London Pub Food Tour: Is it Worth It?
Is a London pub food tour worth several hours of your trip?
If you only have a few days in London, you have to be selective about the experiences you add to your itinerary.
After taking one myself, my answer is yes, particularly if you’re short on time and want to combine several quintessentially British experiences in one afternoon. It’s actually a really smart plan.
You get historic London pubs, traditional British food, drinks and history about the City of London. And Mr Sunny, the pub expert at Sunny in London, gives this one his stamp of approval too.
He should know. As an Englishman from generations of London born descendants, he has contributed a Pub of the Week to our weekly Sunny News email, sent on SUNdays, for more than a decade.
What is a London Pub Food Tour?
A London pub food tour combines several things visitors often want to experience separately: traditional British food, historic pubs, drinks and London history.
The tour we took focuses on the City of London, the historic financial district in the centre of London. It is an area many visitors walk through without necessarily stopping to explore its pubs. You’d most likely go to St Paul’s Cathedral and nothing else, as someone visiting London for the first time.
One thing to know before booking is that you may not visit exactly the same pubs every time. The route can depend on the day of the week, the guide and what is happening at the pubs. On our tour, for example, one London pub we expected to visit was unavailable because it was hired for a private event that day.
We deliberately chose a Saturday for our London pub food tour. As Londoners, we know the City can be relatively quiet at weekends because so many people who work there are commuters. Thursday afternoons, for example, can be a very different story when the area’s pubs fill up with workers kicking off their weekend early.
Watch my video of the London pub food tour above to see what the experience was actually like.
The Food and Historic Pubs
Our tour included four historic pubs, with food and drinks at each stop. The emphasis wasn’t simply on drinking. There was a nice portion of food at each pub throughout the afternoon.
At The Viaduct, we had a pork pie with chorizo. It wasn’t technically a traditional pork pie because of the chorizo but it was delicious. We also had London Pride, a real ale and the beer Mr Sunny’s father drank throughout his life.
We were also given a private tour of the pub’s cellar, which is allegedly housed in what was once a jail. Being close to the Old Bailey and the site of Newgate gave our guide an opportunity to explain some of London’s history, including debtors’ prisons.
At The Old Bell, we had fish and chips with cider. Our next stop was Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese, where we enjoyed pigs in blankets with lager. This was a particular surprise for me because this dish is such a popular Christmas food that I didn’t expect it to be served outside the festive season.
And at Ye Olde Cock Tavern, we had a Scotch egg and Abbot Ale, another real ale. Many guests on our tour found this to be their favourite British food to try.
How Much Walking is Involved?
On our particular tour, we walked approximately 0.5 miles in total.
That could vary depending on which pubs the tour visits that day, so I wouldn’t book it assuming your route will be exactly the same as ours. However, this is not a walking tour where you’re covering miles and miles of London.
You’re mainly walking between pubs in the City, with the stops themselves being a major part of the experience.
And if you’re wondering about the drinking, this isn’t a case of spending the afternoon pounding beer. I don’t drink beer, so Mr Sunny was very happy to consume my half pints after I had a few sips of each one. When I wanted something different, he simply went to the bar and bought me a prosecco separately.
So you don’t need to be a beer drinker to enjoy the experience.
Does a London Pub Tour Feel Touristy?
This was one of the things I was most interested in researching.
There were 10 people on our tour and six of them were American, not including me. So clearly this is an experience that appeals to international visitors.
But it didn’t feel like a manufactured tourist experience.
That’s largely because the pubs themselves are genuinely historic London pubs. You’re not being taken to places that have been created simply because tourists want a “British pub experience”. You’re learning about the history of the places you’re actually standing in, while eating and drinking your way through the City.
For visitors, that’s one of the strongest reasons I would consider this tour.
You can spend days in London and still miss some of its older pubs, particularly in an area like the City of London.
Who Should Take a London Pub Food Tour?
I’d particularly recommend this experience for:
- First-time London visitors who want to experience traditional pubs
- Foodies who want to try British dishes beyond the obvious tourist favourites
- History lovers who enjoy learning the stories behind places they’re visiting
- Travellers with limited time who want food, drinks, pubs and sightseeing combined into one experience
And I would not recommend doing this on your arrival day.
Four people on our tour had arrived from the US that morning. They also had tickets for the National Theatre at 7.30pm. Our tour didn’t finish until 6.30pm. Even though this isn’t a heavy drinking experience, eating and drinking while dealing with jet lag and then sitting in a theatre for several hours sounds like a very tough first day in London. However, they did fly business class, so perhaps they made it through the whole first day in London happily.
Sunny’s Trip Planning Tips
And if you need help planning your London trip, you can use one of my London Travel Guides to DIY. For a customised itinerary, consider a trip consultation with me.
Is a London Pub Food Tour Worth It?
For me, the biggest advantage is that you’re getting several London experiences in one go.
If you’re short on time, you can see historic pubs, experience traditional British food and learn about the history of the City of London without having to plan three separate activities by yourself.
That’s particularly useful on a 3–5 day London trip, when every afternoon or evening has to earn its place.
It works particularly well when you want an experience that feels distinctly London but isn’t simply another major attraction on your sightseeing list.
London Pub Food Tour at a Glance
| What to Know | Details |
|---|---|
| Best for | First time visitors, foodies & history lovers |
| Walking | About .5 miles on our tour |
| Pubs | 4 on our experience |
| Food | Multiple British dishes throughout the tour |
| Drinking | Yes, but it’s not a heavy drinking experience |
| Area | City of London |
| My Verdict | Worth considering if you’r short on time |
Final Thoughts
I’d recommend this London pub food tour, particularly for visitors who want to experience something beyond London’s biggest attractions. And the fact that the route can change means each tour isn’t necessarily identical.
Our guide, Judd, was a big part of what made the afternoon work. His passion for London and the tour was obvious. He was knowledgeable, friendly, organised and funny, which made the history feel interesting rather than like a lecture.
And when the pub expert at Sunny in London gives a pub tour two thumbs up, that’s worth paying attention to.
Want to Experience it Yourself?
I’d recommend this London pub food tour, particularly for visitors who want to experience something beyond London’s biggest attractions. And the fact that the route can change means each tour isn’t necessarily identical.
Our guide, Judd, was a big part of what made the afternoon work. His passion for London and the tour was obvious. He was knowledgeable, friendly, organised and funny, which made the history feel interesting rather than like a lecture.
And when the pub expert at Sunny in London gives a pub tour two thumbs up, that’s worth paying attention to.
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