The ‘best' pub in London has been crowned for 2025
A bunch of London names have scored big at the Pub and Bar Awards 2025.
The winners? The Red Lion & Sun in Highgate was named London Pub & Bar of the Year, while Soho's The Devonshire scored the Industry's Choice Award, which was voted for by 100s of pub and bar industry folk. Congrats to both of them, despite the fact that we'd say they're actually gastropubs – complete with sitdown restaurants – rather than proper boozers.
If you prefer crisps, pints and a sticky carpet, take a look at our best 50 pubs in London list, with not a gastropub in sight. And if you do like a gastropub, then have a look at Time Out's top 20 gastropubs list.
Another London win came for Mr Fogg's, which weas named Bar Group of the Year for its trademark Disney-ification of the Victorian gin palace. Mr Fogg's has venues in Mayfair, Covent Garden, Fitzrovia, Soho and the City.
The overall winner was the Bull in Charlbury, which was named the UK's best pub. Which, granted, is very nice, but is another gastropub. Justice for the real pubs, say us! Since 2023, the Bull has been run by the Public House Group, which is behind The Hero in Maida Vale and The Pelican in Notting Hill.
Almost 100 county winners were announced at the awards, which took place at Big Penny Social in Walthamstow, as well as 13 regional winners.
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