Most City pubs pick a side. The Magpie pours a proper cask pint and a kombu martini off the same counter, and that double act is exactly why it earns a detour.
The Magpie sits at 12 New Street, a short walk from Liverpool Street on the Bishopsgate edge of the City. The building was a Victorian ambulance station before it was a pub, and the bones still show in the tall windows and the open ground-floor room. DesignMyNight lists it among the area's better all-day spots, and the footfall from the station keeps it busy on weekday evenings.
What sets it apart from the surrounding chain pubs is the cocktail program. Alongside the cask lineup the bar runs a short list of sharp, kitchen-led drinks, including a Szechuan pepper oil negroni and a kombu-infused martini, the kind of savoury-leaning builds you expect from a dedicated cocktail room rather than a City boozer. The food follows the same upgraded-pub logic, which means you can hold a table through dinner without dropping the drinks quality.
The room
The ground floor is bright and high-ceilinged by day and shifts to a warmer, fuller hum once the offices empty. Wood, tile and a long bar give it a classic pub spine, while the drinks list pulls it somewhere more contemporary. Upstairs space handles overflow and bookings. It is comfortable for a standing pint and workable for a sit-down, which is rarer in the City than it should be.
What to order
Start with a cask ale if you want the pub on its own terms; the rotating hand-pull lineup is the honest core of the place. Second, order the Szechuan pepper oil negroni, the drink that signals the bar takes its cocktails seriously and the clearest reason to choose The Magpie over its neighbours. Third, try the kombu-infused martini, a savoury, umami-driven take that rewards anyone bored of the standard City G and T. Pricing is mid-range for the Square Mile, which is fair value for the cocktail craft on show.
For where it sits in the wider city, see our guide to the best cocktail bars and the rest of the field in our London pub collection.
Who it is for
It is for the after-work crowd that cannot agree on a pint or a cocktail and wants both under one roof. Office groups get the volume and the food to anchor a long evening, and pairs get a quieter upstairs option. It suits anyone near Liverpool Street with a train to catch and an hour to fill well. It is less of a destination for a dedicated late session, since the kitchen-pub rhythm winds down earlier than a standalone bar. For more nearby options, our London bar guide covers the surrounding streets.
Best time to go
Land between 5pm and 7pm on a weekday to catch the room at its best, busy but not crushed, with the full drinks and food list running. Arrive before 6pm if you want a table rather than a standing spot, since the post-work surge fills the ground floor fast. The City rhythm means weekends are quieter and the pub keeps shorter hours, so a midweek visit is the safer bet.
Sources: DesignMyNight; OpenTable; Tripadvisor; Beer In The Evening. Address and format verified June 2026.
