No booking, no problem.
It is a feeling that we have all become accustomed to over the past few weeks. Lockdown is over, and you fancy a pint in a beer garden with your group-of-six. You head into town and straight to your favourite boozer – but guess what? Every single pub, even pubs that no one would have been caught dead in eighteen months previously, is crammed with those smug people that booked their picnic bench nowhere near a patio heater sometime in mid-February, and are now reaping the rewards of their organisational abilities.
Who has the energy to book months advanced? Not us. That’s why we’re sharing our secret list of places that are ‘walk-in’ only, meaning that you never have to be caught out on a night out in central London again.
1. Gordon’s Wine Bar, Embankment
Gordon’s wine bar is one of my favourite places in London. Tucked away next to Embankment station on Villiers Street, this two-hundred-year-old watering hole reminds me of student days, when me and my mates would pack into its tiny interior to swill wine and talk nonsense for hours, thinking we knew stuff about wine (we didn’t). Sadly, until the 17th May, the inside is off-limits. However, their terrace is still available and, as they’re taking walk-ins only, it’s one of the hottest spots in London right now. We recommend you get there early though, coz we reckon tables will go like hot cakes. However, that just gives you an excuse to start drinking earlier!
Check it out! Gordon's | London's Oldest Wine Bar | Embankment, London
(Credit: @gordonswinebar)
2. The Albion, Islington
The Albion often pops up on those ‘best London pub’ lists. It’s an impressive-looking place, with wisteria-lined walls and Georgian-wood beams. The interior is just as impressive, with spacious rooms and a well-stocked bar. It is for this reason and many more that we at Licklist have sung its praises time and time again. Which is why we’re excited to say that they’re not taking any booking at the moment! They’re popular enough that they don’t need to. Which is good for us, because we love nothing more than a spontaneous trip to the Albion.
Find out more here: Islington Pubs | Food and Drink London | The Albion Pub
3. Fam Bar, Bond Street
This is somewhere I headed straight for on the weekend after lockdown eased. I’d heard good things and I wasn’t disappointed. They specialise in mixology, and you can tell. They have a wide range of their own delicious cocktail-concoctions, but if you’re not quite satisfied by that (and we don’t know why you wouldn’t be) they also make all the tried-and-tested classics. Best thing is, they’re not taking bookings for groups smaller than five, so in most cases you can just rock up. I recommend their margarita.
Click here for deets: FAM Bar Oxford Street London
(Credit: @fambar)
4. Coach and Horses, Soho
This is one of those pubs that has seen it all over the years, and it’s one of those places everyone seems to have a funny story about. Known as the "most famous pub in London", Coach and Horses provides locals and tourists alike with much-needed respite from the madness of Soho. They’re keeping half of their tables open for those of us who are resistant to this whole book-in-advance attitude that appears to have gripped Londoners over the past few weeks. You’ll have to try your luck with this place, but we reckon it’ll be worth it.
Find out more here: Soho’s Most Famous Pub | The Coach & Horses
5. Taproom, Dalston
Dalston is a great spot on a Friday night, and Taproom is right at the heart of it. With an impressive beer garden (over 150 seats available!) and a strict no-booking policy, this place is perfect for those (us included) who just want to rock up. Owned by 40ft Brewery, this place is best known for their incredible array of craft beer, so this one is good for those people in your life that just can’t stop talking about craft beer as soon as they get even a little bit tipsy.
Click here for deets! TAPROOM — 40FT Brewery, London Craft Beer
(Credit: @taproom)
With this list of top spots in London that require absolutely 0% planning, you’ll be completely sorted – at least until the 17th May rolls around, and we can all retreat inside on a windy evening.
Words by Rebecca Clayton