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12 of the best British pubs to enjoy this weekend
After a chaotic week of train, school and hospital strikes, what better way to wind down than heading to a boozer with charm
The rallying cry to the nation’s pub-goers and landlords has come from an unlikely source this week, as chancellor Jeremy Hunt declared in Wednesday's Budget: “British ale is warm, but the duty on a pint is frozen."
It is no doubt good news for the industry which, like every other, has had to weather the pandemic and energy crisis storms of recent years. The duty on draught beer pulled from a British tap will be up to 11 per cent lower than that sitting on supermarket shelves from August, in an attempt to encourage more punters to crowd around the bars of their local boozers.
Whether to unwind at the end of the working week, enjoy a Sunday lunch after a brisk walk, or watch the home nations play rugby on the big screen, here are 12 of the best pubs across the country to visit this weekend:
The Unruly Pig, Woodbridge, Suffolk
Voted the best British gastropub in 2022, the Unruly Pig revels in good food and quirkiness. After a disastrous fire which forced its closure in 2015, the year it opened, the Suffolk bolthole now has a cult following and has featured on innumerable “best of” lists for its food. Enjoy your favourite tipple alongside seasonal British fare with an Italian influence, either amongst its eccentric artwork or in the pub garden.
The Unruly Pig, Orford Road, Bromeswell, Nr Woodbridge, Suffolk, IP12 2PU
The Cow, Dalbury Lees, Ashbourne, Derbyshire
The cow-themed furnishings throughout this Derbyshire inn, including quaint milk churn turned-bar stools, add to the charm of this elegant pub. On the southern edge of the Peak District, the pub, seafood restaurant and 12-bedroom guest house feature exposed wooden beams and brickwork, staying true to the origins of the tavern.
The Cow, The Green, Dalbury Lees, Ashbourne, Derbyshire DE6 5BE
Spaniards Inn, Hampstead, London
Tired after a long walk with the dog across the Heath? The 16th century institution is just across the road in this leafy suburb of north London, and has an illustrious history. It's mentioned in Charles Dickens’ The Pickwick Papers, and is allegedly where poet Keats wrote ‘Ode to a Nightingale’. Oh, and highwayman Dick Turpin’s father was once the landlord.
Today’s punters can warm up with a stiff drink by one of the tavern’s cavernous fireplaces, and enjoy a Sunday lunch in the wooden-panelled rooms upstairs.
Spaniards Inn, Spaniards Road, Hampstead, London, Greater London, NW3 7JJ
The Blind Monkey, Sheffield
This pub, located in S6, is a bit of a trek from the centre of Sheffield, but is well worth the visit. Built in 1846, it started life as a grocery shop where customers could buy bottled beer which they could later refill. Now it's a dark-wood panelled, stained glass window gem that offers a range of Don Valley beers, hand-crafted in the region.
The Blind Monkey, 279 Whitehouse Lane, Walkley, Sheffield, S6 2WA
The Pear Tree, Edinburgh
With Scotland playing Italy in the Six Nations this weekend, many rugby fans will likely feel drawn to the biggest outdoor screen in Edinburgh, which is perched in the garden of this historic pub.
Housed inside an 18th century building once visited by Rabbie Burns, The Pear Tree has an unpretentious, good-time vibe perfect for enjoying the sport and a pint of Guinness. The two eponymous pear trees, now 170 years old, still flank the pub’s entrance.
The Pear Tree, 38 W Nicolson Street, Edinburgh EH8 9DD
The Star Tavern, Belgravia
This Belgravia institution is one of only five pubs to appear in every edition of the Good Beer Guide, and counts Diana Dors and Peter O’Toole among its clientele in its fifties and sixties’ heyday. It is also supposedly where the Great Train Robbers conspired to steal millions from a Royal Mail locomotive in 1963. The thrill of this historic pub today lies in its great selection of Fullers beers and cosy atmosphere in the heart of SW1.
The Star Tavern, 6 Belgrave Mews West, Belgravia, London, SW1X 8HT
The Felin Fach Griffin, Brecon, Powys, Wales
Sitting between the Black Mountains and the Brecon Beacons, this gastropub was the first in Wales to win a Michelin Bib Gourmand. The beers here are sourced from local breweries, and the pub has as many as four real ales on tap on a constantly revolving basis to discover and promote new regional tipples.
The Felin Fach Griffin, Felin Fach, Brecon, LD3 0UB
The Eagle, Cambridge
Located right in the heart of Cambridge, The Eagle is the second-oldest pub in the town and is known as the place where Francis Crick announced the discovery of DNA.
The pub is also home to the ‘RAF bar’, so-named because of the Allied airmen who would graffiti on the ceiling with wax candles, petrol lighters and lipstick. The pub has a small outdoor seating area which spills onto the cobbled street of the alley at its side. Jostle for space at the bar alongside the students, among whom this historic pub remains a firm favourite.
The Eagle, Bene’t Street, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, CB2 3QN
The Punch Bowl Inn, Cumbria
Born and raised in the Lake District, pub-owner Richard Rose aims to blend the old and the new at this Cumbrian drinking hole and award-winning restaurant. The Punch Bowl is located right next to an old stone church and boasts ten-mile views down the valley, making it an idyllic spot for some respite after a hike through some of the UK’s most beautiful scenery. Eat traditional pub classics or go for the delicious cheese souffle.
The Punch Bowl Inn, Crosthwaite, Lyth Valley, LA8 8HR
The Angel at Hetton, Hetton, North Yorkshire
This Yorkshire Dales pub offers local ales and has a Michelin star for its gastropub offerings. The couple who run it love Japanese cuisine and styling so much they named their son Nori: its pared-back interiors are a temple to good taste amidst the rolling fields of Hetton.
The Angel at Hetton, Hetton, Near Skipton, North Yorkshire, BD23 6LT
Sign of the Angel, Lacock, Wiltshire
The enormous fireplace with crackling fire and flagstone passageways of this old coaching inn transport you back in time, much like the rest of the National Trust village of Lacock. The best local and seasonal produce make for a satisfying accompaniment to the range of beers and wines on offer.
Sign of the Angel, Church St, Lacock, Wiltshire SN15 2LB