looking for retro pubs in London

Yes, look for Sam Smith’s pubs. No TV, no background music, and no WiFi. Talking on a mobile phone is either forbidden or highly frowned upon.

I happen to like Sam Smith’s beer, others don’t. They only sell their own brands of beer and alcohol so if you’re with a snob, may need to look elsewhere.

I enjoy a pint of India Ale there.

I don’t know of any London pubs with video games. I like the Devonshire Arms on Duke Street, near the excellent Wallace Collection (museum) and the Coach Makers Arms on Marylebone Lane. Both are in Marylebone, north of Oxford Street.

As Jennifer stated, you won't find video games in pubs. You'll find plenty of 'fruit machines' (slot machines) but there's usually only one and they're relatively inconspicuous once you get a handful of people chatting.

You'll find plenty of 'authentic' pubs throughout London that fit your requirements, I've never had a problem finding them. There are many that sell excellent craft and traditional beer. I don't like Sam Smith's pubs, they're a chain that aim for a particularly draconian ethos and they only sell their own bland, homogenous beer. You might as well go to a Wetherspoons, at least you can enjoy an excellently priced pint of Brewdog IPA without being made to feel like a schoolchild for letting slip a naughty word or checking your messages on your phone.

You might receive recommendations for Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese. Sure, it's old and has some great history but ultimately it's a Sam Smith's pub and that is enough to strike it off the list for me.

JC - what about Mr. Foggs Tavern. It looks like a fun place and their Thursday night sing alongs are very appealing to a frustrated singer. We are headed to London April 27 for 9 days and will venture out for a few late nights.

You could probably destroy yourself hitting all of the traditional, and some historic pubs, like you describe, just in Central London (I know, since in several trips I have tried).

Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese was mentioned, I would add the George Inn, the Grenadier, the Lamb and Flag, I guess I could go on, but as was mentioned, just about any older looking place will fit your bill.

As for beer, Samuel Smith pubs were mentioned, those establishments only sell the half dozen varieties of their beer, decent, but limited. Fuller pubs also only sell their beer for the most part, but the beer is better, the pubs nicer, and I think the food more like a gastropub than the typical fare. While some big chain pubs are attractive, I tend to limit my time in them, the beer can be good, the food dependable (not sure if that is good or bad). JD Wetherspoon and Nicholson are the ones I see in London the most, as I said they operate some neat properties, but same menu and and OK selection of beer. My favorite pub for beer is the Harp near Covent Garden, great selection of ales, people who know the beer, pleasant during the day, the after work crowd (like many central pubs) is elbow to elbow.

Do some searches on London Historic pubs or other such thing, it will make for good reading and give you a list (probably too long) to hit.

JC - what about Mr. Foggs Tavern.

Sorry Barbara, I've never heard of it. I tend to avoid London like the plague whenever possible but when I do visit I tend to see friends who take me to pubs whose names I never take note of!

I quite liked The Lamb Pub on Conduit Street. I didn't eat the food but the beer was decent and it wasn't overly noisy-just don't go when work gets out!

The Lamb is in Lamb's Conduit Street in Bloomsbury, a different street to Conduit Street which runs off Regents Street.

94 Lamb's Conduit Street, WC1N 3LZ

I don't know anything about it, just the correct address.

Thanks to a post a couple months ago, I bought London by Pub, subtitled Pub Walks around Historic London, by Ted Bruning, on amazon.uk. It's latest copyright is 2010 but I'm guessing that pubs that have been around for centuries won't have changed much in the last decade. It has 15 chapters by neighborhood and the descriptions make me want to go to all of them.

The Antelope near Sloane Square,
The Red Lion down the Crown Passage,
The Anchor Tap near Tower Bridge
The Grenadier In Belgravia.

In outlying neighborhoods:

The Dove in Hammersmith,
O’Briens in West Ealing,
Haven Arms in Ealing,
The George in Richmond,
The White Cross in Richmond
The George and Devonshire in Chiswick which is part of the Fuller’s Brewery

And I only drink Guinness so cannot comment on the beers.

Churchill Arms on Kensington Church Street - they decorate the outside to the nines for Christmas but inside is like a step-back to the 40's. We were just there a few weeks back while in London and we were super surprised at the ambience.

Queens Arms, Queens Mews, Kensington. It is not part of a chain, a rarity. Good food and drink, attractive.

Queens Arms, Kensington. NOT a part of a chain, a rarity.

The Blackfriar has been a plucky and eccenteric institution for many decades. It is located near the bridge, Tube and train stations of the same name, surrounded by office buildings which were thwarted in efforts to push it out for redevelopment. Yes, it is part of a chain (which means its food is more accomplished than the old pre-gastro-pub traditions) but its implausible decor is well beyond the imagination of corporate designers. Okay selection of beer, too, and a big terrace in good weather. The after-work business crowd pack the place for relief from the affairs of the day.
https://www.nicholsonspubs.co.uk/restaurants/london/theblackfriarblackfriarslondon

To the west, the Hereford Arms in Kensington is a favorite for the Sunday roasts mid-day (reserve ahead) but its selection of Fullers beers should have something for most tastes. It's a easy walk from the museum district and the Gloucester Road Tube stop.
https://www.herefordarms.co.uk/

Forgot to add the Angel and Crown in Richmond to my list.

If you enjoy the Royal Parks then don’t miss Richmond Park. After walking for miles there found the Angel and Crown and enjoyed lovely pub lunch!!!