Ah, London’s beer gardens: the perfect place to kick back with a nice refreshing pint of sunscreen.
And sure, most people heading to the pub during this glorious streak of sunny weather will be sitting indoors, watching the Euros. Which means there’s a whole load of sun-drenched picnic tables and patio chairs that you could be taking advantage of – and when you do, you’ll need this guide to London’s best beer gardens.
This is a ruthlessly curated list, featuring only the best: expansive lawns, pergola-covered retreats and riverside decks, they’re all here.
Now, let’s take this outside…
JUMP TO: North London | East London | South London | West London
NORTH LONDON BEER GARDENS
The Albion | Islington
450 square metres of wisteria-covered garden – that’s what you’ll find when you step out the back of The Albion in Islington, a restored Georgian boozer offering up some of the best pub grub in the city. Floor-to-ceiling French windows mean that in the colder months you can sit inside and enjoy it form afar, whilst summer sees it heaving with people sunning themselves and swigging on everything from classic cocktails to locally-brewed beer.
Details: 10 Thornhill Road, London, N1 1HW | Book The Albion
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The Terrace At Alexandra Palace | Wood Green
At a whopping 1,500sq m, The Terrace at Alexandra Palace might just be the biggest beer garden in London. But what really sets it apart is the sprawling cityscape providing a backdrop to your al fresco drinking session. They also serve stone-baked pizzas and on weekends they’re joined by an enviable line-up of street food traders. So you’ll be looking down on everyone else in London both literally and metaphorically…
Details: Alexandra Palace Way, Wood Green, N22 7AY | No bookings
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The Bull | Highgate
When the weather’s fine, you’ve got to grab the bull by the horns – and book an outside table at this handsome Highgate gastropub. The Sunday roast is the stuff of legend but in this heat you’ll want to skip straight to dessert and the peach melba knickerbocker glory. Or just a freshly pulled pint, if you came to this beer garden to, you know, drink beer.
Details: 13 North Hill, London, N6 4AB | Book a table outside at The Bull
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The Freemasons Arms | Hampstead
Images George Rex/Flickr
Fittingly, discovering the expansive beer garden at The Freemasons Arms does feel like stumbling on a secret society. It’s all very tastefully done up with gravel, smart paving and white-painted picnic benches – which should lend the afternoon an air of civility as you demolish their Sticky Pig sharer (a platter laden with scotch eggs, sausage rolls, pork belly bites and cider pork bon bons).
Details: 32 Downshire Hill, London NW3 1NT | Outdoor tables walk-in only
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The Garden Gate | Hampstead
The Garden Gate sits right on the fringes of the biggest of all London’s beer gardens: Hampstead Heath. But for the days when tinnies on the grass won’t cut it, head for a civilised beverage in the leafy back garden of this mock Tudor pub. There’s loads of seating – some with brollies/heaters – and a healthy line-up of craft beers to explore.
Details: 14 South End Road, Hampstead–
The Spaniards Inn | Hampstead
Roberto Garagarza
A historic Hampstead tavern where Dick Turpin was said to be born, where Keats penned Ode To A Nightingale, and where you can have a thoroughly nice time of it all, sipping a nice chilled white in the verdant beer garden after a long walk across the Heath.
Details: Spaniards Road, London NW3 7JJ | Book a table at The Spaniards Inn
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The Faltering Fullback | Finsbury Park
This bushy Irish boozer tucked away by Finsbury Park station has a beer garden at the back that will fulfil all your unrealised childhood dreams of a treehouse. It’s a sprawling wooden wonderland where staircase upon staircase leads to all sorts of nooks and crannies – some dotted with trinkets like books, clocks, mirrors, and bells – that are perfect for intimate conversations. Unsurprisingly they pour a great Guinness, whilst the kitchen dishes out some extremely reasonably priced Thai. Just be warned, they don’t take bookings so turn up late (especially in summer) and you’ll likely be met with a….full back.
Details: 19 Perth Road, Finsbury Park, London, N4 3HB | No bookings
EAST LONDON BEER GARDENS
People’s Park Tavern | Hackney
Part pub, part micro-brewery, People’s Park Tavern boats one of the biggest beer selections in the city. And, as it happens, it also boasts one of the biggest beer gardens for drinking it in. Perched on the edge of East London’s Victoria Park, it’s almost the size of a park itself, with multi-coloured bunting and masses of picnic benches, live music, a pop-up can bar and an outdoor BBQ rustling up all the hits.
Details: 360 Victoria Park Road, London, E9 7BT | Book People’s Park Tavern
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CRATE Brewery | Hackney Wick
Like a lot of stuff in Hackney Wick, CRATE Brewery sits along the edge of the River Lea. Which means their terrace (a long concrete stretch of picnic benches) is waterside too. You can sit out and swig on a pint of lager, or a limited edition Citra Sour and watch the comings and goings along the water – ducks, canal boats, and occasionally the tired, thirsty faces of people in kayaks. You’re also parked right next to the Alfred Leroy – a small, fairy-lit sailing boat that doubles up as a floating bar serving all of CRATE’s beers as well as classic cocktails and Jarr Kombucha spiked with booze.
Details: Unit 14, Queens Yard, Hackney Wick, E9 5EN | No bookings for outside tables
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Pub On The Park | London Fields
You’ll find Pub on the Park, quite literally on the park in London Fields. Its stands out in its handsome coat of white and mint green, but also because of its terrace – a wooden, wrap-around number surrounded by the colourful glow of festoon lighting. Tables are bookable for groups of up to 10, making it a go-to for bigger gatherings, and you can all chow down on Bodean’s BBQ while you’re at it.
Details: 19 Martello Street, London Fields, E8 3PE | Book Pub on the Park
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Barge East | Hackney Wick
The restaurant & bar aboard this 118-year old Dutch cargo barge have proven so popular that they’ve had to spill out onto the banks they’re moored on. And what started out as a casual picnic spot has since become a fully fledged beer garden, with shaded tables and chairs for groups; miniature plant beds growing ingredients for the kitchen; and even a vintage airstream caravan serving up pints, cocktails & street food.
Details: Sweetwater Mooring, River Lee, White Post Lane, E9 5EN | Book the Barge East Garden
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The Scolt Head | Dalston
The beer garden is literally the point of The Scolt Head – it’s a triangular nook set just behind the pub, with a scattering of picnic benches set amidst a hedge that’s taken on a life of its own. It’s a lovely, leafy spot – and when you’ve had enough, you can head inside for dancing and live music from the London Dance Orchestra.
Details: 107A Culford Road, London N1 4HT | No garden bookings
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40FT Brewery & ACME Fire Cult | Dalston
Slip down Abbott Street in Dalston and you’ll find 40ft Brewery and Taproom, kitted out with a sprawling, 60-seater, heated terrace. Here not only can you choose from ten different beers (freshly brewed on site), you can also feast on all sorts of delicious, fire-licked meat and veg from ACME Fire Cult. Get stuck into coal roasted leeks with pistachio and romesco or BBQ’d baguette with ancho koi and pickles, all of which is cooked live in front of you by chef heavy-weights Daniel Watkins and Andrew Clarke.
Details: Bootyard, Abbot Street, London, E8 3DP | Book 40ft Brewery | Book ACME Fire Cult
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Five Points Brewery Taproom & Courtyard | London Fields
We might be pushing the boundaries of the term ‘beer garden’ here. But Five Points gains… points… for the sheer size of the open-air courtyard lining its East London taproom, even if the greenery is in short supply. There’s plenty of tables (seating around 300, all in); BBQ rustled up by lauded fire-tamers From The Ashes; and some of the cheapest post-work pints in the neighbourhood, with tank-fresh suds coming in at £4 on Thursdays & Fridays, 5-7pm.
Details: 61 Mare Street, Hackney, E8 4RG | Book the Five Points courtyard
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Big Penny Social | Walthamstow
BPS is literally the largest beer hall in the UK. In fact, the inside space almost feels more spacious than the outside space. And while it’s all lovely, boasting plenty of street food, 20 beers on tap, and regular large-scale events, the one thing that they can’t fit inside that vast hall… is the sunshine. Over the summer, their spacious beer garden transforms into Walthamstow-on-Sea: a pop-up beach, complete with sand, deckchairs, and colourful beach huts. And if you’re really making a day of it? Make it stop 1 along the Blackhorse Beer Mile, where pretty much every brewery comes with a sprawling outdoor terrace attached.
Details: 1 Priestley Way, E17 6AL | Book Walthamstow on Sea
SOUTH LONDON BEER GARDENS
Bermondsey Bar & Kitchen | London Bridge
Perched at the top of Bermondsey Street (just next to fellow al fresco drinking behemoth, Vinegar Yard), Bermondsey Bar & Kitchen is almost more garden than venue, starting at the front and wrapping around to the back where it opens up in to a massive fairy-lit and semi-covered space, loaded with picnic tables. You can sit out with a beer, or a cocktail (available by the pitcher), and enjoy some of the fantastic cooking from resident Donnelly’s. There’s also a massive sports screen outside, where they play all the biggest games, and they stage the occasional live gig too.
Details: 40 Bermondsey Street, London SE1 3UD | Book Bermondsey Bar & Kitchen
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The King’s Arms | Wandsworth
Want to be outside, but sill want to shield yourself from the scorching sun and/or ill-timed rain? Well, the King’s Arms lets you have your cake and eat it too, thanks to a collection of (bookable) huts surrounding their already pretty lovely beer garden. And just FYI they have brownies too, if all that cake talk got you excited.
Details: 94-96 Wandsworth High Street, SW18 4LB | Book the King’s Arms
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The Ship | Wandsworth
As you’d expect, The Ship is right on the water – and its riverside beer garden is bang on the money. The sprawling terrace at Wandsworth’s nautical pub even has its own dock, and you can literally access it by boat. They’ve also added some riverside cabins, and a nice little pergola too, just for good measure.
Details: 41 Jews Road, Wandsworth, SW18 1TB | Book The Ship
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The Understudy | Southbank
With its line-up of Gipsy Hill beers and guest ales; in-house menu of KERB trader street food; and sprawling riverside drinks terrace that’s 100% certifiably the least stressful way to ‘do’ the South Bank… we’re not really sure how The Understudy could perform any better.
Details: National Theatre, Upper Ground, South Bank, London SE1 9PX | Just turn up
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Hope & Anchor | Brixton
You know you’re in London when the pub’s beer garden has its own private Tiki huts. Set on the Clapham-Brixton border, the Hope & Anchor’s garden is a blur of fairy lights, open mic nights and general party vibes. It’s also probably the only place where you’ll find a vibrantly coloured disused vehicle alongside a romantic, floral-framed pergola and 20+ TV screens all within a few steps…
Details: 123 Acre Lane, Brixton Hill, SW2 5UA | Book the Hope & Anchor
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The Devonshire | Balham
The Devonshire: where every vaguely south London-based friend of yours will be hosting their birthday this summer. Their beer garden is massive, packed with tables, and even has hireable huts for bigger groups, each decked out with colourful themes. They’ve also got a menu of spritz specials and a pop-up outdoor burger shack for the summer.
Details: 39 Balham High Road, London SW12 9AN | Book The Devonshire
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The White Horse | Peckham
If you live anywhere near Peckham Rye, there’s very little reason to leave The White Horse all weekend. You can come here on a Saturday to sizzle in the beer garden, popping in for the occasional game of pool and stuffing yourself with something from their fantastic kitchen residency till the evening – when they turn the disco ball on and the DJ turns the whole pub into a dancefloor. Then you can come back and do it all again on Sunday, this time with a recovery roast.
Details: 20–22 Peckham Rye, SE15 4JR | No outside bookings
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The Crown and Greyhound | Dulwich
If The Crown and Greyhound sounds like an odd combination, that’s because this used to be two pubs – before the late Victorians had the bright idea of knocking them both down and creating one super-pub in their stead. And because a decent beer garden would be one of the first things on your list when building a super-pub from the ground up, that’s exactly what they did – it’s got space for 200, a little sheltered seating, and a BBQ set-up. Actually, that last one might not be Victorian.
Details: 73 Dulwich Village, SE21 7BJ | Book The Crown and Greyhound
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The Duke of Edinburgh | Brixton
The Duke claims to have South London’s biggest beer garden, which in itself doesn’t automatically make it one of the best. But it helps. As does the lovely trellised pergola seating, the festoon lighting, the sports screens and the excellent BBQ residency from Bodeans.
Details: 204 Ferndale Rd, SW9 8AG | Book the Duke of Edinburgh’s beer garden
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The Old Brewery | Greenwich
Planted within the Old Royal Naval College overlooking Sir Christopher Wren’s elegant neoclassical buildings, the Old Brewery can probably claim one of the few beer gardens to sit in a World Heritage Site. The old brewery in question was pumping out Meantime until 2016; the huge copper tanks still sit in the main pub area (though they’re decorative rather than functional these days). Luckily you can still get a decent pint of craft beer on tap, plus spritzes in summer.
Details: The Pepys Building, Old Royal Naval College, London SE10 9LW | Book an outside table
WEST LONDON BEER GARDENS
The Marlborough | Richmond
The Marlborough’s beer garden is stonking. It’s capacious. It’s utterly enormous. And it’s filled with tables to suit every group: sunny four seaters on the (fake) lawn; elegant gazebos; shaded seating under pastel-coloured parasols. And to say they’re dog-friendly is an understatement: dogs can order from a gourmet menu including steak & kidney pies. Oh, and there’s good food for humans, too.
Details: 46 Friars Stile Road, Richmond, TW10 6NQ | Book The Marlborough
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The Carpenter’s Arms | Ravenscourt Park
Several pubs in Hammersmith are blessed with a riverside terrace – but if you’re not lucky enough to grab one of the few tables, you’re sunk. So if you’re not fussed about a waterside view, hole up at The Carpenter’s instead. It’s a leafy, secluded oasis tacked onto a beautifully designed pub that does fantastic food and has a very grown-up wine list.
Details: 91 Black Lion Lane, London W6 9BG | Just walk in for a garden table
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The Crabtree | Fulham
Of course, if you are set on a riverside view, The Crabtree’s a great bet. You’ll find it on that quieter stretch between Hammersmith and Putney Bridges, but the atmosphere’s rarely anything short of lively (particularly on match days). Regular live music and a solid drinks offering seal the deal.
Details: Rainville Rd, London W6 9HA | Book a table at The Crabtree
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The Prince | Earl’s Court
It was an old boozer, and four buildings all with gardens. It’s now a new boozer and four restaurants, all with one big garden, whose flower-strewn pergola has an incredibly handy retractable roof for summer, and heaters for winter. You can stop by for a cocktail or craft beer, before tucking into street food from Crust Bros (pizza), Temaki Bros (sushi hand rolls), or classic pub grub. And towards the end of the week, they bus in DJs and live musicians.
Details: 14 Lillie Road, London, SW6 1TT | Book a table at The Prince
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Hawk’s Nest | Shepherd’s Bush
Hawk’s Nest is basically just a beer garden with a small bar attached to it. The whole area’s decked out with beautiful greenery, atmospheric lighting, and – crucially – a retractable roof to make it entirely weather-proof. Which is just as well, because their stonebaked pizzas, cocktails and craft beers go down well at any time of year.
Details: Goldhawk Road, Shepherd’s Bush, W12 8DF | Book Hawk’s Nest
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The White Swan | Twickenham
If you’re just meeting up with a mate and don’t fancy sharing a picnic table with throngs of beer-swilling hooligans (the type you were just a few days ago), head for The White Swan. This tiny, historic riverside boozer has a terrace right on the Thames – the ground literally slopes into the water either side of it – and plenty of tables for two. Perfect for enjoying a civilised pint or glass of English sparkling wine while watching the boats and swans sail by, before reverting to your usual party animal self next weekend.
Details: Riverside, Twickenham, TW1 3DN | No riverside bookings
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The Telegraph | Putney
The Telegraph is a proper country-style pub, nestled away in the wilds of Putney Heath: so unsurprisingly, they’ve managed to squeeze in a decently-sized beer garden here. There’s generous amounts of seating, an old horse box converted into a bar so you don’t have to queue indoors, and an outdoor pizza kitchen. All of that in one pub? STOP.
Details: The Telegraph, Putney Heath, London, SW15 3TU | Book a table at The Telegraph
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Stein’s | Richmond
Stein’s is all beer garden, with no pub attached. Open only in the summer, it’s an all-outdoor affair modelled on the biergartens of Munich, serving brews directly imported from Germany and a banquet of Bavarian dishes to go with them, including pretzels, schnitzel, and a ‘Giant Sausage Feast’ that feeds up to 10 people.
Details: Richmond Towpath, Richmond upon Thames, TW10 6UX | Book here for groups of 6+, otherwise just walk in
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