Real House Wines of London
Searching for where the vibes, the views, the value and the vino meet across London’s best pub gardens. Follow @realhousewinesoflondon on IG
Hello!! As this is the first edition of our new monthly column, we thought we’d introduce ourselves. We’re Annie and Imo otherwise known as the ‘Real House Wines of London’, two passionate, unqualified, but extremely experienced, house wine drinkers who are on a mission to find London’s best house wine and the vibiest place to drink it.
This quest has led us on a winding and twisted path. Many a drink has been drunk and many a hangover had, but slowly and surely our palates have refined. Not refined enough to push us out of the house wine drinking cohort (thankfully), but enough that we can now sagely distinguish between a classy savvy b and a tasteless Chardonnay. And most importantly tell you what/where is worth your time and money.
This summer, we’ve been working flat out, day and night, feet on the ground, bums on benches, glasses in hand, tirelessly searching for the finest pub gardens in each of the four corners of London. And this was no easy feat. London does pub gardens well! In fact, we’d go so far as to say, they are one of Britain’s finest cultural achievements, up there with breakfasts, Alison Hammond, jacket potatoes, queuing and the stable price of the Tesco meal deal.
This month, we’ve picked a pub in each corner of the capital offering the very best sunmaxxing ops for bank holiday, but discerning drinkers be warned – on our search we also found that the better the garden often meant the worse the wine, so we’d suggest a generous side of ice for these establishments.
West London – The Crab Tree
This pub really does have it all. The garden is big and bustling, with little nooks and crannies and a bbq shack serving genuinely delicious (if slightly overpriced) burgers. There are heaters – we know, its not the season, but you would be shocked how many gorgeous beer gardens let themselves down due to a lack of thermal planning.
The garden spills out onto the riverside where a frankly regal willow tree is growing out of the bed of the Thames.
The house white is a zesty, tropical number from Cote de Gascoigne. We didn’t LOVE it but it’s definitely drinkable and for under £30 a bottle, you legally cannot complain.
The crowd is very Kings Road coded – boat shoes are out, polo shirts are on, rosé is flowing, and Arabella and Hugo are most definitely around. So, sit back and enjoy a front row seat to ‘Overheard in Waitrose’.
Our advice: Arrive asap after work on Friday, bag yourself a table outside and then leisurely drink a couple of bottles with a respectable amount of ice for taste and hydration.
Vibes ✓
Views ✓
Value ✓
Vino (just about)
South London – The Trafalgar Tavern Greenwich
Ignore the food. Ignore the wine. That is not what you’re here for. Your life is a movie. That movie is a knock-off Pirates of the Caribbean. You are Kiera Knightly.
This is the self proclaimed ‘Jewel of the Thames’ and she’s gorgeous. It’s garish and touristy but somehow still charming. You will have seen this pub on insta; it’s instantly recognisable by the hundreds of flags adorning its outside. The garden consists of beautifully paved riverside seating where you can watch the sunset – need we say more.
The house wine was a Spanish Verdejo; a non-descript cheap dry white which we cannot in good conscience recommend – BUT with lots of ice and a sunny sky it’s certainly passable and at £30 a bottle, we’ll accept its supporting role.
This is perfect for 4-9pm Saturday evening. You want to secure a good spot and settle in to watch the sunset but don’t miss your journey home because it’s probably a bit of a schlep… This is Greenwich after all.
Vibes ✓
Views ✓
Value ✓
Vino.. questionable
East London – Pub on the Park
Pubs with nearby space where you can touch grass are a HUGE tick for us and you can’t really get better than London Fields. This is the perfect spot to slide into after a long walk or a quick dip in the lido. No bells or whistles, no fancy flowers, just hefty umbrellas providing shade from sun or drizzle, and good old classic pub benches. They also have 12 screens and play ALL the sports so this one’s for you if you love football, or love Jude Bellingham.
The House white was ‘The Rambler’ and sadly it suits its name. This wine has the vibe of being stuck next to someone who’s chewing your ear off – you’re three stories deep and you can’t get a word in edge ways. It’s monotonous, floral and forgettable, served in chubby little plastic glasses, but for £27 a bottle, we’ll listen a little longer.
Arrive at 2pm on Sunday and let your afternoon slip into the evening. There are often DJs here so a good spot for a boogie, and it’s only a few minutes from Moth Club should you want to escalate the night a little further.
Vibes ✓
Views ✓
Value ✓
Vino Again.. questionable
North London – The Albion
Perhaps our pièce de résistance. This pub is objectively charming. The wisteria! The secret walled garden!! It’s so quintessentially British, it’s like ‘The Holiday’ in pub form.
As you’d expect in Islington, the house white ‘Brouette Blanc’ is extremely drinkable: Light, citrusy and pairs well with food, and for £30 you’ve done well.
Get here for lunch on Sunday or Monday, order yourself a tasty roast and a couple of glasses of house white and leave convinced you should exclusively spend your weekends inside walled gardens.
Vibes ✓
Views ✓
Value ✓
Vino ✓
Our hunt always continues, so send us your favourite pub gardens by sliding into our DMs. Gatekeeping is strongly discouraged.
Read more of our extremely serious pub research – RHWOL