It feels we're never far away from another story about pub closures, or predictions of gloomy times ahead for our beloved boozers.
Granted, the 2020s has been a tough time for the industry, in keeping with the economy in general. But when you drill into the numbers for London pubs, the picture is more mixed. ONS data released earlier this summer for 2024 showed a very small net decrease in pub numbers across the capital (a loss of 10 from 2023), yet with numbers increasing across 10 London boroughs, including Camden and Westminster.
In 2025 so far we've also seen a handful of notable pub (re)openings, giving us something to raise a glass to. Here are five new/reimagined pubs well worth a visit.
Hat & Feathers, Clerkenwell
Aside from a short spell in the late noughties, the Hat and Feathers has been closed since the 1980s, so let's hope this latest reincarnation stands the test of time. The Grade II listed pub has thankfully retained a number of charming interior features, such as its cut glass windows, and while it's reopened in connection to a swanky hotel next door (the catalyst for its revival), anyone can pop in for a quick drink — the menu including a few rotating ales (including a self-branded ale) as well as cocktails and a traditional food menu. Hat & Feathers
Blue Maid, Borough
In its last guise, the Blue Eyed Maid was known for staying open into the small hours — the availability of one final drink egged on/tempered by the presence of late night karaoke. That joint closed down just before Covid and its shuttered exterior remained a sorry sight for the first half of the decade. Now reborn with its original name of the Blue Maid, the interior is a sleek, minimalist affair. With up to 18 keg beers (from some highly respected craft breweries) available on tap, alongside three cask ales (a pale, a dark and a bitter, all just five quid a pop — extraordinary value in this neck of the woods), you’ll have the best of times but certainly not the worst of times in a pub which featured in Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens. Blue Maid
Hand & Marigold, Bermondsey
Run by the same team behind the gem that is The Traf in South Wimbledon, the Hand & Marigold has quickly established itself as a fixture on the Bermondsey pub scene. With over 15 cask and keg beers on tap (that's more choice than many breweries on the nearby Beer Mile offer), it's a welcoming spot that appeals to both traditional pub fans as well as those seeking out the latest hoppy craft creations. While the Traf continues to fend off lunkheaded developers, it's good to know we now have the Hand & Marigold in reserve. Hand & Marigold
Queens Arms, Battersea
This side street Battersea boozer was revived in May 2025 by north London's Bohem Brewery, which was set up by two Czech expats in 2017 and brews traditional Bohemian lagers in the capital. It's their third location after their brewery tap room in Bowes Park and the Nicholas Nickleby in Stroud Green, and if you're one of the many beer drinkers who have a taste for fresh Czech brews, you'll want to visit soon.
10 beers are offered on tap, ranging from traditional pilsners to more fanciful concoctions, such as their own chilli-flavoured 'Lucifer'. This isn't even the only new Czech based pub in London this year, with the Stranded (on Strand) opening its doors earlier this summer. A true velvet revolution! Queens Arms
Knave of Clubs, Shoreditch/Blue Stoops, Notting Hill
A twofer here. The Knave of Clubs — "an East End pub brought back to life" — in Shoreditch has taken over the real estate once occupied by Les Trois Garçons, proffering a gorgeous, gleaming interior of mirrors and columns. As a nod to its former days as an Allsop's pub, it serves their beers. It's a smart drinking house, and within sight of the Overground roundel too. Very welcome.
Meanwhile, the Blue Stoops in Kensington Church Street (which technically opened in December 2024) is a former wine bar that has been completely reimagined by Allsop's Brewery itself, with a smart interior decorated with the brewery's memorabilia, and again, their own set of ales on tap, as well as a revival of the once-ubiquitous Double Diamond lager (don't worry, it tastes better than it used to). The food here is a major draw too; I can certainly agree with Jay Rayner that the pork scratchings take the traditional porcine snack up a notch or two. Knave of Clubs, Blue Stoops
Sam Cullen is the author of London's Lost Pubs. He's discussing the book at the Tabard Theatre on Sunday 14 September, as part of The Chiswick Book Festival.
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