Mentioned by A Complete Guide of London | The Shaftesbury Hotels Collection Blog
Best Breweries of London
"One of the undisputed leaders of the craft beer movement, Camden beer is becoming increasingly easy to find away from the capital (great for us country folk), but it’s best enjoyed in Camden itself. Completely unpretentious and genuine about their passion for brewing and quest for the perfect pint, if you want to experience them at their best head to their Brewery Bar (home of the original Hells lager). Best Brew– Hells, 4.6% – The original and still their best work."
"Though the bar only opens Thursday to Saturday The Camden Town Brewery has already established a strong standing with London beer connoisseurs, boasting some of the most advanced brewing equipment of any UK micro-brewing company. The impressive range is guaranteed to satisfy any pallet, from their hoppy pale ale to the deeper and stronger stouts. The Camden Town Brewery also offers tours and Beer tasting for the true beer enthusiasts."
"Taking inspiration from Bavaria's beer halls, this is a taproom with 24 taps on the bar. They've teamed up with Theo Randall to prepare the kind of food that matches best with the beer."
"Choose from mouthwatering bites from more than 40 vendors, browse stalls full of artisan produce and soak up the chilled vibes in the indoor and outdoor seating areas at Elephant and Castle's Mercato Metropolitano. If you're keen for more, check out its sister venue, Mercato Mayfair, which sits within an 18th-century St Mark’s Church, now a hub of international yet sustainable dining."
"Located in Elephant and Castle, Mercato Metropolitano is one of the original food halls in London. Enjoy a craft brew outside on their terrace, tuck into a freshly-made pizza on one of the communal tables in the main hall or sneak into the more secluded den and nibble on cured meat and melted raclette whilst sipping on wine."
"Things to do Event spaces Elephant & Castle. A 45,000 square foot market space offering a mixture of Italian and London based artisan producers, including ‘the best pizza maker’ from Naples, supposedly."
"Meantime was born & bred in a Greenwich flat over twenty years ago and they’re still crafting beer from alongside the River Thames but in a much swankier tap room. Their first brew, the Union Lager, hit the taps back in 2000 and us Londoners still can’t get enough of it. Since then they’ve introduced us to the likes of tropical IPAs; lively ales that fuse British and German malts; a modern lager straight from London’s back garden; and not forgetting the cheeky Chocolate Porter too, but you’ll always find us raising a bottle of the signature London Pale Ale."
"It is known as the location of the prime meridian and gave its name to Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) and sits first on the meridian line. The observatory is now maintained as a museum and visitors can learn about the history and discoveries at the observatory, stand on the famous Meridian line, visit Flamsteed House, see a camera obscura, and see the great equatorial telescope. Admission includes an audioguide to make the most of your self-guided visit."
"One of the best breweries in London, Meantime Brewing Company are sharing some of their beer knowledge with fellow pint-loving folk during their tours and tastings. Along with a show around of the factory and a look at all the processes needed to make the drinks, you'll also get to enjoy four delicious sips."
"A huge, horseshoe-shaped centrepiece dominates the revamped double-height taproom, with tables all around and a mezzanine level above. You can sit outdoors too, for industrial-estate vibes – it’s part of the Bermondsey Beer Mile. Team your brews (choose from Shapeshifter, Juicebox and the best-selling Basecamp) with something from resident street-food van Oh My Dog!"
"The brew house offers beers and pale ales as well as ageing sours and dark ales – all in colourful tins aimed at having a lower environmental impact."
"This two-time CAMRA award-winner just outside Old Street Tube features a list of 20-odd keg and cask beers from some of the best brewers in the country. Dark Star, Tiny Rebel, Siren, Kernel and Redemption are often well-represented on the bar top."
"From humble beginnings of brewing on an industrial estate to serving up award-winning beers from their two taprooms in Walthamstow (not to mention plenty of other places across the city too) Wild Card was a hobby that got way out of hand, but we’re so glad that it did. Their wide range of beers include a 5.8% Cashmere IPA that’s double dry hopped, a Lime Berliner Weisse that’s got a hefty squeeze of citrus, and a pale ale that makes for easy drinking. They’ve also got low-and-no options but we only want the hard stuff."
"Alight at Angel tube station and follow the faint scent of hops towards this hidden gem of a brewery pub. Offering up a relaxed atmosphere and a delicious spread of fresh food, the Brewhouse is probably best known for its extensive array of beer. Settle in, grab a bite to eat and plot a way through an international menu that won't fail to impress."
"This is a Meantime pub so, as you’d expect, the brewery’s frontline beers are on most of the taps. But once you get chatting to the staff, they’re more interested in finding something you’d like, Meantime or not. Indeed, the pub’s beer menu is a welcome distraction from London’s usual: five pages’ worth of Trappists, wheat and abbey beers, plus a fridge full of lambic and gueuze."
"Whose face wouldn’t light up at the sight of a Land Rover fitted with a selection of beer taps?!?. It’s this kind of creativity that they pour into every can and bottle. One thing we also love is their inclusive idealism, you don’t need to be a hipster to enjoy their beer, you just need to like beer."
"Rich Mix allows creativity in all its magnificent forms – live music, theatre, poetry, film, art, design and drawing, so it’s a little distinct from the other places on the list, but the charity behind the cross-media arts centre, The Rich Mix Cultural Foundation, has a pretty inspiring goal. And that’s to offer the public space to discover more about the creative offerings of people from various migrant populations. Since taking over the former clothing factory on Bethnal Green Road, Rich Mix has put on many free exhibitions, screenings and concerts."
"This fantastic creative space in the East End, on the site of what used to be in a leather factory, has regular exhibitions featuring emerging and established artists. 39-47 Bethnal Green Road, E1 6LA Free entryrichmix.org.uk"
"You don't have the time for kaiseki, or the means for Nobu, and you're not gonna get too up in arms about the state of your shibasu. You Me Sushi is the takeaway service (with a few tables kept inside each bit-more-than-hole-in-the-wall) that fits of the people, and they're conveniently spread across the city. A 36-piece "Sea Box" will get you ten salmon nigiri, six salmon and avocado inside out rolls, six crabstick and avocado inside out rolls, six salmon maki rolls, and eight pieces of salmon sashimi, all for just £27.45."
"Unlike everywhere else on this map, Atari-Ya is a fish and seafood supplier for high-end Japanese restaurants. Nobu, Zuma, the Araki, included. It also runs three sushi restaurant outlets in Ealing Common, Golders Green, and Swiss Cottage."
"Make the most of a mezze if you're a vegetarian in London thanks to the delicious dose of plates at Levant. Hailed for their gilded and thematic interiors alongside globally renowned cocktails, the vegetarian menu at Levant is booming with tahini, pastries, falafel, deep fried pumpkin and more."
"Granted, there are pubs with more room to manoeuvre than beer shop and “tasting room” HB&B. But then, not many pubs offer the kinds of nectar every beer hound wants to get her sticky paws on. Beers such as Cloudwater’s DIPL, Gypsy Hill and DEYA’s Ramblers, and the very small batch Mill’s Brewing & Oliver’s Cider Foxbic."