We look at some of the best pub gardens in London, where the alfresco space is more than matched by a great food menu.
Jump to: North London | South London | East London | West London
North London
The Clarence Tavern
The Clarence TavernWhere: Stoke Newington - 102 Stoke Newington Church St, London N16 0LA
From the team behind the highly rated Anchor and Hope, this Stokey pub has a lovely courtyard garden, protected from the elements and on a sunny day it's dappled with sunshine. Menus change regularly and recent specials have included grilled asparagus with walnut ketchup and chicken, bacon, leek and wild garlic pie. There's a particularly good natural wine list on offer.
Follow on Instagram: @theclarencetavern.
More about The Clarence Tavern
The Albion, Islington
The Albion, IslingtonWhere: 10 Thornhill Rd, Islington, London N1 1HW
Come at the right time of year and you’ll find the back garden here covered in wisteria and it’s also weatherproofed in cooler months. The front looks crazily pretty too. Food-wise you can stick to pub standards like a burger albeit one made with Limousin beef or dishes like Dorset bream with brown shrimp and samphire.
Follow on Instagram: @thealbionpub.
The Bank of Friendship, Highbury
The Bank of Friendship, HighburyWhere: 226 Blackstock Rd, Highbury, London N5 1EA
Popular with both Arsenal fans and locals alike, this Highbury local doesn’t cook its own food, but does have a handy arrangement with Yard Sale Pizza down the road, who deliver right to your table along with nearby Rabieng Thai. The garden is pretty big, having had a recent makeover, and is has plenty of covered space along with heated booths.
Follow on Instagram: @bof_n5.
More about The Bank of Friendship
The Beehive, Tottenham
The Beehive, TottenhamWhere: Stoneleigh Rd, Tottenham, London N17 9BQ
Bruce Stove Kitchen are currently in residency at The Beehive, and they’re serving up great jerk chicken, falafel burgers and more. The large garden is covered during the winter and heated too, with the covers going up for the summer. There's a BBQ bar in the garden and it's a very handy spot for pre or post match drinks.
Follow on Instagram: @beehiven17.
The Colonel Fawcett, Camden
The Colonel Fawcett, CamdenWhere: 1 Randolph Street, London NW1 0SS
The back garden here is fully covered and heated while the front sun trap terrace is also partially sheltered. In addition to serving up an award-winning roast at the weekends, this Camden pub prides itself on using great suppliers for seasonal produce, so the fish and chips is Hammerton ale-battered coley and they also stock Willie's Pies too.
Follow on Instagram: @thecolonelfawcett.
Drapers Arms, Islington
Drapers Arms, IslingtonWhere: 44 Barnsbury St, Islington, London N1 1ER
“A determination to serve rewarding food and drink” is how this well regarded Islington gastropub sets out its stall. They have a particularly lovely back garden with tables much sought after on sunny days. Enjoy superb pies and a particularly good wine list, which recently saw the pub added to the prestigious Star Wine List.
Follow on Instagram: @thedrapersarms.
The Flask, Highgate
The Flask, HighgateWhere: 77 Highgate W Hill, Highgate, London N6 6BU
This Fuller's pub serves great gastropub food - so there might be a Cobble Lane charcuterie board or Cornish orchards cider brined pork chops on offer. The huge courtyard garden is one of Highgate’s loveliest spots for a weekend lunch.
Lion & Unicorn, Kentish Town
Lion & Unicorn, Kentish TownWhere: 42-44 Gaisford St, Kentish Town, London NW5 2ED
This Young’s pub in Kentish Town has a decent-sized terrace at the front and an astroturfed and covered back garden at the back. Food-wise there’s usually a great pie on the menu, along with dishes like Devonshire crab on toast and the Sunday roasts are deservedly popular.
Follow on Instagram: @lionandunicornnw5.
More about the Lion and Unicorn
The Londesborough, Stoke Newington
The Londesborough, Stoke NewingtonWhere: 36 Barbauld Rd, Stoke Newington, London N16 0SS
Owned and managed by the Wright Brothers who are also behind the Peasant pub in Clerkenwell, this idiosyncratic Stokey pub serves up amazing Sunday roasts, proper pork pies and they even make their own lavender custard to go with dessert. The very pretty back garden is also a popular location for small London weddings.
Follow on Instagram: @thelondesborough.
Red Lion & Sun, Highgate
Red Lion & Sun, HighgateWhere: 25 North Rd, Highgate, London N6 4BE
One of our personal favourite spots in the whole of London, this award-winning Highgate pub has two great spaces for alfresco dining. The front garden is covered by a marquee while the sheltered back garden is uncovered. There’s usually great Cornish seafood on the menu and the wine list here is one of the best in London.
Follow on Instagram: @theredlionandsun.
Smokehouse, Islington
Smokehouse, IslingtonWhere: 63-69 Canonbury Rd, Islington, London N1 2DG
As the name suggests, the menu here focuses on smoked and grilled food. If you fancy a steak, they butcher on site every day - but there’s also plenty of plant-forward dishes too. The garden may be sandwiched between two roads but it’s fringed by jasmine hedges and has a cover during the colder months.
Follow on Instagram: @smokehousen1.
Also in North London
- The Canonbury Tavern - a Young's pub in a residential area with one of the largest pub gardens in Islington.
- The Compton Arms - the garden is as tiny as the pub, but Belly are currently in residency here with a good menu.
- The Faltering Fullback - a hidden garden oasis in Finsbury Park with a Thai menu.
South London
The Avalon, Clapham
The Avalon, ClaphamWhere: 16 Balham Hill, Clapham South, London SW12 9EB
There’s plenty of alfresco choice at this Balham Hill pub - from the covered and heated front terrace and courtyard to the extensive summer garden with its own outdoors bar. The seasonally changing menu has a special pizza section and it’s also great for vegetarians and vegans.
The Brookmill - Deptford
The Brookmill - DeptfordWhere: 65 Cranbrook Rd, Saint John's, London SE8 4EJ
Strewn with hanging baskets, the heated beer garden at The Brookmill is a great place to enjoy dishes like vegan superfood salad or a great shortcrust pie. They pride themselves on using local suppliers like Jones The Butcher on Herne Hill and their breads are by Chas & Momo in nearby Penge.
Follow on Instagram: @brookmillse8
The Duke of Edinburgh - Brixton
The Duke of Edinburgh - BrixtonWhere: 204 Ferndale Rd, Ferndale, London SW9 8AG
South London’s biggest beer garden could easily coast by on the size of its alfresco offering alone, but the food here is as full-on as the space itself. White Men Can’t Jerk supply the goods here - with their amazing smoked jerk chicken and loaded fries. Veggie offerings include cauliflower poppers with vegan ackee mayo and jerk halloumi.
Follow on Instagram: @dukebrixton
More about The Duke of Edinburgh
Four Thieves - Battersea
Four Thieves - BatterseaWhere: 51 Lavender Gardens, London SW11 1DJ
Alongside the delights of the Four Thieves’ Games Arcade, there's also fun to be had in their Gin Yard. They serve up 350 variations on the G&T to entice you in, and the food menu is split between pizzas from the ovens they built during lockdown to burgers and sharing platters. There's also a new tap room to check out.
Follow on Instagram: @fourthievespub
Park Tavern - Southfields
Park Tavern - SouthfieldsWhere: 212 Merton Rd, Southfields, London SW18 5SW
This pub is from the same team behind South African BBQ restaurant Hammer & Tongs and there's a South African touch to the food here too. Alongside the biltong and droewors, there's plenty of meat on the barbecue including a huge 700g T Bone as well as boerewors sausage, braaibroodjie cheese toasties and more. They have two pub gardens - so there's plenty of alfresco space.
Follow on Instagram: @parktavernsw18
The Perry Hill - Catford
The Perry Hill - CatfordWhere: 78-80 Perry Hill, London SE6 4EY
Having been reborn last year, this Catford pub is run by Jamie Younger who also owns The Begging Bowl. There's a simply massive pub garden here with a mix of covered and uncovered tables to choose from. Food-wise the best dishes are from the smoker in the garden - whether that's a celeriac steak or low and slow cooked brisket.
Follow on Instagram: @perryhillpub.
The Selkirk - Tooting
The Selkirk - TootingWhere: 60 Selkirk Road, London SW17 0ES
The Selkirk’s garden is both capacious and covered - making it a lovely spot to enjoy dishes like half pint of prawns with wild garlic aioli or HG Walter dry aged burger. Sunday roasts here are legendary.
Follow on Instagram: @theselkirktooting
The Ship - Wandsworth
The Ship - WandsworthWhere: 41 Jews Row, Wandsworth, London SW18 1TB
This riverside pub has tonnes of outside space - loads of which is also covered. It’s a grand place to sit and enjoy a beer overlooking the Thames, but the food menu’s also worthy of note. Outside there’s a special burger shack, or the main menu features well-considered sharing plates with Dorset coppa, and Cobble lane saucisson.
Follow on Instagram: @theshipwandsworth
White Swan - Twickenham
White Swan - TwickenhamWhere: Riverside, Twickenham TW1 3DN
Perched on a turn of the Thames overlooking Eel Pie Island, the White Swan’s riverside patio can’t be booked, so come early if you want a coveted spot. Just be aware of tide times as the water can creep up. The tiny kitchen serves up a short, but good, menu of seasonal dishes whether you’re after their spiced chicken thighs with coriander couscous or crispy fried whitebait with garlic mayo.
Follow on Instagram: @whiteswantwick
The Woolpack - Bermondsey
The Woolpack - BermondseyWhere: 98 Bermondsey St, Bermondsey, London SE1 3UB
The beer garden at this pub right by Borough Market features some great bookable covered booths - good for whatever the British weather throws at you. Their burgers are properly worth crossing town for, but they also do a mean Sunday roast and their loaded curly fries with ox cheek are great stomach-lining fare.
Follow on Instagram: @woolpackbermondsey
Also in South London
- The Castle (Tooting) - A high street pub with an extensive covered garden - the mini castle huts are particularly cute.
- The County Arms (Wandsworth) - The pub garden has bookable huts and plenty of cover for inclement weather.
- Fentiman Arms (Vauxhall) - The covered garden at this Young's pub is particularly cosy.
- Honor Oak (Forest Hill) - There’s a lovely large garden here, with some covered booths available.
- Kings Arms (Wandsworth) - The garden here is quite something - covered like a huge circus tent with private huts for booking and even a riverside events section.
- The Landor (Clapham) - The garden here is huge and has its own outdoors bar serving up frozen margaritas and moree.
- The Leather Bottle (Earlsfield) - This Earlsfield pub’s alfresco space is huge and award-winning to boot.
- Magic Garden (Battersea) - They describe themselves as a festival in a pub - the music’s good and so is the food.
- Queen Adelaide (Wandsworth) - Choose from covered, heated or full alfresco tables in this large pub garden.
- The Rosendale (West Dulwich) - Your only problem with this pub will be choosing which of the many alfresco options to go for.
East London
The Birds - Leytonstone
The Birds - LeytonstoneWhere: 692 High Rd Leytonstone, London E11 3AA
The pub garden at the Birds is a great space and is covered and heated during the colder months. They specialise in vegan food, although you can just as easily order a buffalo chicken burger as a plant one and the vegan dirty fries with pulled jackfruit and cheeze sauce couldn’t be bettered as pub snacks.
Follow on Instagram: @thebirdsleytonstone
The Coach - Clerkenwell
The Coach - ClerkenwellWhere: 26-28 Ray St, Farringdon, London EC1R 3DJ
This historic Clerkenwell pub is well worth a detour, more so if you manage to nab a seat in the lovely courtyard garden at the rear of the dining room. It has a menu celebrating seasonal British produce and French influences with dishes like Devon crab and granny smith apple encroute and Wild mushroom millefeuille with truffle scented leeks. The wine list is great here too.
Follow on Instagram: @thecoachlondon
The Crooked Billet - Clapton
The Crooked Billet - ClaptonWhere: 84 Upper Clapton Rd, Clapton, London E5 9JP
The huge garden’s not the only draw to this gussied up Clapton pub - everything else is great from the must-have bar snacks menu (chips and curry sauce sit alongside spiced aubergine flatbreads) to the thoughtful wine list and extensive beer options supporting local breweries.
Follow on Instagram: @crookedbilletclaptone5
Dog & Duck - Walthamstow
Dog & Duck - WalthamstowWhere: 222 Chingford Road, London E17 5AL
It’s all about the sourdough pizza at this welcoming Walthamstow boozer and if you’re looking for somewhere alfresco to enjoy it, this is the place with an huge yard complete with bookabl huts along with a capacious beer garden..
Follow on Instagram: @thedogandducke17
People’s Park Tavern, Hackney
People’s Park Tavern, HackneyWhere: 360 Victoria Park Rd, London E9 7BT
This huge pub garden is right on (or should that be in) the park. They say “you won’t want to be anywhere else this summer” - we say the humongous Yorkshire puddings that come with their Sunday roasts all but demand a visit. They have their own microbrewery on-site alongside an extensive list of draught, bottled and canned beers.
Follow on Instagram: @peoplestavern
More about People’s Park Tavern
Owl and Pussycat - Shoreditch
Owl and Pussycat - ShoreditchWhere: 34 Redchurch St, Shoreditch, London E2 7DP
The tucked-away garden here is an all weather one - perfect for warding off any spring (or summer) showers and there’s a separate bar outside, which is handy. Plus, you’ve got to love any pub which includes half a pint of crackling as one of its sides.
Follow on Instagram: @theowlpubshoreditch
The Scolt Head, Dalston
The Scolt Head, DalstonWhere: 107A Culford Rd, London N1 4HT
The bucolic garden at this Dalston pub makes you feel like you’ve found your own secret garden to while away a sunny afternoon. The food is very good and they have an impressive list of suppliers from Rare Breed in Essex through to Rinkoff and Neals Yard.
Follow on Instagram: @thescolthead
The Spread Eagle - Homerton
The Spread Eagle - HomertonWhere: 224 Homerton High St, Homerton, London E9 6AS
This award-winning high street pub has a particularly pretty pub garden tucked away at the back. Its USP is in being London’s only vegan pub - from the food and drink through to fixtures and fittings. Expect innovative vegan fare - including a proper Sunday roast selection.
Follow on Instagram: @thespreadeaglelondon.
The Victoria - Mile End
The Victoria - Mile EndWhere: 110 Grove Rd, Mile End, London E3 5TH
Not only does this Mile End pub have a rather lovely beer garden, but food-wise they’re supporting our day boats with a seafood-focused menu that could feature Dorset queenie scallops with bacon crumb, pickled Cornish mackerel or freshly shucked oysters.
Follow on Instagram: @thevicmileend
Also in East London
- Chesham Arms (Hackney) - This highly rated CAMRA pub has a lovely garden (tented during the winter) where you can get Yard Sale pizzas delivered.
- The Crate Brewery (Hackney) - Not a pub with a garden as such, but an extensive canalside terrace where you can enjoy Crate’s beer and exemplary pizzas.
- The Culpeper (Aldgate) - Perched up on the top of the pub, the rooftop garden is a City oasis with great food to boot.
- The Narrow (Limehouse) - Gordon Ramsay’s east London gastropub has plenty of outside space overlooking the Thames.
- Princess of Wales (Clapton) - With a garden overlooking the river Lea, this Clapton pub’s always popular.
West London
The Princess Royal
The Princess RoyalWhere: 47 Hereford Rd, London W2 5AH
From the Cubitt House team (who also run The Orange and The Coachmakers among others) this Notting Hill pub has recently reopened with a very appealing new makeover and menu by chef Ben Tish. There's a lovely front garden along with a courtyard space at the back and both serve up a Mediterranean style menu.
Follow on Instagram: @princessroyalnottinghill.
Duke of Sussex - Chiswick
Duke of Sussex - ChiswickWhere: 75 South Parade, Chiswick, London W4 5LF
Right on the edge of Acton Green Common, this Chiswick pub is a little slice of Spain in London. Enjoy a gilda or three with your pint or go large a whole grilled seabass or veggie paella. The garden’s quite lovely - a real London oasis.
Follow on Instagram: @thedukew4
The Greyhound - Kew
The Greyhound - KewWhere: 82 Kew Green, Kew, Richmond TW9 3AP
If you’re wanting to catch a sporting fixture whilst drinking alfresco this is the pub for you - with bookable garden booths complete with heaters - and TVs. Pub snacks are a cut above average - monkfish scampi, anyone?
Follow on Instagram: @thegreyhoundkew
The Hero of Maida
The Hero of MaidaWhere: 55 Shirland Rd, London W9 2JD
Seasonal menus are the order of the day at this Maida Vale pub - so expect wild garlic risotto when that's in season or cod cheeks with harissa aioi. They’ve long had a stellar reputation for their Sunday lunches and there’s both a pavement terrace and garden to enjoy one of their cocktails in.
Follow on Instagram: @theheroofmaida
Old Ship - Hammersmith
Old Ship - HammersmithWhere: 25 Upper Mall, Hammersmith, London W6 9TD
With two riverside terraces and an extensive garden at the site, this Thameside Young’s pub is blessed with alfresco spaces aplenty. The food may be standard pub fare, but it’s pub food done well and with thought - look out for the burger shack serving up soft shell crab burgers and more.
Follow on Instagram: @oldshiphammersmith
The Phene - Chelsea
The Phene - ChelseaWhere: 9 Phene Street, Chelsea, SW3 5NY
This Victorian pub has been a mainstay of the Made in Chelsea set for years. The garden is stupidly pretty - all floral arches and comfy banquettes. Chef Sidy Kounta ensures there’s plenty of plant-based dishes for veggies and vegans and the Sunday roasts are unmissable.
Follow on Instagram: @thephenesw3
The Swan - Chiswick
The Swan - ChiswickWhere: 119 Evershed Walk, Acton Ln, London W4 5HH
The Swan has a distinct Med-feel to its menu from the burrata with black fig to the monkfish 'saltimbocca'. The garden is leafy, spacious and sheltered too - just perfect.
Follow on Instagram: @theswanchiswick
The Troubadour - Earl’s Court
The Troubadour - Earl’s CourtWhere: 263-267 Old Brompton Rd, Earl's Court, London SW5 9JA
An iconic pub in every sense of the word - the first Private Eyes were produced here, Bob Dylan played his first London gig here and even Led Zeppelin were known to throw after parties at this Earls Court pub. The menu is simple, but good - mainly tarte flambees and charcuterie boards - and the walled garden at the back is a hidden secret worth knowing.
Follow on Instagram: @troubadourlondon
White Swan - Richmond
White Swan - RichmondWhere: 26 Old Palace Ln, Richmond TW9 1PG
This historic pub (it dates back to the late 18th century) is a perfect place to stop after a riverside walk down the Thames. Find a space in the large beer garden and enjoy treats like haggis Scotch eggs and baharat-spiced lamb flatbreads with your bottle of St Emilion Grand Cru Classé.
Follow on Instagram: @whiteswanrichmond
Also in West London
- The Crabtree (Fulham) - Choose from a riverside restaurant terrace or Orchard pub garden complete with BBQ for the summer.
- Crown and Sceptre (Shepherds Bush) - You can always count on this pub for a decent Thai menu and the garden’s nice too.
- The Grove (Ealing) - Not one but two beer gardens at this Ealing pub with above-average pub grub on offer.
- Eagle (Ravenscourt Park) - This pub garden is covered and heated during the winter and spacious for summer months.
- The Marlborough (Richmond) - After a stroll through Richmond Park, this pub’s large gardens are perfect for a cold beer and hot pie
- Princess Victoria (Shepherds Bush) - There’s a covered terrace and a courtyard garden at this popular pub and a short, but interesting food menu with a wide range of bar snacks.
- The Sun Inn (Barnes) - The huge garden at this riverside pub is a natural draw, but the food is good too.
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