Where Locals Actually Drink in London

The smallest bar room in the Guinness Book of Records; a riverside pub that has been serving beer since the 17th century. Charles II allegedly drank here. The river terrace fills up in summer and the interior is cosy in winter. Order a pint of London Pride and get there before 6pm on weekdays.

Down a staircase, behind an unmarked door on Old Street. The pre-Prohibition cocktail menu is outstanding, the live jazz runs Thursday through Saturday, and the reservation requirement keeps the casual crowd out. Order the Aviation and stay for two sets.

Named after a 1930s cocktail, this small bar on Cambridge Heath Road has become one of East London's most reliable locals. No pretension, good music, bartenders who have been there for years. Order the house Negroni.

A Shoreditch institution. Free Nicky cocktails at the bar on weekdays for the after-work crowd. The upstairs venue hosts live music. Long-standing local favourite that predates the entire Shoreditch regeneration. Order a beer.

A whisky bar built around a table made from a single Scottish oak tree, with whisky running through channels carved into the wood. The area fills with finance workers after 5pm. Order one of their whisky flights rather than a cocktail.

A multi-level pub that feels like it was built by someone who read too many fairy tales. Seven floors, real trees growing through the floors, and a genuine mix of tourists and locals who come specifically because it's unlike anywhere else in London. Order a pint of Guinness and explore.

A Hackney Road pub that has been quietly serving some of the best food in East London since 2015. The bar is properly run; the upstairs dining room has a Michelin star. Regulars come for the bar menu. Order the beef and barley bun and a pint of bitter.

The wine bar that changed the conversation about natural wine in London. The Hackney Road original is still the best of the two locations. The list is long, the staff actually know what's on it, and the food is excellent. Order whatever the sommelier recommends by the glass.

A community garden with a bar that's genuinely local in a way that most London establishments no longer manage. Order a beer, sit outside, and experience the Dalston that residents actually live in.

CAMRA's National Pub of the Year, twice. Despite the Covent Garden address, the Harp is a locals' pub that attracts serious real ale drinkers from across London. The Harveys Sussex Best is always on. Order whichever cask ale is newest and ask the staff what they'd choose.