8 Great Places for Craft Beer in Central London – Westminster – SoHo – Covent Garden – Pimlico – Mayfair

It seems like a new craft beer bar is opening in London every week. However, despite all the nightlife options in Central London, much of the craft beer scene is located outside of Zone 1. That said, there are a few gems to be found. Here is my guide to the best craft beer in Central London, including breweries, beer bars, taprooms, and bottle shops. For more in Zone 1, see my post about craft beer in the City of London.

Craft beer bars in Central London

The Craft Beer Co.

Your best bet for great craft beer in Central London is The Craft Beer Co. This small English chain has a few locations in the area, including Clerkenwell, Covent Garden, & St. Mary Axe. Those might technically be just outside the City of Westminster, but they’re close enough.

Each location has 18-30 taps, plus a large selection of cask ales. Be sure to take a peek at their bottle choices as well, as each bar has hundreds of bottles & cans available, many of them from smaller breweries around the U.K. & Europe.

 

 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Enjoying a beer from one of my favorite breweries (The Kernel) at one of my favorite craft beer bars in London

A post shared by Jonathan Sacks (@everybodyhatesatourist) on Aug 19, 2018 at 2:56pm PDT

The Craft Beer Co.’s food menu isn’t extensive, but they have a solid range of pub snacks such as pies, scotch eggs, & chips.

Address: Various locations

Cask Pub & Kitchen

Cask Pub & Kitchen is a bit off the beaten path, located between Pimlico & Victoria. As a result, it’s a magnet for anyone looking for a decent pint in this area.

As you’d expect from the name, their cask ale selection is strong. That doesn’t mean they are weak in the craft beer department, offering 15 kegs to go with the 10 casks. The bottle list also has a great choice of about 100 beers.

They have one of the better food menus, featuring not only burgers but a traditional Sunday roast.

Address: 6 Charlwood St, Lillington and Longmoore Gardens, London SW1V 2EE, United Kingdom (map)
Nearest stations: Victoria & Pimlico

The Jackalope

While there’s been a pub on the site of The Jackalope since 1777, the transformation into a craft beer bar is newer. The pub is owned by the same people who run several other excellent London craft beer bars including Euston Tap and Hackney Tap. The restoration was done with great care, and the beer list is of the same high quality you’d expect if you’ve been to those other spots.

The Jackalope has 14 kegs and 6 casks, along with spicy noodles from LIU Xiaomian.

Address: 43 Weymouth Mews, London W1G 7EQ, United Kingdom (map)
Nearest stations: Regent’s Park & Oxford Circus

Taprooms & Breweries in Central London

Temple Brew House

Temple Brew House, AKA Essex Street Brewery, is Central London’s sole craft brewery.

The brewery, which opened in 2014, is also much more. Amongst their 16 taps & 6 casks, they have a large guest offering.

With trivia night, live sport, interactive darts, and a full food menu with pub favorites (that’s also vegetarian & vegan friendly), this basement spot is a popular post-work hangout in Central London.

Address: 46 Essex St, Temple, London WC2R 3JF, United Kingdom (map)
Nearest station: Temple

The Porterhouse London

Dublin craft brewery The Porterhouse has a taproom in London near Covent Garden. In addition to 8 taps of their craft beer, a couple of guests, and some casks, they also have a few dozen bottles & cans from around the U.K, Belgium, and Germany. The Porterhouse also offers burgers, pizzas, and bar bites.

Address: 21-22 Maiden Ln, London WC2E 7NA, United Kingdom (map)
Nearest stations: Covent Garden & Charing Cross

Bottle shops in Central London

Real Drinks

Real Drinks is predominantly a bottle shop, but they also have 8 taps. They have over 250 craft beers and ciders, plus spirits & wine. There is a 2nd Real Drinks location (the original) in Richmond/Twickenham.

Address: 4 Formosa St, London W9 1EE, United Kingdom (map)
Nearest station: Warwick Avenue

There are lots of places that offer a couple of options for craft beer in Central London, but a smaller number truly specialize in it. You also may notice the omission of a particular brewery I can no longer support due to their behaviour. The best London craft beer bars & breweries tend to be a bit further out from the center of the city, which makes sense due to the lack of people living in Central London, & the tendency of breweries to be in cheaper and/or more “hipster” areas. Still, if you’re in Central London for work or vacation & can’t make it out of Zone 1, then these options should keep you satisfied.

For more great London beer, see my related posts:

• The best craft beer in Central London – Westminster – SoHo – Covent Garden – Pimlico – Mayfair, England
• The best craft beer in the City of London, England
• The best craft beer in the East End of London – Bethnal Green – Tower Hamlets
• The best craft beer in East London – Hackney – Shoreditch – Dalston – Hoxton – Clapton – Stoke Newington – Hackney Wick
• The best craft beer in North London – Camden – Bloomsbury – Kentish Town – Hampstead
• The best craft beer in South London – Brixton – Lambeth – Clapham – Vauxhall
• The best craft beer in Richmond, London, England
• The Bermondsey Beer Mile in London

Do you love craft beer? Check out more of my recommendations for the best craft beer around the world!

Here are some great London tours & activities & other things to see & do in London.

If you’re looking for a place to stay in London, check out these London hotels.

Like this post? Share it with your friends!