Lovely Pubs

Lovely Pubs We're here to show you Britain's best and most interesting Boozers we encounter on our travels and trips. 🍻. We love The Dank!

10/06/2026

The Butcher's Dog in Ashley Cross, Poole, is a modern craft beer bar that has built a strong reputation for its constantly changing selection of independent beers from the UK and beyond. Located on the popular Ashley Cross green, it forms part of one of Poole's most established social hubs, surrounded by restaurants, cafés and bars.

The venue focuses on quality and variety, with multiple keg lines, rotating guest beers and a knowledgeable team behind the bar. Unlike a traditional pub built around heritage or food, the emphasis here is firmly on discovering new breweries and styles, making it a favourite among both craft beer enthusiasts and casual drinkers.

Its position in the heart of Ashley Cross means it benefits from a lively atmosphere throughout the week, particularly when people spill out onto the green during warmer weather. Among pubs and bars in Poole, the Butcher's Dog stands out as a beer-led venue that combines independent spirit with one of the best locations in the area.

08/06/2026

The Barking Cat Ale House in Poole is an independent, beer-focused venue that has become well known among Dorset drinkers for its constantly changing selection of cask ales, craft beer, cider and international bottles.

On Ashley Road, it is a specialist ale house /micropub rather than a traditional British boozer. The atmosphere still has the feel of a community pub though, with pump clips and interested knick knacks and trinkets.

The Barking Cat was created by local beer enthusiasts and has built a reputation for showcasing independent breweries from Dorset and further afield. Regular beer festivals, tap takeovers and rotating guest beers mean the selection changes frequently, which is one reason it has developed a loyal following among real ale and craft beer drinkers.

As far as pubs and bars in Poole are concerned, the Barking Cat stands out as a place for people interested in discovering new beers rather than the usual mass produced slop, making it one of the town's most enticing drinking venues.

07/06/2026

The beer garden at The Rowbarge is one of the main reasons people make the trip to Woolhampton. It's right next to the Kennet & Avon Canal, it overlooks the famous swing bridge and is a short distance from Woolhampton Lock, giving you a front-row seat to narrowboats navigating one of the canal's most challenging stretches.

06/06/2026

The Harp on Chandos Place is one of the most celebrated central London pubs. It's not far from Covent Garden and Trafalgar Square and has a national reputation for the quality of its beer, winning CAMRA National Pub of the Year in 2011. 

The interior has been altered over the years, but it still feels like a proper London boozer. It's got a compact bar, so standing room is probably more likely unless you get there early and walls lined with pump clips showing as trophies for its beer-led focus.

The Harp's reputation is built on always being a reliable pub for a good pint. It is known for a carefully selected range of cask ales, cider and perry, often from independent breweries and producers. Despite its location in one of London's busiest tourist districts, it's still a favourite for the profession booze hounds and regularly, yes despite its location we did sit near some local old boys who had been drinking there for years.

When it comes to Covent Garden pubs, the Harp always stands out because it never became a gimmicky tourist pub. Its identity remains centred on well-kept beer, traditional pub culture and the simple idea that a great pub does not need to be large to become one of London's most respected drinking establishments.

05/06/2026

The Hole in the Wall, Waterloo

If you walk out of Waterloo Station looking for a pint, there's a good chance you'll end up here. The Hole in the Wall sits beneath the station inside a railway arch. Its unusual design isn't really a design choice at all; it's quite literally built into the infrastructure of the railway.

The pub's greatest asset is its authenticity. The interior is packed with wood panelling, mirrors, old brewery signage and a layout that feels largely unchanged from the days when railway workers, porters and travellers squeezed in before catching a train. Historic England has recognised the pub's importance, listing it as a rare surviving railway-arch pub.

What makes the Hole in the Wall so memorable is how it has survived and remained loved over the years. While much of Waterloo has been rebuilt around it, the pub remains tucked beneath the station exactly where generations of Londoners would expect to find it. Among central London pubs, few are so closely connected to the history of the railway itself.

As for the drinks selection, it's a carefully curated line-up of independent and unusual beers, lagers, ales and ciders, so there's likely to be something for everyone. This is always our first pint when we step off the train at Waterloo, and it should be yours too.

04/06/2026

The King’s Head on Quarry Street is one of the oldest surviving pubs in Guildford, with origins going back centuries in. It's on one of Guildford's oldest streets next to Guildford Castle, within an area that was part of the medieval town. 

The building retains a lot of its historic character, such as timber framing, low ceilings and a series of smaller rooms that show its age and evolution over time. Unlike many pubs that have been opened into a single large space, the King's Head still feels connected to the layout of an older coaching inn.

Its location is a major part of its appeal. Just a short walk from both Guildford Castle and the cobbled High Street, the pub sits among some of the town's oldest surviving buildings. Among Guildford pubs, the King's Head is known best for its combination of historic setting, traditional interior and close connection to the town's medieval past.

02/06/2026

The Tavern in Forest Hill is a Grade II-listed pub dating from around 1866. A lot of of the interior is from a 1920s refurbishment in the classic Brewer's style of the time, which has helped make it one of south London's most talked-about pub interiors.

Unlike many pubs that have been opened up into a single room, the Blythe Hill Tavern has separate drinking areas, dark timber panelling and an old school layout that gives it brilliant character. It has built a reputation for well-kept beer and has been highlighted by as one of the best places in London by , coming in at number 10. 

It's also the local of , who is on a mission to draw every pub in London. It was a special day for Lydia as it was the launch of her new book, Locals, which is out now!

01/06/2026

The Golden Lion in St James’s is one of the long-established central London pubs connected to the political and clubland history of the area around Westminster and Piccadilly.

A pub has been here since at least the 18th century, with politicians, journalists and locals moving between Parliament, St James’s and the West End getting pints here. 

The pub has a classic layout with wood panelling and etched glass that reminds us older late Victorian and Edwardian design, which is obvious when you get a load of the original features.  

While the surrounding area has become increasingly overrun by tourism and destination drinking, the Golden Lion continues to be a decent pub first and a historic curiosity second.

31/05/2026

The The French House is one of Soho’s most famous pubs. It was originally called the York Minster in when it openeed 1891. It got it's nickname “The French House” because of its Belgian owners and French clientele. The name was officially changed in 1984 after a hilarious admin error when donations meant for York Minster Cathedral kept ending up at the pub following a fire at the cathedral. 

During the War (did you read that like Uncle Albert?), it became a meeting place for the Free French movement, and tradition holds that parts of Charles de Gaulle's rallying speech to occupied France were written here. The pub later became a favourite haunt of writers and artists including Dylan Thomas, Francis Bacon, Lucian Freud and Brendan Behan, helping cement its place in Soho's bohemian history. 

The pub is also known for its slightly different but not entirely out there rules. There are no TVs or music and beer is served only in half pints, a custom that remains one of its defining features. 

When it comes to Soho London pubs, The French House stands out because it still feels connected to the Soho creatives and eccentrics.

30/05/2026

We were wandering through Central London looking for somewhere to grab a pint in Covent Garden and found ourselves in Craft Beer Co. We'd already finished filming for the day and were well hydrated, so we didn't do a full video but we definitely will go back soon. However, we noticed a particular pint was £9.

"What was so special about this pint?" we wondered.

Naturally, we had to try it.

No, we don't remember what it was because we were far too gone to apply any common sense. What we've since learned is that Craft Beer Co is exceptionally good at importing rare and interesting beers from around the world, which solves the mystery of why it cost so much.

Nicole very much enjoyed it, and Josh did too, although he decided to rage-bait the craft beer connoisseurs.

If you're in Covent Garden and fancy something other than the usual mass-produced suspects, Craft Beer Co is a solid option.

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113-117 Rampart Road
Salisbury
SP1 1JA

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