Bars
The 5 Best Pubs in Mayfair
Mayfair drinks far better than its handbag-shop reputation: Georgian coaching inns, three-time award pie rooms and walls of mounted stag heads, all minutes from Bond Street.
In short: our top picks are The Guinea Grill, The Windmill and Ye Grapes. 5 places in total, chosen on merit, with the full reasoning below.
Everyone assumes Mayfair is all hotel bars and £22 martinis, and then they walk into the Guinea Grill and find an inn that has poured beer on the same spot since 1423. This is proper pub country if you know the mews to turn down. The trick is that the good ones hide on back streets and cobbled corners, not the main drags, so you get panelled rooms and cask ale without the tourist churn of Soho. Come for the pies and the Guinness, stay because nobody is rushing you out.
| Place | Area | Price |
|---|---|---|
| The Guinea Grill | Mayfair | £££ |
| The Windmill | Mayfair | ££ |
| Ye Grapes | Shepherd Market, Mayfair | ££ |
| The Audley | Mayfair | £££ |
| The Punch Bowl | Mayfair | ££ |
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Editor’s choice
The Guinea Grill
Why we pick itAn inn has stood here since 1423; today it pairs Young's ales and a first-rate Guinness with dry-aged, grass-fed British beef off the open grill.
historic pub grill
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The Windmill
Why we pick itA Young's pub off Regent Street that has taken the British Pie Awards three times, with two dedicated pie rooms and a rare rooftop terrace.
traditional pie pub
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Ye Grapes
Why we pick itA Victorian corner boozer holding a corner of Shepherd Market since 1882, crammed with mounted animal heads and hunting-lodge clutter.
traditional pub
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The Audley
Why we pick itRestored inside a grand 1888 Thomas Verity building, pouring cask ale beneath serious contemporary art, with Mount St restaurant upstairs.
Worth knowingPriced like a restaurant in pub clothing. Anyone expecting a normal Mayfair pint on Mount Street should recalibrate before ordering.
grand Victorian pub
-
The Punch Bowl
Why we pick itOne of Mayfair's oldest pubs, dating to 1750 and freshly refurbished under Butcombe, doing classic British food and cask ales on quiet Farm Street.
historic pub
Before you book
Green Park and Bond Street are the handiest tube stops, with most of these within a ten-minute walk of each other for an easy crawl. Book ahead for food at the Guinea Grill, especially the grill room; Ye Grapes is tiny and fills fast after work, so get there early for a seat. The Windmill has a rare roof terrace worth chasing in summer, and several of these welcome dogs at the bar.
Common questions
What are the top picks in this guide?
The Guinea Grill is our editor's choice: An inn has stood here since 1423; today it pairs Young's ales and a first-rate Guinness with dry-aged, grass-fed British beef off the open grill. The Guinea Grill, The Windmill and Ye Grapes lead the guide, with 5 places in total, all chosen on merit.
How does Lamplit London choose its recommendations?
Every place is chosen on merit, after first-hand visits where possible, with no pay-for-placement. Read our full method at https://www.lamplitlondon.com/how-we-choose/.
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