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Give London a warm afternoon and the whole city heads outside for a pint. The best beer gardens range from sprawling leafy plots to riverside terraces and rooftops, and they are one of the great pleasures of a London summer. This guide covers where to find them.
The great garden pubs
The Edinboro Castle in Camden has one of the largest and most convivial gardens in central London, strung with lights and packed on a sunny evening. On Clapham Common, The Windmill pairs a big garden with rooms if the day runs long, and the People's Park Tavern beside Victoria Park brews its own beer and opens onto the greenery. Up in Finsbury Park, The Faltering Fullback hides a wonderful terraced, plant-filled garden behind an unassuming front.
Riverside and green-edge pubs
For a garden with a view, the pubs on the edge of Hampstead Heath, including The Spaniards Inn, combine a proper garden with a walk in the wild, and the riverside terraces of Wapping, Hammersmith and Greenwich let you drink beside the Thames as the tide turns. For the full round-up of atmospheric pubs, see our guide to the best pubs in London.
When is beer garden season in London?
Beer gardens come into their own from late spring through early autumn, roughly April to September, whenever the sun makes an appearance. The best gardens fill quickly on warm evenings and weekends, so arriving early is the surest way to get a table.
Which London pubs have the biggest beer gardens?
The Edinboro Castle in Camden and the pubs around the commons and parks, such as those on Clapham Common and beside Victoria Park, have some of the largest gardens in the city. The green-edge pubs near Hampstead Heath also offer plenty of outdoor space.
Where to go next
Find the full picture in our guide to the best pubs in London, or take the drinks up high with the best rooftop bars in London.
