17th-century diarist Samuel Pepys famously referred to the pub as ‘the heart of England’.
The intervening 400 years have done little to displace the British boozer as an important social and cultural hub in communities up and down the country.
Our list features 11 establishments where this community spirit and sense of tradition are still very much alive and kicking, each exemplifying something unique about traditional British pub culture.
Our booze cruise of the British Isles features drinking holes that don’t just boast lively atmospheres and a dizzying array of beers, but also serve as repositories of history and hospitality that have been passed down the generations – check out our suggested pub route to explore the oldest British pubs all over the UK:
It’s customary to say ‘cheers!’ before a drink, but given we have a multicultural, multinational array of boozers below, it might be more appropriate to say lechyd da, slàinte mhath, and sláinte!
Ready? Then let the booze cruise begin.
NB: The list is ordered by the date the pub was founded and all information provided was correct at the time of publication but may be subject to change.
1. Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem – Nottingham (est. 1189)
You know a pub is old when it has a ‘ye’ in its name, and this one that abuts Nottingham Castle is seriously ancient.
Indeed, it’s perhaps England’s oldest watering hole, dating back to 1189 when its clientele was largely drawn from thirsty Normans.
The castle and pub are connected to this day via a network of man-made caves, where the ale served in the present-day boozer is stored to keep it cool and lively.
Given the pub’s age, it’s not surprising that a local folklore has grown up around the place, one that largely revolves around spooky goings-on and sightings of apparitions, especially in the ‘Haunted Snug’.
When guests aren’t ghost-hunting, they enjoy a mix of tradition and modern at the Jerusalem.
The pub might be old, but that doesn’t mean it hasn’t moved with the times, so you can expect vegan and vegetarian menus and free WIFI.
Regular Ales: Greene King IPA | Olde Trip | Shipstones Original Bitter | Theakston Old Peculier.
£2 Pint Offer
- Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem is currently selling £2 pints. You need to sign up for the pub’s email club to take advantage of this offer. Once subscribed, you’ll receive updates on this and other offers.
🐾 Dog Friendly ✅
🌿 Pub Garden ✅
Contact Info
- Address: 1 Brewhouse Yard, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire NG1 6AD.
- Phone: 0115 947 3171.
- Website: https://www.greeneking.co.uk/pubs/nottinghamshire/ye-olde-trip-to-jerusalem.
2. The Black Swan Inn – York (15th century)
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Picture an olde worlde boozer and it’s probably one that looks a lot like the Black Swan in Peasholme Green in York.
The building is the epitome of Tudor design – all timber-framed construction, low ceilings, open fireplaces, whitewall plaster and whitewashed frontage.
The clientele is a healthy mix of local and out-of-towners, the latter drawn to the place because of its medieval vibe and to parley with the ensemble of ghosts that occupy the place.
Indeed, the pub is commonly regarded as the White Rose county’s most haunted.
Tales abound here of apparitions featuring a bowler-hatted gent, a jilted bride, and a mischievous Victorian boy named Matthew.
Beyond ghostly goings-on, the pub is famous for its live folk music and hosts regular folk music events throughout the year, including the Black Swan Folk Club since 1978 and an annual folk festival.
Regular Ales: Timothy Taylor’s Landlord | Rudgate Brewery | Old Peculier.
🐾 Dog Friendly ✅
🌿 Beer Garden ✅
Contact Information
- Address: 23 Peasholme Green, York YO1 7PR, England.
- Phone: 01904 679131.
- Email: info@blackswanyork.com.
- Website: https://www.blackswanyork.com
3. The Black Boy Inn – Caernarfon, Wales (est. 1522)
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Anyone looking for an authentic Welsh pub experience needs to look no further than the Black Boy in Caernarfon.
This place packs some serious old-world Celtic charm, so expect to hear Welsh spoken in the barroom and beers and ciders with names that feature plenty of consonants (a draught of Cwrw Llyn, anyone?).
The pub is ensconced within the ancient walls of Caernarfon and is within walking distance of the 13th-century Caernarfon Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The pub has a quaint old-world aesthetic – the main barroom is all exposed beams, low ceilings, thick stone walls and creaking floorboards.
Regular Ales: Purple Moose | Tiny Rebel | Cwrw Llyn | Perllan y Fro (cider).
🐾 Dog Friendly✅
🌿 Beer Garden ✅
Loyalty Scheme
- By ordering directly from your table using the pub’s QR code or the Black Boy Inn app, you can get better prices and exclusive offers.
Contact Information
- Address: Northgate Street, Caernarfon, Gwynedd LL55 1RW, Wales.
- Phone: 01286 673604.
- Email: reception@black-boy-inn.com.
- Website: https://www.black-boy-inn.com
4. The Eagle – Cambridge, England (est. 1530)
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This pub in Cambridge was founded in the 16th century, but it’s February 28, 1953 that is the most important date in its 500-year history.
That’s when scientists Francis Crick and James Watson proudly announced they had discovered ‘the secret of life’, DNA’s double helix structure, in the boozer’s bar room.
The pub has retained a bookish, serious-minded atmosphere – it’s popular with the boffins over at the nearby Cavendish Laboratory for experimental physics at Cambridge University.
As for the food and drink, hearty British pub grub is on offer – crusty pies, fish and chips, and a variety of sandwiches – and a rotating roster of ales on tap brewed in the local Cambridge area.
🐾 Dog Friendly ✅
🌿 Beer Garden ✅
Regular Ales: Level Head Session IPA | Old Speckled Hen | Hazy Days Pale Ale | Greene King IPA | Flint Eye.
£5 Off Your Next Main Dish
- Download the Greene King app, register, and sign up for marketing to unlock a £5 reward. You’ll receive a voucher via email, valid at over 1,500 Greene King pubs. You can use it immediately or save it for your next visit to The Eagle.
Happy Hour: Two for One
- Enjoy two drinks for the price of one during Happy Hour at selected Greene King pubs. Perfect for a laid-back time with friends!
Contact Information
- Address: Bene’t Street, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire CB2 3QN, England.
- Phone: 01223 505020.
- Website: https://www.greeneking.co.uk/pubs/cambridgeshire/eagle
5. The Seven Stars – London, England (est. 1602)
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This charming watering hole in London’s Holborn district has been around since Elizabeth was on the throne.
Luckily, it has managed to keep many of its Tudor fixtures and fittings, including its ancient staircases, roof beams, and oak floorboards.
It’s an old-school boozer, meaning there is an absence of music and fruit machines, but plenty of beer on tap and a bona-fide London celebrity behind the bar – Roxy Beajoulais, author and TV personality.
The Seven Stars offers guests a cosy, intimate setting, but this means there is limited seating inside, so if you arrive at a busy time, you’ll be better off spilling out into the street where elbow room is more plentiful.
The clientele is a mixed bag with local workers, university types and legal eagles from the nearby Courts of Justice calling the boozer their local.
🐾 Dog Friendly ✅
🌿 Outdoor seating ✅
Regular Beers: Adnams Broadside | Adnams Southwold Bitter.
Contact Information
- Address: 53 Carey Street, Holborn, London WC2A 2JB, England.
- Phone: 020 7242 8521.
- Email: roxy@roxybeaujolais.com.
- Website: https://www.thesevenstars1602.co.uk.
6. The Ten Bells – Spitalfields, London (est. 1750)
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This pub in Spitalfields offers up some old-world East End hospitality and a range of brewed-on-site beers.
In fact, it’s so old school, it eschews electricity for the most part – its illumination provided by candles, which gives the place an intimate atmosphere you won’t find in other boozers.
That pub will forever be associated in the popular imagination with Jack the Ripper because two of his victims, Annie Chapman and Mary Jane Kelly, drank here.
The boozer is spread over three floors with traditional beers, wines and spirits on the ground floor and cocktails served upstairs.
Regular Beers: Bright Side | Estrella Damm | Jungle Trip | New England IPA | Jaipur | Voodoo | Nitro Stout.
🐾 Dog Friendly ✅
🌿 Outdoor seating ✅
Contact Information
- Address: 84 Commercial Street, London E1 6LY, England.
- Phone: 020 7247 7532.
- Email: info@tenbells.com.
- Website: https://www.tenbells.com
7. The Royal Oak – Edinburgh, Scotland (est. 1750s)
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The Ceilidh (pronounced “kay-lee”) is very much in evidence at this popular boozer in Scotland’s capital — you’ll find plenty of fiddling on show here, from organised events to improvised sessions.
The place is famous for its free live music and as a hotbed of politics – the pub is famous for hosting political discussions and has had connections to Scotland’s independence movement and the SNP.
It’s another establishment rooted in the local community, but it is open and inviting to outsiders.
Tourists flock here to sample the local brews and the promise of some authentic folk tunes, especially on Sundays when the pub hosts the WEE Folk Club.
🐾 Dog Friendly ✅
🌿 Outdoor seating ✅
Regular Ales: Orkney Dragonhead | Fyne Ales Jarl | Stewart’s Edinburgh Gold | McEwan’s.
Contact Information
- Address: 1 Infirmary Street, Edinburgh EH1 1LT, Scotland.
- Phone: 0131 557 2976.
- Email: N/A.
- Website: http://www.royal-oak-folk.com
8. The Grapes – Liverpool, England (est. 1804)
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The Grapes can be found on Matthew Street, home to the world-famous Cavern Club, where The Beatles made their name back in the ‘60s.
The nearby club might be the more famous venue, but The Grapes was the Fab Four’s preferred boozer – it was to here they’d escape between sets at the famous club to rest and refresh.
The Grapes is still very much associated with the local music scene – it hosts lively karaoke sessions every weeknight, while on weekends a local Liverpudlian act takes to the stage.
It’s also home to a famous vinyl-filled jukebox, each 7-inch record featuring a Beatles classic like Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.
The pub attracts a nice mix of local and out-of-towners, many of whom are paying a visit to retrace the steps of Liverpool’s famous band.
Happy Hour & Special Events
- Enjoy £2 pints of John Smith’s and Strongbow on Thursdays from 12:00–17:00.
- On St. Patrick’s Day, The Grapes often offers promotions such as free drinks for app users.
🐾 Dog Friendly ✅
🌿 Outdoor seating ✅
Contact Information
- Address: 25 Mathew Street, Liverpool, L2 6RE, United Kingdom.
- Phone Number: 0151 347 0086.
- Email: thegrapes@blindtigerinns.co.uk.
- Website: blindtigerinns.co.uk.
9. The Smithfield Market Tavern – Manchester, England (est. 1860s)
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You’ll be hard pressed to find a warmer welcome than the one on offer at this traditional hostelry in Manchester’s famous Northern Quarter.
The place gives off serious ‘proper pub’ vibes – there are few modern bells and whistles in evidence here, just a great selection of ales, most from the Blackjack brewery, and the hum of convivial chatter.
It’s a community hub and a treasure trove of bygone pub games, including table skittles and shove ha’penny.
The Northern Quarter is a bohemian bit of Manchester, so if you venture out into the pub’s surroundings after refreshment, you’ll find an artsy vibe and plenty of independent shops and bars.
It’s also close to attractions like the Band on the Wall music venue, making the tavern a great pit stop before or after a gig.
Regular Ales: Dark Ruby Mild | Blackjack Mosaic Light.
🐾 Dog Friendly ✅
🌿 Outdoor seating ✅
Contact Information
- Address: 37 Swan Street, Manchester M4 5JZ, England.
- Phone: 0161 839 4424
- Website: https://www.smithfieldmarkettavern.co.uk
10. The Cambrian Tap – Cardiff, Wales (est. 1830s)
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Perched on the corner of Caroline Street, one of the Welsh capital’s most famous thoroughfares, the Cambrian Tap offers guests an inviting atmosphere and a superb range of craft ales.
The interior is no-frills, with intimate booths clad in faux leather, bare brick walls, and exposed floorboards adding to the traditional boozer vibe.
There is pub grub on offer here, mainly thick-crusted pies and other hearty fare, but pug-goers frequent the place more for its potables than its pies.
It has a vast array of ales on tap – at the last count, there were 18 draught ales for visitors to sample.
That means you can sample all manner of stouts, IPAs, amber ales, weiss beers, rye beers, pale ales, premium bitters, porters, pilsners…we could go on.
Regular Ales: Tiny Rebel | Brains | Purple Moose | Crafty Devil.
Beer & Cider Deals
- 3 Bottles of Selected Beer: £10.75.
- 3 Bottles of Selected Cider: £11.25
🐾 Dog Friendly ✅
🌿 Outdoor seating ✅
Contact Information
- Address: 51 St Mary Street, Cardiff CF10 1AD, Wales.
- Phone: 029 2064 4952.
- Email: Cardiff@phoenixpub.co.uk.
- Website: https://www.cambriantapcardiff.co.uk
11. The Crown Liquor Saloon – Belfast, N. Ireland (est. 1885)
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Originally opened in the heyday of the Victorian era, this pub in Belfast retains many of the fixtures and fittings from when the place served as one of Northern Ireland’s most popular gin palaces.
The pub is no longer dedicated to Mother’s Ruin, but the fixtures and fittings from that period are still very much in evidence.
Stunning examples of Victoriana can be found in the mosaic-tiled floor, ornate carved ceilings, stained-glass windows (fairies and pineapples), and vintage gas-lit chandeliers.
The bar isn’t bad either – a slab of red granite, altar-style, is both inviting and stunning, with huge ale casks and polished brass taps adding to the olde-worldie splendour of the place.
The bar attracts an eclectic mix of locals, casual drinkers and international tourists.
If you want a bit of privacy, it also features 10 nicely appointed snugs, replete with an antique bell ordering system and old-school match-striking plates for your smokes.
Regular Ales: Nicholson’s Pale Ale | Local cask ales.
Loyalty Programme
- Ale & Gin Trails: A loyalty programme where you collect stamps when you visit the pub. It’s a great way to enjoy even more perks from their extensive drinks selection.
🐾 Dog Friendly ✅
🌿 Outdoor seating ✅
Contact Information
- Address: 46 Great Victoria Street, Belfast BT2 7BA, N. Ireland.
- Phone: 028 9024 3187.
- Email: N/A.
- Website: https://www.nicholsonspubs.co.uk/restaurants/scotlandandnorthernireland/thecrownliquorsaloonbelfast#/
Raise a Glass to the Local British Pub
The great British boozer is still alive and kicking in many communities across the country.
But that’s not to say there aren’t headwinds in the British hospitality sector.
The COVID pandemic has left a legacy of home drinking, meaning there is a smaller pool of local drinkers from which they derive their business.
In 2024, 412 pubs saw their last patrons and were permanently closed, bringing the total number down to 38,989—the lowest on record.
However, it has never been a better time to seek out those gems and support the local watering hole.
If anything, the local boozer has become more local over the past decade – the rise of locally sourced craft beers, gin, and local spirits speaks to the sector’s ingenuity and adaptability.
We can all raise a glass to that and pay this great British tradition more attention even with low- or non-alcoholic options.
