London's best beer gardens

While away an afternoon with a pint

Not a garden made out of beer, obviously; that would be plain daft. (Although a centrally flowing "beer feature" would certainly compliment the clematis, campanula and agapanthus.)

N'no... we're talking about the kind of backdrop in which you can enjoy your favourite tipple as the British summer sun beats down and makes you just that little bit too pink. Doesn't matter though, you're well on your way to getting trollied and you look awesome in your new Ray Bans - so mild sunburn, be damned.*

We've hand-picked the very best of London's outdoor spaces to while away the afternoons.


* although, in all seriousness, we urge you to sunburn responsibly.

Stein's Bavarian Beergarden image
Stein's Bavarian Beergarden
Rear of 55 Petersham Road TW10 6UX
Richmond 0.72 miles
European
Photos

If you like your Paulaner and your Erdinger served up riverside then Stein’s is the place for you. Huge glasses of beer come as standard and there really couldn’t be a more picturesque setting in which to sip. Right on the bank of the Thames, Richmond’s Stein’s is the place to go for a view – and there’s a small children’s playground too.

The White Horse image
The White Horse
1-3 Parsons Green SW6 4UL
Parsons Green 0.19 miles
Pubs
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On the inside the Victorian fittings offer a grand old venue for a drink or two, however, when the sun comes out it’s the garden that makes The White Horse one of London’s finest for outdoor drinking. The decking spreads around the outside of the pub and could quite well provide space for twenty big groups. The huge umbrellas are also likely to come in handy when the sun decides to take a day off.

Lockside Lounge image
Lockside Lounge
75-89 Camden Lock Place N1 8AF
Angel 0.29 miles
AIL
Users
Lounge Bars

Not huge outdoor space but what's there is bang-on. Set overlooking both the Camden Market and the canal, this location gives you both relaxing water scenes and people-watching opportunities from one spot.

The People's Park Tavern image
The People's Park Tavern
360 Victoria Park Road E9 7BT
Homerton 0.59 miles
AIL
Users
Pubs
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As if the garden at the back of The Britannia on Victoria Park Road wasn’t great enough, it runs onto the vast expanse of Victoria Park itself. So, if your wandering gets up a thirst there’s always the picnic benches, beers and bloody mary’s of The Britannia to sustain you for another lap of the park.

The Red Lion image
The Red Lion
41 Hoxton Street N1 6NH
Hoxton 0.32 miles
AIL
Users
Pubs
Opening Times

Although slightly rough around the edges the higher you climb at the Red Lion, the prettier the place becomes – until you find yourself on the terrace looking out over Hoxton. Sit or stand, partake in the BBQ or don’t, just enjoy the views in on of East London’s finest rooftop gardens.

The Dolphin image
The Dolphin
121 Sydenham Road SE26 5HB
Sydenham 0.29 miles
Pubs
Opening Times

According to the designers the garden at The Dolphin in Sydenham was a response to the Tudor style façade of the pub itself. A modern take on the Tudor garden ensued and what the pub is left with is one of the most original – not to mention vast – beer gardens in London. Pruned hedges, a water jet and a steel pagola will swallow entire afternoons in this awesome exterior.

Prospect Of Whitby image
Prospect Of Whitby
57 Wapping Wall E1W 3SH
Wapping 0.27 miles
Pubs
Opening Times

Forget the history and the pomp of this pub on the Thames smugglers trail, in summer it’s all about the perfect patio on the bank of the Thames. Concealed on one of Wapping’s cobbled streets, The Prospect of Whitby belies its chain pub reincarnation and dazzles with its river vistas.

The Swan image
The Swan
119 Acton Lane W4 5HH
Chiswick Park 0.26 miles
Pubs
Opening Times

A stone’s throw from the Fuller’s Brewery, The Swan in Chiswick is the perfect place to enjoy the merits of an alfresco pint of Honeydew or two. With over 30 tables the large, perfect lawn is the ideal tonic for gardenless Londoners on the hunt for outside drinking.