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The City of London is just a small portion of central London, filled with its most iconic skyscrapers. For the most part, it’s a place where people work as opposed to a hangout spot, but there are a couple of good craft beer bars catering to the happy hour crowd. Note that this means these bars are not open on weekends. Here is my guide to the best craft beer in the City of London. For more nearby beer, read about the best craft beer in Central London.
The Best Craft Beer Bars in the City of London
The Craft Beer Co. St. Mary Axe
Your best bet for great craft beer in the City of London & Central London is The Craft Beer Co. This small chain has a few locations around London, including Clerkenwell, Covent Garden, Brixton, and Limehouse. Their bars are always trustworthy spots with great beer selections.
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. In the case of The Craft Beer Co. St. Mary Axe, they have 18 keg lines, 9 cask pumps, and over 200 bottles & cans. They also have a full bar.
Unlike some of their other locations, The Craft Beer Co. St. Mary Axe has spacious room inside, across two levels.
The Craft Beer Co. St. Mary Axe’s food menu isn’t extensive, but they have a solid range of pub snacks such as pies, scotch eggs, & more.
Book your hotel in London now!Address: 29-31 Mitre St, London EC3A 5BU, United Kingdom (map)
Nearest station: Aldgate
Pelt Trader
Right below Cannon Street Station is Pelt Trader, serving up craft beer along with solid pizzas since 2012. It’s owned by the same people who run Euston Tap, Hackney Tap, & other top London beer bars.
The brewpub has a selection of around 13 taps & 6 casks from some of the best British breweries plus Germany.
Given that it’s a nice spot to slip away for a lunchtime pint, their pizzas are popular.
Pelt Trader feels just modern enough while retaining the dark feel of an old basement pub, with 80s & indie music playing on the stereo.
Address: Dowgate Hill, London EC4N 6AP, United Kingdom (map)
Nearest station: Cannon Street
Aldgate Tap
Aldgate Tap (website) is one of the most unique beer bars in London thanks to its home on Aldgate Square.
The building is immediately noticeable on the plaza thanks to all of its windows and its metal roof.
Inside, there are 14 taps of craft beer and 2 cask ales, plus spicy noodles from LIU Xiaomian.
There are also comfy chairs, many of which have leather on them.
Address: 1 Aldgate, London EC3N 1AF, United Kingdom (map)
Nearest station: Aldgate
This post covers the City of London, but also check out my post about craft beer in Central London for more great drinking options.
For more great London beer, see my related posts:
- The Bermondsey Beer Mile in London
- The best craft beer in Central London – Westminster – SoHo – Covent Garden – Pimlico – Mayfair
- The best craft beer in the City of London, England
- The best craft beer in North London – Camden – Bloomsbury – Kentish Town – Hampstead
- 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 Walthamstow – Blackhorse Beer Mile – Waltham Forest – Leyton – Leytonstone – Chingford – Northeast London
- The best craft beer in Stratford – Newham – Canning Town – West Ham – East Ham – East London
- The best craft beer in South London – Brixton – Lambeth – Clapham – Vauxhall
- The best craft beer in Richmond, London, England
- The best craft beer in Greenwich, England
Do you love craft beer? Check out more of my recommendations for the best craft beer around the world!
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