Your definitive guide to 60+ of Britain's most historic, characterful and celebrated drinking establishments — with real visitor reviews from people who've been there.
Click any 🍺 marker to see the pub name, description and links. The map covers the whole of the UK from Cornwall to the Highlands.
Map © OpenStreetMap contributors. Each pub card in the directory also has a 📍 Map & Directions button linking directly to Google Maps.
Real photos of each pub sourced from Wikimedia Commons (freely licensed). Click ⭐ Rate this pub to leave your own review — no login needed, saved in your browser.
Britain's pubs vary enormously by region — from London's Victorian gin palaces to remote Scottish drovers' inns.
Fleet Street, EC4. Rebuilt 1667, frequented by Dickens and Dr Johnson.
Website →The unwritten rules every visitor should know before stepping up to the bar.
In a traditional British pub you always go to the bar to order. There is rarely table service unless it's a gastropub. The landlord will spot you — no waving required.
It's common to buy drinks in rounds. Each person buys a round in turn. Leaving just after someone has bought you a drink is very bad form.
"And one for yourself?" is the accepted tipping phrase at the bar. Food service tips are more expected.
The bell rings 20 minutes before closing. "Last orders!" means get to the bar. "Time, gentlemen please!" means drinking-up time.
Many British pubs are dog-friendly. A water bowl outside is always a good sign. Ask before bringing a dog into the main bar.
Ask for a "pint of bitter" and expect cask-conditioned ale served at cellar temperature (~12°C). You can politely send it back if it's flat.
Taking a loud call is frowned upon. Step outside. Many traditional pubs have no music, no TV — conversation is the entertainment.
A coat over a chair reserves a seat. Removing someone's coat is a serious social transgression. The snug is first-come, first-served.
From Roman taverns to craft beer bars.
The Romans bring the taberna to Britain — roadside establishments at road junctions that later become English towns.
King Edgar limits each village to one ale house — the first attempt at pub licensing in British history.
Richard II orders all ale houses to display a sign — the origin of the pub sign, still universal today.
The first Licensing Act requires ale houses to be licensed by magistrates. The term "public house" begins to be used.
The turnpike road network creates demand for coaching inns. The George at Stamford and The Angel at Guildford become famous landmarks.
Any ratepayer can sell beer for two guineas. Within a year, 24,000 new beer houses open across England and Wales.
Ornate gin palaces with engraved mirrors and gas lighting transform city pub culture.
The Campaign for Real Ale is founded — one of the most successful consumer movements in history, saving cask ale.
The Eagle in Farringdon starts the gastropub movement. Today many British pubs hold Michelin stars.
Over 10,000 pubs have closed since 2000 — but craft beer and community ownership are keeping Britain's finest locals alive.