Bunch of Grapes - London Bridge Snuggled between the Shard and Borough Market, you’ll find the Bunch of Grapes, the coolest pub in London Bridge. The kind of cool that comes from perfectly kept beers, great food, great music and a team that make Blue Peter presenters look miserable.
The Garrison - Bermondsey A Bermondsey institution since 2003, the Garrison has grown up with the surrounding neighbourhood, but always with an eye to its original intention: to serve quality food & drink, and to do it with a smile.
Mc & Sons - Southwark “Two worlds collide — neatly brought together by the traditions of an Irish family and authenticity of Thai cuisine — delivered in a modern way.” The latest generation of the McElhinney family sees Johnny and wife Lailar bring together their respective cultures in "a true Irish pub" with "authentic Thai streetfood,".
The Market Porter - Borough Market A great 'spit and sawdust' pub in the heart of the Market. Gets busy sometimes, but not always with tourists and usually has a good mix of people. It was used as the 'Third-hand bookshop' in the filming of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (just next to the Leaky Cauldron).
Kings Arms - Waterloo Board games, real ale, thai food and a great location on a beautiful terraced street, make this feel like a real find. It looks like an old mans pub and there's certainly some characters around, but its a revelation inside and one that you will want to keep on coming back to. Pure quality, without losing too much of the history.
The Stage Door- Waterloo Located just behind the Old Vic Theatre, it's a greats spot for a pre-theatre drink - or a night out watching some live music and playing pool (both unusual commodities in London pubs these days). A big screen TV for the footie, plus darts and karaoke are also part of the offering, so its a very entertaining pub night out indeed. Perhaps one to avoid for a quiet night, but if you want the full pub experience...why go anywhere else?
The Gladstone - Waterloo Time out calls this 'the coolest little pub in South London'. With live music every Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday including the likes of Ellie Goulding...
The Lord Clyde - London Bridge A proper boozer with good real ales and a Sweeney feel to it. Some outside seating and a friendly but local atmosphere.
Boot and Flogger - Borough A Davey's old-school basement winebar hidden away just off the south-side of Southwark Street. Flagstones and flagons, with dark shadowy corners and staff that don't change. Its a great place to get dug into on a winters afternoon.
The Wheatsheaf - Borough Market Obliterated as part of the works to the viaduct, the Wheatsheaf has now been reborn and offers a cracking night out. It also includes a VW Van converted into a bar, in the covered courtyard.
The White Hart - Waterloo A great little back-street pub surrounded by terraced workers cottages. It gets busy as its small and quite close to Waterloo, but the beer is good and the service is pleasant.