There are a staggering number of great options to be found across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland to suit every taste imaginable.
In recent decades, we have also seen the emergence of the gastropub, in which visitors can tuck into quality dishes amid a bustling pub atmosphere.
Amongst this class of pub there are those that go the extra mile to stand out and truly deliver a unique experience.
I’ve been curious for a while now what going to one of these establishments would be like, and thankfully, there is a helpful guide for this.
Estrella Damm’s Top 100 Gastropubs list is released every year, so I had a perusal through the spots that were recognised in 2026.
In this year’s list, you might recognise The Devonshire in Soho, London, in the number one spot, but with how busy their bookings are, I thought it would be best to try elsewhere.
Due to my location in the south of England, London was the ideal place to travel to, and I settled on booking a lunch at The Canton Arms.
The Canton Arms was ranked as the UK’s 11th best gastropub (Image: Newsquest)
This pub in Stockwell was a reasonable distance away, and booking was thankfully not an issue.
I tried one of the UK’s best gastropubs
The Canton Arms ranked just outside the top 10 gastropubs in 11th place, so I had high hopes for this lunch.
I wanted to treat my parents, so I took them along, and the pub was a short walk away from Stockwell tube station.
It was a rather miserable, rainy day when we visited, so getting inside the pub was a welcome break from the weather.
The pub had a chalkboard outside advertising its kitchen opening times (Image: Newsquest)
The Canton Arms does have an outdoor seating area, which would be perfect for the summer, and it has a classic chalkboard outside advertising its kitchen opening hours.
Upon entering the establishment, it was immediately noticeable for its rustic interior with wooden floorboards, a variety of different chairs and tables and lots of detail on the walls, including a huge number of beer mats.
The venue is effectively split into two, with a traditional bar area at the front and the more restaurant-like seating area at the back.
We were taken to our table, and we were surprisingly the only ones there for quite a while.
The pub had a rustic interior with plenty of detail on the walls (Image: Newsquest)
Granted, it was a Thursday lunchtime, but I thought there might have been a few more tables taken up, especially as the recent gastropub rankings had only occurred a few days prior.
Regardless, that’s not something to knock the pub on, and I was impressed with our spot next to a windowsill with various jars and a sideboard stacked with vintage pots, jars and wine bottles at the very top.
The pub had interesting decor details such as with these jars on the windowsill (Image: Newsquest)
From here, it was time to order, and the menu had a wide range of beers, ales, wines and spirits to choose from.
I was keen to try a draught pint, so I went for a Brixton Reliance Pale Ale, which was suitably crisp.
For my main course, I was keen to try something I might not usually go for, so I chose the East Coast hake with new potatoes and gribiche.
The menu at The Canton Arms is different every day (Image: Newsquest)
It should be noted that the food menu is different every day, so what was available on my visit may not be there on the next.
Although we were the only ones in the restaurant section at the time, it did take a little while for the food to arrive.
However, the staff very kindly gave us a plate of focaccia bread with olive oil while we waited.
The focaccia bread was warm and soft (Image: Newsquest)
This was delightfully soft and warm, and the olive oil gave an added vibrancy to the flavour.
Not too long after that, the food arrived, and the fish looked delightful.
It was presented well, with several new potatoes placed next to it and the gribiche layered on top.
The East Coast hake was delightful (Image: Newsquest)
I hadn’t even heard of gribiche before seeing it on the menu, but having looked it up, it is a sauce made from egg yolks, mustard and a neutral oil like canola.
Regardless, it was a delightfully rich and creamy sauce that complemented the hake beautifully.
The new potatoes had a perfect soft texture, and the fish’s savoury taste was a joy to eat.
I also got to try a bit of what my parents ordered in the deliciously cheesy polpette a la pomodoro and the flavoursome mushroom tartiflette.
What I could gather from it was that you could pick almost any dish and it would satisfy.
Finally, I went for the little chocolate pot for dessert.
For the price of £7.80 the chocolate pot was quite expensive considering how small it was (Image: Newsquest)
At £7.80, it was incredibly expensive for how small it was, but the pudding with a layer of cream on top was sumptuous.
The verdict
Overall, I had a great time at The Canton Arms, with the food being an obvious standout in terms of quality.
Understandably, it was relatively expensive, but this is London after all.
Although I didn’t go for just a drink, it can serve that purpose effectively, thanks to its wide range of options on tap.
Its rustic charm in its interior design is also something to praise, and the service from the staff was also top-notch.
If you’re in London or fancy travelling to it, then it is worth your time.
What’s your favourite gastropub? Let us know in the comments.
