London’s top gastropub revealed: Has your favourite made the cut?
Piccadilly Guinness emporium the Devonshire has been voted the best gastropub in the country, with the capital dominating the list.
The Estrella Damm Top 50 Gastropubs awards saw the Devonshire usurp last year’s winner The Unruly Pig in Suffolk, which fell to second place. The Red Lion and Sun in Islington took the final place on the podium.
The team behind the awards said: “The Devonshire has been a roaring success since former Guinea Grill legend and publican Oisin Rogers took over the pub with Flat Iron founder and beef supremo Charlie Carroll and former Heston Blumenthal chef Ashley Palmer-Watts.
“The pub serves up premium quality, homemade food, focusing on the best of British produce using its own in-house butcher and bakery.
“As well as its reputation escalating for the food offer, this is still a pub. The bar has the reputation for serving the best Guinness in London and if the rumours are true selling more pints of Guinness than any other pub in the UK or Ireland.”
Other London pubs in the list – which actually includes 100 venues – include The Canton Arms in Stockwell (11), The Baring in Islington (17) and The Marksman in Hackney (23). Morning Wire favourite The French House came in at number 47. More than a fifth of the top 100 gastropubs (22) were from London.
Claire Alexander from The Killingworth Castle in Oxfordshire said: “It’s brilliant to get the recognition, especially when hospitality has been hit so hard, but what we need are people through the door. The Government announcement today doesn’t touch the sides, but if there’s one thing the pub trade has become good at through Covid it’s resilience.
“The atmosphere in a pub is second to none and I hope this supposed ‘return to analogue’ focus gains momentum because as publicans we see the joy of people getting together every day. And people need community now more than ever.
“To make a good gastropub, it’s not just about delivering excellent food every time, it’s also about how you make your customers feel from the moment they arrive and the atmosphere you provide.”
Alex Winch, co-owner of The Merry Harriers in Hampshire, which finished in 18th place, told Morning Wire: “Having taken on The Merry Harriers two years ago, it was an incredible experience to be surrounded by so many inspiring publicans who continue to be guiding lights in an industry going through tough times. It was reassuring to see a far greater focus within the Top 50 Gastropubs celebrating real traditional pubs serving fantastic food while also remaining at the centre of their communities.”
Here’s the of London restaurants in full:
- The Devonshire, Soho (1)
- The Red Lion and Sun, Islington (3)
- The Canton Arms, Stockwell (11)
- The Baring, Islington (17)
- The Marksman, Hackney (23)
- The House of Maida, Maida Vale (24)
- The Kerfield Arms, Camberwell (25)
- The Tamil Crown, Islington (35)
- The Harwood Arms, Fulham (36)
- The Bull & Last, Highgate (39)
- The Knave of Clubs, Shoreditch (43)
- The French House, Soho (47)
- The Camberwell Arms, Camberwell (60)
- The Anchor & Hope, Waterloo (64)
- The Pelican, Notting Hill (65)
- The Drapers Arms, Islington (67)
- The Fat Badger, Notting Hill (75)
- The Eagle, Farringdon (77)
- The Clarence Tavern, Stoke Newington (78)
- The Lady Mildmay, Stoke Newington (83)
- The Blue Stoops, Kensington (88)
- Parlour, Kensal Rise (91)
• To read the full list visit the 50 Best Gastropubs website here