I’m a professional pub drinker – these London boozers are where you might see stars like the the Beckhams & Ed Sheeran
IF you want to know the best place to gawk at some A-listers over a pint, then you’re in luck.
Pub expert John Warland – who has written two books on pubs and even runs pub tours – has revealed the best ones in London where you are likely to bump into a celeb.
For fans of Ed Sheeran, you should head over to west London.
He told Sun Online Travel: “Head in the direction of Notting Hill to Bertie Blossoms, which is owned the singer.”
The Thinking Out Loud artist opened the Bertie Blossoms in 2019 alongside his business partner Stuart Camp, naming the pub after his wife, Cherry Seaborn.
Tapas dishes are served in the boozer alongside cocktails like Ted’s Margarita.
While the pair have only been spotted at the pub for private events, there are plenty of other London boozers owned by celebrities.
John added: “There’s another pub called The Cow, which serves food such as oysters as well as drinks including stouts, and is more restaurant-y.
“It’s always got a celebrity visitor, like Rhys Ifans – and of course the Beckhams don’t live a million miles away.”
Other famous faces like Sir Paul McCartney, Stella McCartney, Tom Cruise and Kate Moss have all visited the Cow, with Cruz Beckham heading to the boozer when he’s back in the capital.
The Cow isn’t a traditional pub, so expect dishes like fish stew, braised beef and gnocchi.
Glasses of wine cost £9, which isn’t unfortunately an unusual price in London, and you might get to spot an A-lister dining on a nearby table.
Meanwhile, Guy Ritchie is the owner of the Lore of the Land in Fitzrovia.
Spread across three floors, it serves pints of Gritchie beer from Guy’s own brewery in Wiltshire on its ground floor, with its Sunday roasts are also considered a highlight.
Another pub with the potential for celeb-spotting is the Devonshire in Piccadilly, with John adding: “Ed Sheeran and Lewis Capaldi have done small music nights at the Devonshire because it’s run with an Irish sort of lyrical, musical, sort of bohemian flavour”.
For punters who aren’t fussed about drinking across the room from a famous face, John had plenty of other recommendations.
He added: “You have the famous Grenadier, which has been bought by Sir Jim Ratcliffe, the owner of Manchester United Football Club.
“It’s totally tucked away in a private muse in Belgravia where you turn the corner of this cobbled street and it appears as if by magic.
“And you’ve also got Cedric the Ghost, so as you walk in you’ll see all the money from all around the world, which is pinned to the ceiling to help pay off his gambling debts.
“He was probably stabbed to death in the pub, so Cedric haunts the pub until this day, but as a visitor, you can pin your note to the ceiling.
“And if you want to run the gauntlet, the Nag’s Head is another pub round the corner, which is often described as marmite.
“It’s on Kinnerton Street, and is run by one of London’s legendary landlords, Kevin Moran.
“After he joined the military, he went on to guard the Queen and spent his life in Soho becoming friends with Tom Baker, Richard Burton and Richard Harris.”
“It’s also where Robbie Williams went to retreat when the world’s press were trying to hound him after he’d left Take That.”
Kevin has previously been described as London’s strictest landlord, with John adding: “You can never use your phone in the pub, aren’t allowed to take photos, it’s cash only (or a minimum spend), there’s no swearing, you can’t go in with luggage or children… otherwise you’re asked to leave.
“It’s a beautiful pub and must be treated as a pub, indifferent behaviour will not be tolerated”.
Meanwhile, visitors to the English capital who are sticking to Covent Garden should head to the Cross Keys on Endell Street.
John said: “It’s a mid-1800s pub that’s all theatre with beautiful floor decorations and a cornucopia of delights like a napkin signed by Elvis and John Lennon‘s glasses.
“Irrespective of all this sort of celebrity Covent Garden flavour, there’s almost no tourists.
“It’s soft, plush, velvet, kind of, banquette seating, little stalls, simple beers, packets of Tato’s and Monster Munch, so it’s kind of what we’d say is probably an old man’s pub that’s actually right on the fringe of Covent Garden.
“And it’s very close to the Opera House, so great for anyone going to watch The Lion King”.
John also recommended ducking into the Gladstone Arms in Borough Market.
He said: “It’s a little desi pub run by a brother and sister. It has great music and it’s an asset to community value.
“I would choose to go to the Gladstone knowing that the money that I’m putting into the chef and the team there is going into their pocket rather than a large multinational chain.”
Despite supporting independent boozers John added: “I would never dissuade anyone from going into a Wetherspoons or a Greene King.
“The Greene King are the custodians of the National Trust owned George Inn on Borough High Street, which used to be Shakespeare’s local.
“You should go there once in your life and see where Shakespeare performed and where Dickens penned Tales of Little Dorrit.”
What is it like to visit a celeb-owned pub?
TRAVEL reporter Hope Brotherton visited the Grapes, a small London pub owned by actors Sir Ian McKellen and Sean Mathias. Here’s what it was like…
It seemed like Sir Ian McKellen was the big draw for other pub-goers. But the pub has a long history with famous patrons because it’s where author Charles Dickens danced on the tables.
Other famous faces like Patrick Stewart, Rupert Everett and Boris Johnson have walked through its doors.
When I told one of my co-workers about my evening plans, he let slip that Sir Ian had been known to host Monday night quizzes at the pub. .
Set in Limehouse, The Grapes is a narrow pub with limited space available for seating with just two tiny floors.
The pub is decorated with wooden pannelling throughout as well as oil paintings and chalkboards.
But the best piece of decor behind the bar is Gandalf’s staff – a nod to Sir Ian’s career.
Despite being a small pub, there was a wide variety of dishes available including veggie burgers, seafood platters, and BBQ ribs.
The portion sizes were generous and each hearty main set me back £16, while pints cost just under £6.
Of course, we stayed for the Monday night quiz – even though Sir Ian wasn’t the one asking questions.
While the quiz may have stretched my general knowledge, I loved the pub’s lively atmosphere.
Earlier this year, John named another pub to visit in London – you can read about it here.
And the pub tour guide has named his must-visit boozer in the capital, which is perfect for punters who are pushed for time.