The Good Food Guide has named its top 100 pubs in the UK for 2026, with four London establishments making the top 20 and 14 in the overall list.
The annual guide, published each autumn, is dominated by upmarket gastropubs. This year's rankings feature 14 London pubs, up from 12 in last year's edition.
Notting Hill's The Cow takes second place
The Cow in Notting Hill is the highest-placed London pub at number two, having not featured in the rankings at all last year. The pub, opened by Tom Conran in 1995, is known for its Guinness and oysters.
The Queens Arms in Eccles, Greater Manchester, topped the list and was also a new entrant this year. Built in 1828, the Grade II-listed pub is described as the world's oldest passenger railway pub and, under Hong Kong ownership, offers an authentic Japanese izakaya-style menu.
Other London venues in the top 20
The Kerfield in Camberwell ranked 12th, The Pelican in Notting Hill 15th, and The Shaston Arms in Soho 18th. The Parakeet in Kentish Town, The Waterman's Arms in Barnes, and The Eagle in Clerkenwell also feature prominently.
The list was compiled in partnership with Timothy Taylor's Landlord to celebrate pubs that bring communities together through "great food, atmosphere and a well-poured pint".
Full list of London pubs in the top 100
- 2. The Cow, Notting Hill
- 12. The Kerfield Arms, Camberwell
- 15. The Pelican, Notting Hill
- 18. The Shaston Arms, Soho
- 29. The Parakeet, Kentish Town
- 30. The Waterman's Arms, Barnes
- 37. The Eagle, Clerkenwell
- 40. The Latimer, Notting Hill
- 46. The Hawthorn, Shepherd's Bush
- 51. Camberwell Arms, Camberwell
- 60. The Canton Arms, Stockwell
- 61. The Devonshire, Soho
- 77. The Andover Arms, Hammersmith
- 79. The Tamil Crown, Islington
Adam Hyman, owner of the Good Food Guide, said: "While our industry continues to adapt to the new norm of what running a hospitality business looks like in Britain, our Best Pubs list once again shows that some of the best food and hospitality can be found in pubs."
