Londoners have voted, and the title of best pub in the city has gone to The Anchor, the big, storied drinking spot on the South Bank of the Thames at Bankside. The result comes from a reader poll run by Secret London, which asked its audience to pick their favourite from among the capital's thousands of pubs — no small ask in a city that arguably invented the format.
The Anchor's appeal is easy to understand once you know where it sits. It occupies a prime stretch of the Bankside riverfront in Southwark, close to Shakespeare's Globe, Tate Modern and the Millennium Bridge, with outdoor seating that looks straight across the river at St Paul's Cathedral. On a sunny evening, the riverside tables here are among the most fought-over seats in London.
The pub is also steeped in history. Bankside was the rowdy entertainment district of Tudor and Stuart London — the zone of playhouses, bear pits and taverns that sat outside the city's formal control — and a tavern has stood on or near this site for centuries. The current building dates mainly from the late 17th century, after the area was rebuilt following the Great Fire of London in 1666. Over the years it has picked up literary connections and ghost stories aplenty, as most pubs of this vintage have, and it remains a proper working pub rather than a museum piece: cask ales, classic British food and a busy, sociable atmosphere, especially on match days and summer weekends.
For visitors, the location is half the point. You can pair a pint here with a walk along the Thames Path, a show at the Globe, or the Tate's free permanent collection, all within a few minutes' stroll. The nearest tube and rail links are at Blackfriars, London Bridge and Southwark, so it slots neatly into almost any central London itinerary.
Why does a reader poll like this matter to travellers? Because locals' picks tend to cut through the tourist-trap noise. A pub that Londoners themselves will vote for is usually one that still does the fundamentals well — decent beer, fair prices by central London standards, and a room with atmosphere. If you've ever been burned by a bland riverside venue with laminated menus and £8 pints, a crowd-sourced endorsement is a useful filter.
One practical caveat: The Anchor is large and popular, which means peak times get genuinely busy. Go early evening on a weekday if you want a quieter pint and a river view without hovering for a table. Weekends in decent weather are lively but packed. Either way, it's a straightforward addition to any Bankside day out — and now with a readership award behind it, expect it to be even busier.
Story via Secret London.
