London pubs with a lot of atmosphere and good food

Seven Stars pub by the Royal Courts of Justice, (go to see the General and to enjoy the pasta), the White Cross on the Thames in Richmond and The Dove in Hammersmith.

Found the meal I had last November at the Old Bank of England sub par.

Edit: if willing to travel to Ealing, the Haven Arms. Bella is worth the trip.

Edit 2: was writing this response then stopped for a 4.4 earthquake. Never moved from my bed. CA native. You learn to listen first….your hear glass breaking or see things falling…then you move.

Edit 3: The Anchor Tap near Tower Bridge.

This pub was at the end of a LondonWalks. Great food, interesting history.
https://www.mayflowerpub.co.uk/

Good suggestions above, another one I really like is Viaduct Tavern - beautiful interiors (often referred to as a "gin palace"), and lots of interesting history- in fact some former holding cells from Newgate Prison are in the basement and if you ask the staff nicely they'll even take you down to see them. It's a Fuller's pub and in my experience they have the best food of any of the chain pubs. I also love The Star Tavern in Belgravia, another Fuller's pub with an interesting history as the Great Train Robbery was planned in the upstairs dining area. For some slightly different atmosphere, another favourite of mine is the Parcel Yard which is inside Kings Cross station- many of the seats have a great view of trains arriving and departing. Good luck with the planning!

For something truly special, try the Devonshire, on Denman Street, right off Piccadilly Circus. It’s not part of a chain. Their pint of Guinness is perfect. They serve excellent, elevated pub food with a steakhouse flair - and they age their own beef in-house!

You will need a reservation for dinner. It’s a tad pricey, but oh-so-worth it. https://www.devonshiresoho.co.uk/

Others: our local is the King’s Arms in the Fulham Road, close to Stamford Bridge (across the road from the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital). It is NOT touristy. It’s a Young’s pub. Young’s is a very small chain compared to others and their pubs have a grown-up, laid-back vibe. The staff are lovely, and the food is quality (their chips are awesome). https://www.thekingsarmschelsea.co.uk/

We like The Roundhouse in Covent Garden. Very sweet Georgian-ish interior and a nice place for a pint if you are in that area. Alas, they have stopped doing food. (Unless they started again - it’s been on and off.) I mention it because most other pubs in that area are much more touristy - the Roundhouse still feels a bit more local. https://www.roundhousecoventgarden.co.uk

The Ship Soho is a great old boozer and a perfect stop for a pint if you like rock ‘n’ roll history. Some of the greats have gotten smashed here. Food is fine (it’s a Fuller’s pub) but no one goes for the food. You go for the vibe. And there is excellent people watching! https://www.shipsoho.co.uk/

Finally (otherwise I will go on all day) we just went to The Prince Alfred in Maida Vale/Little Venice (easy walk from Paddington Station) and it is AMAZING. It’s a perfectly preserved Victorian pub with gorgeous wood and acres of etched glass and those teeny tiny interior doors that you have to duck to get through. It is also a Young’s pub. They have quality food and even have a nice cocktail menu. The beauty of this pub’s interior blew me away - and I have been to a LOT of pubs in my day. :-) https://www.theprincealfred.com/

there is a LOT of seriously valuable info in this thread - thanks all

bookmarked and printed and held to the fridge by 2 magnets

If you want to get a REALLY knowledgeable local's view
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUEl6SIhYyU
Julian McDonnell just published a book on the topic of pubs:
https://geni.us/joolzguidespubwalks

Julian McDonnell is never rated G, he can be rather crude, but I'd choose him to be on my pub trivia team EVERY time!
https://www.amazon.com/dp/183783279X?tag=lnk0001-20&geniuslink=true

Really, I've found very few bad pubs in London :) Just once we went into one in Mayfair that we could NOT afford, so ordered soup and left :) Otherwise they've all been quite good over the years :)

Happy travels,
Alison

We would recommend the Hereford Arms, a Fuller's Pub and Restaurant in South Kensington, at 127 Gloucester Road. We loved the food there, and it is right near the Gloucester Road tube station. Make a reservation since it is popular.

Random thoughts on pub chains:

I know a lot of people avoid them for political reasons, but I've found Wetherspoon pubs to provide excellent value and a great selection of ales. Of the brewer-owned pub chains, I much prefer Fuller's; their brews are very good. I've yet to find a Greene King beer I enjoy. Finally, BrewDog offers really good beers and ales in great variety, and in my experience very tasty foods (almost all fried), but at a substantial price premium.

If you can find a truly independent pub, go for it, but they're not easy to find IME. Many pubs appear to be independent but turn out to be corporate-owned. Not necessarily a bad thing, but independent pubs are especially enjoyable.