Seasonal
St Patrick’s Day in London
Green-lit landmarks, a 50,000-strong parade through the West End, and the only morning of the year when a queue for Guinness feels like a rite.
In short: our top picks are Mayor of London's St Patrick's Day Parade and Festival, The Toucan and Waxy O'Connor's. 6 places in total, chosen on merit, with the full reasoning below.
London does St Patrick’s Day properly, and not just for one afternoon. The Mayor’s parade and the free festival on Trafalgar Square are the genuine centre of it, marching bands and dance troupes and Irish county associations filling the streets while the square fills with food stalls and music. But the soul of the day lives in the pubs, and there is a real difference between a place that hangs a tricolour for the weekend and one that has been pulling a proper pint since long before you arrived. The picks below are the latter. Go for the parade, then commit to the pour.
| Place | Area |
|---|---|
| Mayor of London's St Patrick's Day Parade and Festival | Trafalgar Square |
| The Toucan | Soho |
| Waxy O'Connor's | Soho |
| The Porterhouse | Covent Garden |
| The Auld Shillelagh | Stoke Newington |
| The Faltering Fullback | Finsbury Park |
-
Editor’s choice
Mayor of London's St Patrick's Day Parade and Festival
Why we pick itMore than 50,000 people join the procession of marching bands, dancers and county associations before a free festival of Irish food, film and music fills Trafalgar Square.
free parade and festival
-
The Toucan
Why we pick itA two-floor Soho institution since 1994, plastered in Guinness memorabilia and pouring one of the best pints of the black stuff in central London.
tiny Guinness pub
-
Waxy O'Connor's
Why we pick itFour bars across six warren-like floors of carved wood and stone, with live music several nights a week and an unapologetically over-the-top St Patrick's Day.
six-floor Irish bar
-
The Porterhouse
Why we pick itThe London outpost of Dublin's Temple Bar brewery, spread over multiple floors and pouring its own stouts, porters and ales brewed in Ireland.
Dublin craft-beer pub
-
The Auld Shillelagh
Why we pick itNamed the most authentic Irish pub in the world outside Ireland by the Irish Times, this narrow Grade II listed bar runs trad music sessions and a fierce pint of draught Guinness.
authentic Irish boozer
-
The Faltering Fullback
Why we pick itA rambling family-run pub on a quiet Finsbury Park street, known for a top-class Guinness, a Thai kitchen and cosy bric-a-brac rooms over several levels.
family-run Irish pub
Before you book
The parade steps off around midday and the Trafalgar Square festival runs through the afternoon; both are free and get packed, so arrive by late morning for a decent spot. The festival usually lands on the Sunday nearest 17 March rather than the day itself, and in 2026 that falls on Sunday 15 March. The good pubs do not take bookings on the day and many run a one-in-one-out door by early evening, so get to your chosen spot early or pick somewhere away from the West End crush like Stoke Newington or Finsbury Park.
Common questions
What are the top picks in this guide?
Mayor of London's St Patrick's Day Parade and Festival is our editor's choice: More than 50,000 people join the procession of marching bands, dancers and county associations before a free festival of Irish food, film and music fills Trafalgar Square. Mayor of London's St Patrick's Day Parade and Festival, The Toucan and Waxy O'Connor's lead the guide, with 6 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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