A great pub is built around the regulars, not the menu. A cask ale list with at least four hand-pulls. Staff who recognise their regulars without being matey to outsiders. A room that doesn't try too hard. The 20 below all qualify. From Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese (1538, where Dickens drank) to The Brazen Head (Dublin's oldest, since 1198) to The Long Hall (Victorian Dublin perfection), these are the rooms that have earned the word 'pub' — not gastropub, not bar, not lounge. Pub.
The 20 best pubs in the world
01 · London
Soho
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Iconic 1891 · Half-pints
Iconic Soho pub since 1891 — half-pints only.
Order: A half-pint of bitter
02 · Dublin
South Great George's Street
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Iconic 1881 · Victorian
Iconic 1881 Victorian Dublin pub.
Order: A pint of Guinness
03 · London
Covent Garden
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Iconic 1772 · Historic
Iconic 1772 Covent Garden pub.
Order: A pint of London Pride
04 · Edinburgh
Old Town
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Iconic · Whisky pub
Iconic Old Town whisky pub.
Order: A dram of Islay and a half-pint
05 · London
Soho
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Iconic 1847 · Fleet Street
Iconic Soho 1847 Fleet Street journalist pub.
Order: A pint of bitter
06 · Dublin
Dame Court
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Iconic 1895 · Victorian
Iconic 1895 Dame Court Victorian pub.
Order: A pint of Guinness
07 · London
Fleet Street
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Iconic 1538 · Historic
Iconic 1538 Fleet Street pub — Dickens drank here.
Order: A pint of bitter in the back room
08 · Dublin
Poolbeg Street
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Iconic 1782 · Old guard
Iconic Poolbeg Street 1782 pub.
Order: A pint of Guinness
09 · Glasgow
Hope Street
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Iconic · Whisky pub
Iconic Glasgow whisky pub.
Order: A dram of Highland and a half-pint
10 · London
Blackfriars
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Iconic 1875 · Art Nouveau
Iconic 1875 Art Nouveau Blackfriars pub.
Order: A pint of cask ale
Iconic London pubs
11 · Manchester
Rochdale Road
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Iconic 1888 · Tile
Iconic 1888 Rochdale Road tiled pub.
Order: A pint of Marble Brewery's flagship
12 · Liverpool
Hope Street
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Iconic 1898 · Grand
Iconic 1898 Hope Street grand Victorian pub.
Order: A pint of bitter in the marble urinals tour
13 · Newcastle
Quayside
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Iconic 1880 · Real ale
Iconic 1880 Quayside real-ale pub.
Order: A pint of cask ale
14 · London
Borough
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Iconic 1677 · Coaching
Iconic 1677 Borough coaching inn — England's last galleried coaching inn.
Order: A pint in the courtyard
15 · Birmingham
Aston
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Iconic 1901 · Victorian
Iconic 1901 Aston Victorian pub.
Order: A pint of cask ale
16 · Dublin
Bridge Street
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Iconic 1198 · Oldest
Iconic 1198 Bridge Street pub — Ireland's oldest.
Order: A pint of Guinness
17 · London
Kensington
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Iconic · Flowers
Iconic Kensington pub famous for hanging flower baskets.
Order: A pint of London Pride
18 · Edinburgh
Morningside
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Iconic 1871 · Old guard
Iconic 1871 Morningside whisky pub.
Order: A dram of Speyside
19 · New York
East Village
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Iconic 1854 · NYC's oldest
Iconic 1854 East Village pub — NYC's oldest.
Order: Two ales (light or dark, served in pairs)
20 · Belfast
Great Victoria Street
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Iconic 1826 · Victorian gin palace
Iconic 1826 Great Victoria Street Victorian gin palace.
Order: A pint of stout in a snug
The full guide, city by city
Each entry below is a deep dive into the best 10 bars in that city — picked by editors who live there.
Browse the full pub indexPubs by city — every featured venue has a profile.
See the full list
What makes a great pub
Forget the gastropub. The best pubs work because of the cask ale, the room, and the regulars — in that order. The 20 above all do that. The French House and The Coach and Horses represent Soho old-guard. The Long Hall and Mulligan's the Dublin tradition. The Philharmonic and The Bartons Arms the Victorian gin palace. McSorley's the American outlier. Pick the room that matches the pour you want.
