Wapping, London
London's Oldest Riverside Pub, Since 1520
The Prospect of Whitby holds the north bank of the Thames at 57 Wapping Wall, three minutes from Wapping Overground station. It dates to 1520, which makes it by most accounts London's oldest riverside pub.
It traded first as The Pelican and later as the Devil's Tavern, serving sailors, smugglers, and the dockside trades. The 400 year old stone floor survives from the earliest building, and the rare pewter topped bar counts among the oldest in London.
Anyone who wants a pint with a working river view will forgive the crowds. Anyone expecting destination food should reset expectations, because Londonist and most reviewers agree the kitchen plays support to the location.
Black beams, flagstones, and a long pewter bar open onto a riverside terrace where a replica noose hangs in memory of Judge Jeffreys, the Hanging Judge who drank here. Turner and Whistler both sketched the river from this spot, per the pub's Greene King history page.
Greene King runs the taps, so expect IPA, Abbot, and rotating guest casks at about 6 pounds a pint. The menu covers fish and chips at about 18 pounds plus Sunday roasts. Take the terrace or the first floor balcony, because the view does the heavy lifting here.
Tourists and east Londoners share the terrace all weekend, and Google Maps shows a 4.4 average across more than 5,400 reviews. Time Well Spent Magazine named it London's best pub and called it "a gloriously cosy destination". Weekday afternoons stay quiet enough to claim the window seats.
- Time Well Spent Magazine praised the "amazing views" and the "famous, dangling noose" on the foreshore.
- Tripadvisor reviewers repeat one verdict: come for the river and the history, not the menu.
- East London History records Pepys and Dickens among the documented drinkers.
- First time visitors doing the Thames pub crawl
- History readers who want the real thing
- Avoid sunny weekend afternoons unless you arrive before noon
