This route does not work because The Wheatsheaf has closed down permanently. This is a work in progress. This route is a refinement on version two.
Start
Meet 10:30am at South Kensington station. Take a photo of all the starters.
Leave the station by the south exit at 11am. Cross the kite-shaped junction and go down Old Brompton Road. Clearly signposted on the right is the first pub:
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Z: The Zetland Arms
2 Bute Street, SW7 3EX
Open 11am to midnight on Saturdays
This is the only pub in London beginning with Z (worth speaking of, anyway) and it is also the worst pub on the crawl as well as being the most distant from all the others. That makes it an ideal starting point.
Return to South Kensington station and take the Circle or District Line to Westminster. Change to the Jubilee line and carry on to London Bridge station. Turn right out of the station, follow Borough High Street away from the river. Go right at the fork in the road and then right into Stoney Street. The next pub is on the left.
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W: The Wheatsheaf
6 Stoney Street, SE1 9AA; chosen by James R.
Continue up Stoney Street towards the river, passing Borough Market, until you reach Clink Street. Turn right and the next pub is here:
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O: Old Thameside Inn
Pickford's Wharf, Clink Street, SE1 9DG; chosen by Julian
020 7403 4243
Go back along Clink Street and follow the river bank until you reach the next riverside pub which is:
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A: Anchor Pub
34 Park Street, SE1 9EF; chosen by Julian. "It's really cool as it has many copies of the FT and WSJ on the walls."
020 7407 1577
I have never actually been inside this pub, every time I've visited it somebody else has gone inside to order and brought the drinks out.
Continue along the South Bank passing many interesting sights until you reach the Tate Modern. Right outside the gallery is the next small pub, a self-contained unit which should hopefully be relatively empty at this time of day.
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F: Founders Arms
52 Hopton Street, SE1 9JH; chosen by James R.
Opens 9am on Saturdays
After this pub, go back the way you came and cross the Millennium Bridge. Carry on straight up Peter's Hill to reach Queen Victoria Street. Turn left and then at St. Andrew's Hill turn right.
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S: Shaw's Booksellers
34 St. Andrew's Hill, EC4V 5DE
Closed on Saturdays
Carry on up St. Andrew's Hill and turn left at Carter Lane. The next pub is here on your left:
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R: Rising Sun
61 Carter Lane, EC4V 5DY
020 7248 4544
Go up Creed Lane opposite the Rising Sun and turn left at Ludgate Hill. On the right you'll see:
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Y: Ye Olde London
42 Ludgate Hill, EC4M 7DE
020 7248 1852
Go back along Ludgate Hill and turn left at Ave Maria Lane, then right at Paternoster Square. Here is the last pub for this part of London:
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P: The Paternoster
2/4 Queens Head Passage, Paternoster Square, EC4M 7DX
020 7248 4035
After this pub, head for St Paul's station which is to the east. Get on the Circle Line headed west and stay on it until you reach Lancaster Gate. Turn left out of the station and head along Stanhope Terrace until you reach a mini-roundabout where the next pub is located:
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V: The Victoria
2a Strathearn Place, W2 2NH; Mike's suggestion
020 7724 1191
This is a nice pub to the south of Paddington. After drinking here, you head north, up Sussex Place and then London Street towards Paddington station. There are two pubs inside Paddington station, one of them on the second floor:
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M: The Mad Bishop And Bear
Paddington Station, W2 1HB
020 7402 2441
...and then next one is on the ground floor, nearer the platforms.
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I: The Isembard
Platform 11, Paddington Station, W2 1HA
020 7262 6161
Head along the platforms towards the Hammersmith & City platforms. Before you get there, take a right turn along a covered walkway. This is the north exit from Paddington station. Continue in this direction and you'll follow along to the left of a tall wall which will eventually disappear to reveal a canal which you are walking alongside. Continue in this direction and the next pub is on the corner here:
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U: The Union
Sheldon Square, W2 6EZ; Mike's suggestion
020 7289 3063
After this pub go back the way you came towards Paddington and get on the Hammersmith & City line east. Get off at Euston Square station. Cross Euston Road and head up North Gower Street. Take the fourth right turn, Starcross Street, where you'll find the best "X" in London:
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X: The Exmouth Arms
1 Starcross Street, NW1 2HR
020 7387 5440
Next, go down Cobourg Street, left at Drummond Street, right at Melton Street and you'll get back to Euston Road. Go left and traipse along here until you see the next pub, on your right:
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E: The Euston Flyer
83-87 Euston Road, NW1 2QU; picked by Julian
020 7383 0856
Carry on along Euston Road, passing St. Pancras station and King's Cross station as Euston Road becomes Pentonville Road. Turn left into Northdown Street and on the left is your next pub:
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K: King Charles I
55-57 Northdown Street, N1 9BL
020 7837 7758
After this head back the way you came and enter St. Pancras station. Climb up the stairs to platform level and at the near end of the platforms there is a nice pub:
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B: The Betjeman Arms
St Pancras Station, NW1 2QP
020 7837 0522
You don't have to leave the station for the next bit, just go downstairs and hop onto the Piccadilly Line south to Covent Garden station. Just opposite the station is the first of the final clutch of pubs:
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N: Nag's Head
10 James Street, WC2E 8BT; chosen by Mike
020 7836 4678
After leaving the pub go left down James Street. Skirt left around the edge of Covent Garden and leave it via the far left corner, continuing south to reach Tavistock Street. Cross the road and go straight on down Burleigh Street. Turn left when you reach the Strand and you will see the next pub on your left.
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L: The Lyceum
54 Strand, WC2R 0HS; a Samuel Smith's pub, as requested by Julian
020 7836 7155
Go back down the Strand and continue until you reach Bedford Street on your right. Go right and then left into Chandos Place. Continue along until you reach the next pub on the route, which is on the right:
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H: The Harp
47 Chandos Place, WC2 4HS
020 7836 0291
Carry on down Chandos Place and turn right when you reach William IV Street and then right again into Charing Cross Road. Head up this road keeping to the left hand side until you see your next pub on your left, which is:
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C: The Cambridge
93 Charing Cross Road, WC2H 0DP; requested by Mike
020 7494 0338
The next pub is very nearby. Turn left out of the Cambridge and go along Moor Street. At the next crossroads is:
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T: The Three Greyhounds
25 Greek Street, W1D 5DD
020 7494 0902
Turn left out of the Three Greyhounds and go along Old Compton Street until you reach the end where it meets Wardour Street. Turn right and then look for the third left turn, which is Broadwick Street. Carry along here looking out on the right for:
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J: John Snow
39 Broadwick Street, W1F 9QP; a Samuel Smith's pub, as requested by Julian
0207 437 1344
Go straight ahead on leaving this pub, down Lexington Street. Take the second right turn into Brewer Street.
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G: Glasshouse Stores
55 Brewer Street, W1F 9UN
020 7287 5278
Turn right out of this pub and carry on until you reach the crossroads, then go left into Sherwood Street. Take the first left and the final two pubs are here, opposite one another:
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D: Devonshire Arms
17 Denman Street, W1D 7HS
020 7437 2445 - closes 11pm on Saturdays
Cross the road for the last pub:
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Q: Queen's Head
15 Denman Street, W1D 7HN
020 7437 1540 - closes midnight on Saturdays
Finally, you are now within spitting distance of Piccadilly Circus and can easily stagger home.
