six months whilst supportive repairs were made to this listed building. Panelling had to be taken out and replaced.
EC1 HARLEQUIN: 27 Arlington Way. (A1/36) Grand Met-Watneys.
EC1 Harrow: 64 Compton Street. (B1/37) Grand Met-Watneys. No beer - closed.
EC1 Hat & Feathers: 2 Clerkenwell Road. (B1/38) Ind Coope Taylor Walker. No beer - closed.
EC1 HAT & TUN: 3 Hatton Wall. (A2/39) Bass Charrington.
EC1 HOPE: 94 Cowcross Street. (B2/40) Grand Met-Watneys. c1855 bowed and curved, etched windows, silver inlaid mirrors mark move of live animal market to Caledonian Market. Built as an inn during the days between the medieval and modern market in an area which was then parkland. It is alleged that the pub was erected over the Path of Hope leading to a sanctuary church, which condemned prisoners from Newgate Prison were led, if they received a last minute reprieve.
EC1 HORSESHOE: 24 Clerkenwell Close. (A2/41) Courage.
EC1 Horseshoe & Magpie: 5 Topham Street. (A2/42) Grand Met-Watneys. No beer - closed.
EC1 Joint & Gem: Cowcross Street. Grand Met-Watneys. No longer a pub.
EC1 KING OF DIAMONDS: Greville Street. (A2/43) Ind Coope Burton.
EC1 Kings Arms: 18 Moreland Street. (B1/44) Banks & Taylor. No beer - closed.
EC1 KINGS HEAD: 49 Chiswell Street. (D2/45) Whitbreads.
EC1 KNIGHTS: 54 Holborn Viaduct. (B2/46)
EC1 LADY OWEN ARMS: 285 Goswell Road. (A1/47) Ind Coope Burton.
EC1 Langton Arms: 1 Norman Street. (C1/48) Bass Charrington. No beer - closed.
EC1 LEOPARD: 33 Seward Street. (C1/49) . There has been a pub on this site since 1740.
EC1 London Apprentice: 333 Old Street. (D1/50)
EC1 LONDON SPA: 70 Exmouth Market. (A1/51) , BASS.
EC1 LORD NELSON: 17 Mora Street. (C1/52) Grand Met-Watneys.
EC1 LORD NELSON: 262/ 264 Old Street. (D1/53) Grand Met-Watneys.
EC1 LORD RAGLAN: 61 St Martin's-le-Grand. (C2/54) Courage. Called the Bush and then the Mourning Bush until its reconstruction in 1855. This pub was once entitled to open 24 hours a day by royal edict after the landlord opened to King Charles II in the early hours of the morning.
EC1 Metropolitan Tavern: 95 Farringdon Road. Pub demolished.
EC1 YE OLDE MITRE TAVERN: Ely Court. (B2/55) Ind Coope Friary Meux.
EC1 MOLLY BLOOMS: 142 Whitecross Street. (C1/56) Grand Met-Watneys. The pub now
houses the HQ of Saxon Inns hence there is no function room now. Formerly the Spread Eagle.
EC1 MURPHYS TAVERNS: 1 Vince Street. (D1/57) Grand Met-Watneys. Formerly the Gluepot.
EC1 THE NEWMARKET: 25 Smithfield Street. (B2/58) Bass Charrington. This pub has had three name changes in the last 6 years, from the 'Newmarket Hotel' to 'Newmarket Tavern' and now the 'The New Market'.
EC1 NEW RED LION: 292 St John Street. (B1/59) Grand Met-Watneys.
EC1 OAKLEY ARMS: 32 Hall Street. (B1/60) Grand Met-Trumans.
EC1 OLD FOUNTAIN: 3 Baldwin Street. (D1/61) Whitbreads . This 200 year old pub
is one of the few in the East London & City area selling . It may well get its name from a local well or fountain in an area that was noted for underground rivers. The old style of the pub has been well kept up and there is a preservation order on the building.
EC1 OLD RED LION: 418 St John Street. (A1/62) Bass Charrington.
EC1 ONE TUN: 125 Saffron Hill. (B2/63) Grand Met-Watneys.
EC1 PENNY BLACK: 106 Farringdon Road. (A1/64) Grand Met-Watneys. It used to be called 'The Clerkenwell Tavern'.
EC1 Pheasant & Firkin: 166 Goswell Road. (B1/65) . Ex Bruces pub now owned by Stakis Leisure, formerly the Old Ivy House (Charrington).
EC1 YE OLDE RED COW: 72 Long Lane. (C2/66) Grand Met-Watneys. Even if not eating, the delightful upstairs restaurant should be viewed if possible, it has an old sign giving licensing restrictions. The cellars and ground floor are reputed to go back to the 1400s. Unexplained happenings give rise to the thought the pub is haunted.
EC1 RISING SUN: 38 Cloth Fair. (C2/67) Samuel Smith. Grave-diggers used to meet here in the upper room to discuss sale of cadavers to doctors at nearby Barts. The building was for a few years used as offices until purchased by Sam Smiths a couple of years ago. It was previously a Courage house.
EC1 THE ROSEBERRY: 59/61 Exmouth Market. (A1/68) .
EC1 ROYAL MAIL: 18 Myddleton Street. (A1/69) Bass Charrington.
EC1 ROYAL STAR: 220 City Road. (C1/70) Grand Met-Watneys.
EC1 ST. JOHN OF JERUSALEM: 160 St. John Street. (B1/71) Ind Coope Taylor Walker.
EC1 ST. PAULS TAVERN: 56 Chiswell Street. (D2/72) Whitbreads.
EC1 SEKFORDE ARMS: 34 Sekforde Street. (B1/73) Young & Co. The pub is built on land belonging to Thomas Sekforde, who died in 1588. The Sekfordes came originally from Suffolk.
EC1 SHAKESPEARE: 2 Goswell Road. (C2/74) Ind Coope Taylor Walker.
EC1 SHAKESPEARES HEAD: 1 Arlington Way. (A1/75) Courage. Small immaculate theatre pub just behind Sadlers Wells.
EC1 SHAKESPEARES HEAD: 46 Percival Street. (B1/76) Bass Charrington.
EC1 Sidney Arms: 9 Wakley Street. (B1/77) Grand Met-Watneys.
EC1 SIMPSONS: 58 Hatton Garden. (A2/78) . This ex-Bass house was called the Rose.
EC1 SIR CHRISTOPHER HATTON: 4 Leather Lane. (A2/79) Bass Charrington.
EC1 SMITHFIELDS FREE HOUSE: 334-338 Central Markets. (B2/80) .
EC1 SMITHFIELD TAVERN: 105 Charterhouse Street. (B2/81) Bass Charrington.
EC1 SPORTSMAN: 315 City Road. (B1/82) Whitbreads.
EC1 STICK & WEASEL: 273 City Road. (B1/83) . Formerly the City Arms (Charrington). Completely remodelled since the last guide in 1986. It now has a septagonal island bar. Food continues to be a highlight of this pub and is available at all times. Live music and discos provide the entertainment Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Outside drinking area and darts. Open all permitted hours.
EC1 SURPRISE: 32 Bowling Green Lane. (A2/84) . This is as yet the only London outlet of Surrey Inns, which has a number of pubs in that county and Hampshire. The pub was for many years the haunt of many well known jazz musicians who came by for a knock. Darts and pool are played here and a second bar can be used as a function room. Garden. Hot and cold food available lunchtimes. Open Monday - Wednesday 11-30-3 and 5.30-11 and till 2pm Thursday - Saturday.
EC1 SUTTON ARMS: 15 Great Sutton Street. (B1/85) Whitbreads. This tenanted house has a range of Whitbread beer as well as beer from the breweries in which Whitbread have a substantial stake. The upstairs function room cum restaurant also has a bar with handpumps. Outside drinking area where it is unlikely you will hear the musak. Hot and cold food available at all times bar Saturday. Darts. Open Monday to Friday 11-11, Saturday 11-3. Closed saturday evening and all Sunday.
EC1 SUTTON ARMS: 6 Carthusian Street. (C2/86) Bass Charrington. , BASS. Guest beers. Recalls the name of the richest layman in England, Sir Thomas Sutton, the founder of Charterhouse as a hospital chapel and school in 1611. Charterhouse was named from a monastery of Carthusian monks, Chartreuse which the locals corrupted to Charterhouse. A very interesting barrel-shaped frontage makes this a pub worth visiting. Function room. Food at all times. Open Mon-Fri 11.30-11. Sat 11.30-3. Closed Sundays.
EC1 THE THOMAS WETHERED: 33 Rosoman Street. (A1/87) Whitbreads. , CHISWICK. Pat Ferncombe won a landlady of the year competition. This is an extremely smart and comfortable selling food at all times. Formerly the Red Lion. Open all permitted hours.
EC1 THREE COMPASSES: 66 Cowcross Street. (B2/88) Grand Met-Trumans. The change in beers since the last guide in 1986 reflects the lack of brewing commitment by Grand Met. Live Jazz and Blues piano has continued at this smart pub. Cooked meals available lunchtime and cold snacks at all times. Open Monday to Friday 11-11. Saturday 11-3 and 5.30-11 with normal Sunday hours. Restaurant doubles as a function room.
EC1 THREE CROWNS: 8 Tysoe Street. (A1/89) Whitbreads. Small pub under new management offering live music at weekends. Outside drinking area and darts. Hot and cold food lunchtimes. Open all permitted hours.
EC1 THREE KINGS: 7 Clerkenwell Close. (B2/90) Grand Met-Watneys. Sunday evenings finds the pub operating as a sports bar when there is a major sporting event via satelite television. Opens 12-3 and 5.30-11 Monday to Friday. Closed Saturday. Open Sunday should there be a sports event.
EC1 Turnmills: 63b Clerkenwell Road (B2/91)
EC1 TWO BREWERS: 121 Whitecross Street. (C1/92) Whitbreads. This pub was one of the houses where Whitbread Gold Label Lager (a real lager served by handpumps) went on trial, it appears to have lost the case. One long bar with darts. Open all permitted hours.
EC1 VAULTS: 42 Chiswell Street. (D2/93) Whitbreads. A very large vaulted cellar housing a wine bar, large restaurant and several small conference rooms in addition to a large seating area. Lots of nooks and crannies; farm implements make this an interesting venue. Classical and jazz tapes are played. Open Monday to Friday 11-11. Closed weekends.
EC1 VIADUCT TAVERN: 126 Newgate Street. (C2/94) Ind Coope Nicholsons Free Hse. Visit the Newgate Prison cellar by arrangement with Pub Walks (see Time Out for details). Cooked meals and snacks at all times. Open Monday to Friday 11.30-11, Saturday 11.30-3 and 7-11, Sunday 12-2 and 7-10.30.
EC1 WHITE BEAR: 57 St John Street. (B2/95) Bass Charrington.
EC1 Victoria: 25 Charterhouse Street. Ind Coope Taylor Walker. Pub demolished.
EC1 WHITE HART: 7 Giltspur Street. (C2/96) Bass Charrington.
EC1 WHITE LION: 37 Central Street. (C1/97) Whitbreads.
EC1 WILMINGTON ARMS: 69 Rosebery Avenue. (A1/98) Grand Met-Watneys.