London’s Best Riverside Pubs

After the brutal amount of rain we’ve had over the past six months it is no surprise that every man and their dog is shouting about the arrival of spring. In short, it’s time to get out and into a riverside garden somewhere. But while we can’t predict that fair weather will find you on the weekend you choose to indulge in one of our Thames-side pubs, we can make sure the pub will match the views onto the river. Here are some of London’s best pubs with river views.

Stein’s
If you’re thinking, ‘A pub named after a gigantic German beer glass? How could this place get any better?’ then you need to hold onto your hats because not only is Stein’s named after a vast Germanic drinking vessel but it has an incredible riverside location too. This place is quite the idyll at which to sink one or two of your favourite German beers. Overlooking the river in Richmond, Stein’s trades out of a refurbished ice-cream parlour. There is plentiful seating and all the Bavarian sausage you could want to go along with your picturesque views.

The Cutty Sark
The old tea clipper might be more famous than the pub but after a beautiful spring afternoon spent gazing out over the starboard bow, well, who knows, your word of mouth reviews may make the pub the top Cutty Sark in town. But probably not. In any case, you wouldn’t want a beautiful pub like this getting overrun. Classic, classy and filled with so much wooden decking you might as well be aboard the real Cutty Sark. Sit inside or out and enjoy the Greenwich location where the Thames feels wider than almost anywhere else.

The Prospect of Whitby
The Prospect of Whitby might just be London’s definitive riverside pub. It has the smugglers history, the ancient beams and brickwork, a glorious suntrap of a Thames-side beer garden and a visible hangman’s noose – just to ram home the history aspect once again. Located in Wapping, it makes a good stop-off as part of a wider pub-crawl of this part of the river.

The Founders Arms
While The Founders Arms may not possess the subtlest charm it is in possession of a stunning view of the Thames. And not only the Thames, its large beer patio sprawls over a section of the South Bank and offers a backdrop of St. Paul’s and company. Offering the standard selection of Young’s ales, The Founders is all about the prime location; close enough to walk to the West End but far enough away to enjoy some seclusion.

The Dove
Sandwiched among a row of buildings, The Dove has its location on the river to thank for providing it with an illusion of space. Bricked in on one side, a short walk through the pub and you’re looking out on a vast expanse of water. The cosy pub is just as adept as a warm winter bolt-hole as it is a spring sun-chaser’s retreat. In these parts – Hammersmith – there are overhanging trees, rowers and canal boats to be seen on the river. If a crisp afternoon with a glass of wine and some traditional pub food is the question, then The Dove is west London’s answer.