by Alexandra Pollard, Andrew Trendell, Elliot Mitchel | Photos by Strong Room
The 23 best London pubs to drink in before a gig
The greatest drinking establishments across the city
Queen of Hoxton, Shoreditch (close to Village Underground, XOYO, Cargo, The Old Blue Last). Reason to drink here: Bar, club, art space and one of the greatest rooftops you could ever dream of attending. Stunning views, great people and good food.
The Water Poet, Shoreditch (close to Village Underground, XOYO, Cargo, The Old Blue Last). Reason to drink here: A beautiful place that acts as a magnet for beautiful people. It also has one of London's best beer bargens and barbecue pits. Our favourite pub in Spitalfields by far.
The Miller, London Bridge (close to Great Suffolk Street Warehouse). Reason to drink here: A great venue thats well worth a visit in its own right, we love The Miller's quirky charm, ale and cider selection, pizzas and venue space so much, that it's where we choose to host many of our live sessions. Seriously, get yourself down the Miller ASAP.
Brewdog, Shepherds Bush (close to O2 Shepherds Bush Empire). Reason to drink here: Everyone's familiar with Brewdog by now right? They're everywhere, but the one in Shepherds Bush is particularly top notch, with an intimate atmosphere and naturally a vast selection of beers, it's a hell of a lot better than going for a drink in Westfield.
The Blue Anchor, Hammersmith (close to the Eventim Apollo). Reasons to drink here: Located right on The River Thames and just a short walk from the legendary Hammersmith Apollo, The Blue Anchor is absolutely perfect for a relaxed pre-gig drink.
The George Tavern, Limehouse (close to The Troxy). Reason to drink here: A grade 2 listed building, The George Tavern is unsurprisingly one of the most beautiful venues in the UK, and was also a favourite of Amy Winehouse, Ian Mckellen, Kate Moss and Anna Calvi, who played a surprise show there after performing at The Troxy earlier this year. You should do the same - pay it a visit before or after your next gig to enjoy its rustic charm, warming atmosphere and brilliant selection of ales, wines and whiskeys.
The Horatia, Holloway Road (close to The Garage). Reason to drink here: Holloway Road can be a bit of a mixed bag when it comes to its establishments (paying over a fiver for a pint in one place and a pound for a pizza next door can be quite confusing at first), yet The Horatia seems to find the perfect balance between quality, price and atmosphere. Just a short walk down from The Garage, we seriously recommend giving it a go if you ever find yourself in that part of our nation's capital.
The Angel, Islington (Close to The Lexington, O2 Academy Islington, The Islington). Reason to drink here: Within easy walking distance of Angel Station and perfectly placed between the tube and The Lexington, The Castle is obviously best in the summer when you can take advantage of it's amazing roof terrace, but with a great, well priced menu and a good drink selection to boot, we have a soft spot for it all year round.
The Sebright Arms, Hackney (close to Bethnal Green Working Men's Club, Oslo, Hackney Empire). Reasons to drink here: A wide range of great real ales with a history of being awesome since the 19th century. A well known Heavy Metal venue in the 1970s, a Disco pub in the 80s, Cabaret pub in the 90s, closed for demolition and redevelopment in 2009 - but stronger than ever today. Packed with rustic charm and boasting one hell of a new music roster.
The Three Crowns, Stoke Newington (close to The Shacklewell Arms, Passing Clouds, Birthdays). Reasons to drink here: Housing The Waiting Room, one of the most intimate and brilliant venues East London has to offer, The Three Crowns is also a pretty amazing pub. With easy transport links, well kept ales a'plenty and enough space to actually move around (a rare commodity in that area), we recommend making it your first stop if you're ever in that area.
Scenario (The Loading Bar), Dalston (close to The Waiting Room, Shacklewell Arms, Passing Clouds, Birthdays). Reasons to drink here: Relocating to Dalston from Soho earlier this year, Scenario is a bar like no other, embracing a love of gaming and brilliantly fusing it with cocktails and fun. With pretty much every console from the last few decades available to play in the basement, drinkers can also try their hand at DJing, or relax with one of their hundreds of board games.
Dublin Castle, Camden (close to The Jazz Cafe, Barfly, Roundhouse, KOKO). Reason to drink here: A Camden institution, The Dublin Castle has played host to countless icons in it's illustrious history, from Arctic Monkeys to Blur via Coldplay, Madness and Amy Winehouse. As if you needed any more convincing, their spirits and mixers are also pretty cheap.
Our Black Heart, Camden (close to The Jazz Cafe, Dublin Castle, Barfly, Roundhouse, KOKO). Reason to drink here: Rock and roll, good times, awesome decor and edge - it's one hell of a place. Let the Black Heart take you close to their bosom.
The Lock Tavern, Camden (close to The Jazz Cafe, Dublin Castle, Barfly, Roundhouse, KOKO). Reason to drink here: An awesome space, bar and venue that has been graced by the likes of Alex Turner, Lykke Li, The xx, Bloc Party, Anna Calvi, Belle and Sebastian and many more.
The Hawley Arms, Camden (close to The Jazz Cafe, Dublin Castle, Barfly, Roundhouse, KOKO). Reason to drink here: For ten years, a home from home for those who love good music, good food and great staff. Seriously, you'll want to move in.
The Reliance, Shoreditch (close to Village Underground, XOYO, Cargo, The Old Blue Last). Reason to drink here: Busy pretty much all the time (and justifiably so), The Reliance is an unpretentious addition to the Shoreditch pub scene. With a good selection of beer and ale and a dynamite pan-European menu, we'd definitely recommend this pub for a chilled start to your evening.
The Strong Room, Shoreditch (close to Village Underground, XOYO, Cargo, The Old Blue Last). Reason to drink here: One of the biggest pubs in the area, The Strong Room can play host to any kind of night you fancy, whether you feel like a dance before hitting the gig or just want a quiet ale on a couch. Their courtyard is also massive, which is a huge bonus for those who like to drink al fresco.
The Windmill, Brixton (close to O2 Academy Brixton, Brixton Electric, Plan B). Reason to drink here: A rock n' roll hub famed for its late night sessions, brilliant bands, reasonably-priced booze, friendly staff and candle-lit atmosphere. What more do you want?
Duke of Edinburgh, Brixton (close to O2 Academy Brixton, Brixton Electric, Plan B). Reason to drink here: Famed for having one of the biggest beer gardens in south London, with plenty of seating and a large bar and BBQ pit. The inside if pretty cosy too. It's awesome.
The Prince of Wales, Brixton (close to O2 Academy Brixton, Brixton Electric, Plan B). Reason to drink here: Visit the Prince for the massive rooftop beer garden, terraces and staggering roster of DJs. They describe themselves as a 'vast, art deco, around the clock pleasure palace' - and we can't help but agree.
Hootananny, Brixton (close to O2 Academy Brixton, Brixton Electric, Plan B). Reason to drink here: The perfect place to go nuts, pre or post-gig - especially if you love roots, reggae, ska and having a pretty insane, sweaty dance.
Effra Social, Brixton (close to O2 Academy Brixton, Brixton Electric, Plan B). Reason to drink here: A cosy, welcoming atmosphere and vintage vibe are what make Effra so special. A great place to eat, drink and party, it boasts "a front bar, dance hall, dining room, garden and lots of nooks and crannies along the way."
Dogstar, Brixton (close to O2 Academy Brixton, Brixton Electric, Plan B). Reason to drink here: An established boozer that's been at the heart of Brixton for a good 20 years or so now, Dogstar offer good booze, good pizza and a one hell of a good time and buzzing atmosphere. Stop in for a pint and pizza before a gig, or if you fancy something afterwards, they put on really good DJs night - like Maxim from Prodigy this Friday.
It's probably fair to say we've been to a fair few gigs around the capital in our time - and spent quite a lot of time in pubs while waiting for doors to openm or unwinding afterwards.
There's a lot of trial and error involved in finding the perfect pub near your favourite gig venues. At this point though, we've got the whole thing pretty much nailed. Whether your gig is in Camden, Shoreditch, Brixton or Hackney, we've got your covered.
Some are homely traditional pubs, others are bars with a twist, some are brilliant venues in their own right. Either way, make sure you pay these places a visit when you're next in London.