The best dive bar in London, according to bartending experts

Time Out

5 days ago

Finding a good dive bar in London can be tricky. It has to be sufficiently dingy, a little bit grubby, and bar orders should ideally only be one syllable – we're talking beers, shots, and maybe crisps.
London might have an abundance of pubs, ranging from the old-fashioned variety to sleek hipster haunts, but when it comes to a proper dive, choices can be limited. That's why Time Out asked seven different bar industry insiders – including Coral Anderson from cocktail bar Swift, Mr Lyan of the acclaimed Lyaness, and Carina Soto Velásquez, co-owner of what we've just named London's best bar, Equal Parts – to recommend their favourite dive bar in the city, so we could come up with the definitive answer to the question of London's best.
According to the experts, the best dive bar in the city is Blondies in Clapton. The east London metal haunt has been open since 2015, and is famous for its packed-out gigs, as well as outrageously OTT Halloween decorations every October.
'Blondies is sweaty, chaotic, charming, very loud and just brilliant,' said Stephanie Randle-Solley from Exale Brewing, an independent brewery and taproom in Walthamstow.
'They have really great gigs, so make sure to check their listings,' she added, remembering a particularly raucous night when she saw Australian punk duo Mannequin Death Squad play in the tiny room.
Randle-Solley recommended ordering the Blondies lager, the in-house beer that's made at the bar's Leytonstone taproom. Blondies Brewery was recently put under a licence review after noise complaints, and has been crowdfunding to save its future ever since. 'It's not particularly high ABV, it's an easy gig drink,' said Randle-Solley about the brew.
Max Venning, co-founder of Three Sheets in Dalston and Soho also nominated Blondies as the best dive bar in London. 'It's a great grungey rock and roll dive,' he said, also pointing out the live music, or what he calls 'mad gigs'.
Runners up included the legendary Oxford Street boozer Bradley's Spanish Bar, chosen by Missy Flynn and Gabriel Pryce from Rita's; the Americana-esque Rasputin's in Hackney, known for its £7 martinis and recommended by Coral Anderson; and The Victoria, a late-night pub and gig venue in Dalston, chosen by Mr Lyan.
An honourable mention goes to Slim Jim's Liquor Store in Islington, also known for its gigs – Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong even put on an impromptu show there in 2023 – whiskies and 3am licence, which was also shouted out by Venning and Mr Lyan.
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