🍺 Pints, Puddings & Proper Bargains:

The 2025 Guide to London’s Best Cheap Local Pubs (Where the Locals Actually Go)

Let’s be honest: London isn’t cheap. You’ve already dropped half your budget on flights, accommodation, and a “souvenir” umbrella that lasted 6 minutes. But when it comes to food? You don’t have to settle for sad airport sandwiches or £28 tourist trap burgers in Piccadilly.

This summer, we’re taking you to the pubs that Londoners actually go to. Think: giant Yorkshire puddings, slow-roasted meats, charming beer gardens, and pints under a fiver.

Yes, they still exist in 2025.

“When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life.”
— Samuel Johnson
(Also probably said after three pints and a roast at The Carpenters Arms.)

🥇 The Carpenters Arms – Bethnal Green

• Top pick: Roast beef + Yorkshire + horseradish – £14
• Pints: from £4.90
• Insider tip: Get in early on Sundays. It’s full by 1pm and they don’t take bookings.
• 🔗 thecarpentersarms.pub

🍖 The Royal Oak – Borough

• What to eat: Slow-roast pork belly with crackling – £16
• Drink this: Harveys Sussex Best Bitter for under £5
• Fun fact: It’s been a pub since 1889 and still looks like a Sherlock Holmes set.
• 🔗 royaloakborough.com

“A proper pub is somewhere you can spend the day, not just the night.”
— Every British nan ever

🧀 The Canton Arms – Stockwell

• Roasts: £15–£17, including veggie options
• Bonus: Free bar snacks if you’re just drinking
• 🔗 thecantonarms.com

🍻 The George Inn – Southwark

• Special: Steak & ale pie + pint for £13.50 (Mon–Weds)
• Good to know: Wooden beams, cobbled courtyard, Dickens drank here.
• 🔗 National Trust: The George Inn

🪴 The Kenton – Homerton

• Sunday Deal: All roasts £10 before 2pm
• Try this: The lamb roast – it’s legendary
• 🔗 thekenton.co.uk

“The cheapest pint I had in London was in Homerton — and it came with a roast. I almost cried.”
— A tourist named Jess from Brisbane, probably

🌿 The Faltering Fullback – Finsbury Park

• Secret weapon: Jungle beer garden + Thai food
• Pints from: £4.80
• 🔗 Google Maps

🍗 The Lord Tredegar – Bow

• Order this: Chicken roast + Yorkshire pud – £12
• Pro tip: Ask for a “half roast” to save room for dessert
• 🔗 thelordtredegar.co.uk

👀 Honourable Mentions

• The Duke of Wellington (Dalston): Loud, fun, great veggie roasts
• The Holly Bush (Hampstead): Countryside pub vibes, 5 mins from the Tube
• The Coach & Horses (Soho): The UK’s first veggie pub menu + literary history

💡 Pub Hacks for Summer 2025

• Book ahead for Sunday roasts
• Weekday deals are your budget’s best friend
• Drink local: It’s cheaper and tastier
• Avoid chain pubs near tourist traps
• Half pints = full joy when pub-hopping

💸 Budget Breakdown

Item	Avg Cost	Travel Hack
Sunday Roast	£12–£17	Pre-2pm deals are 🔥
Pint of Beer	£4.50–£5.50	Choose cask ales or local
Main + Pint Combo	~£15	Weekday bundles FTW