Who better to to list what area has the best pubs than a man who has visited over 1,000
A trip to the pub for a roast or for ‘one’ pint is a staple in British culture. And 55-year-old Feargus Cribbin might be one of the most experienced pub goers London has to offer.
In 2017, Feargus made it his mission to visit every single pub in London. At his first count, he found 2,278 pubs with a London postcode. As of February 13, 2026, he had visited 1,127. His motivation to have a ‘pint in every pub’ came around due to his own family ties.
Feargus told MyLondon: “My parents used to be landlords of a pub back in the 70s. I took them for a drive down to where their old pubs were in Dalston and one had been knocked down and the other had been converted into flats.
“We parked up and were reminiscing. We realised apart from a few photos (of them in the pub), they’ve got no documentation of it. So I set myself a mission to document every pub in London with a London postcode.”
That is why it was a must that we posed the question to Feargus: what area has the best pubs?
“It’s a tricky one. (Right now) I’d say Stoke Newington. There’s 22 pubs in Stoke Newington and the calibre of pubs in N16 is very good. Most pubs are fairly on main roads or main thoroughfare but in Stoke Newington, they’ve still maintained several backstreet pubs which means people who go there are local and they are adored locally. At the moment, I’d say Stoke Newington is one of my favourite places.”
Stoke Newington boasts many highly rated pubs, including The Auld Shillelagh, Coach and Horses, Army and Navy, and The Londsborough.
“Sydenham is one of my favourite areas as well. In terms of favourite pubs, The Army and Navy in Newington Green. The Irish landlord, Jimmy, he reminds me of the old school way of running a pub. He walks around the floor, talking to people and collecting glasses.
“It’s got a lot of history and architecture. It’s got the old school décor inside. It’s not overly priced. When I first started drinking there, you’d see a few old boys in the corner. Now it’s overly rammed 24/7 which is great for pub but maybe not the locals.”
Feargus has built up a following on Facebook and Instagram under the handle ‘London Pub Map’. He has drunk in pubs run by independent owners as well as multinational companies. He understands that by showcasing the pubs, it can be a benefit and a negative.
He continued: “Obviously, pubs are local people pubs so when it goes viral on social media and a lot of people come down, then it feels like you may be buggering it up for the locals because it’s their pub isn’t it?
“It’s a bit of a catch-22. You want to save the essence of the pub but at the same time, the only way that pub is going to survive is if there’s money coming over the bar.
“Independent pubs are some of my favourites but it’s obviously those ones that are feeling the pressures (of cost of living) – it’s their livelihood compared to massive multinational companies who can probably ride it out.
“London as a city, since the 90s, including the outer boroughs, has seen pubs go from 10,000 down to 3,600. Right now though, it seems that we’ve got as many pubs opening as there is closing.”
For Feargus, the pub is a special place. It’s a place where unique experiences can be had and conversations can be struck with somebody you don’t know. He hopes that by showcasing London’s exceptional pubs, people can enjoy the experiences he has had, as well as helping improve the pubs where he hasn’t.
Feargus said: “I’m not going to name this pub but I remember I walked in to one in Forest Hill and the guy behind the bar didn’t even acknowledge us. I very rarely put something negative but I made a point to review the pub.
“The landlords reached out to me and said they didn’t realise what was going on in their pub. They ended up being really thankful. They didn’t know the management was stifling their business. To me, I don;t think there are bad pubs, I think it’s always the people. People make pubs.
“Chairs could be falling apart but if you’ve got someone running the pub who is passionate about it, it doesn’t matter. It’s the people running it that make all the difference.”
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