Looking for cheap pubs in London? If you’ve ordered a drink in London and then grimly vowed never to drink again whilst tapping your card to pay- you are not alone. For many Londoners, drinks with friends and colleagues are likely to make up a significant amount of their monthly spending, which can be a bitter pill to swallow if you feel like there are no other affordable drink options.
London has some of the most expensive drink prices in the country- you certainly won’t find £1 shots like you might do in other areas of the country (uni towns, I’m thinking of you!). And instead, could pay up to a whopping £22 for a pint.
But despite the average high prices, you can read on to find out about where the cheap pubs in London are, and where you can actually find a cheap pint in London! Your budget (and your friends) will thank you for it.
WHAT IS THE AVERAGE COST OF A PINT IN LONDON?
On average, the cost of a pint in London will set you back a whopping £5.15. Vastly different from the average £2.35 that you might pay in Carlisle.
That means a round of drinks with 5 friends could set you back over £25- a lot of money if you’re trying to reduce your outgoings.
CAN YOU GET A CHEAP PINT IN CENTRAL LONDON?
The answer is yes. You can find cheap (ish) pubs in central London- if you know where to find them. One particularly affordable chain that has pubs in central London is Samuel Smith.
Samuel Smith is a brewery as well as a chain of pubs- their prices are cheaper because they sell all of their own brands of beer. You won’t find mainstream brand names here which means prices are much cheaper than competitor chains.
Samuel Smith has cheap pubs in key central London locations like Trafalgar Square (The Chandos), Bank (The George & Vulture) and Holborn (The Princess Louise). There are more than 20 Sam Smith pubs in London, so you’ll never be too far from a budget pint.
Whilst the prices for a pint in The Chandos in Trafalgar Square will be more expensive than their other branches, you can bet that it will still be cheaper than other surrounding pubs.
Find a pint at their Bermondsey branch (The Anchor Tap) for less than £3!
There’s even a bar crawl called ‘The Sam Smith Challenge,’ hailed as the cheapest bar crawl in London!
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WHICH ARE THE BEST CHEAP PUB CHAINS IN LONDON?
Let’s be honest- like many areas of the UK, the cheapest pub chain in London is most often Wetherspoons.
In central London the prices at Wetherspoons are only slightly cheaper than competitors, however, go a little further afield and you’ll be astounded.
If you head to more suburban, residential areas of London such as Acton (The Red Lion & Pineapple) or Muswell Hill (Mossy Well) – the prices are incredibly cheap in London terms.
Check out your local Wetherspoons for amazing prices on food and drink. There are often food and drink deals on week nights, so take a look to see what deals your local Wetherspoons offers.
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INDEPENDENTS VS CHAINS
Although chain pubs such as Samuel Smith and Wetherspoons can have very competitive prices, you may not always be able to find one near you when you’re in need of an affordable drink.
You can consider independent pubs which will occasionally be cheaper than larger chains, like Fullers, for example.
Independent pubs can be significantly cheaper as they will not be tied to benchmarked prices like a chain would be. For example, all pubs in a specific chain in a specific area will have to sell their drinks at a set price.
However, an independent will not necessarily have to measure itself against the pricing standards of other pubs. Therefore, they can set their prices to undercut the competition if they wish to.
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WHICH PUBS HAVE WEEK NIGHT DEALS ON?
SO MANY London pubs have deals on during the week, many of which combine a food and drink deal.
If you have a few pubs around your home or place of work, it’s worth asking to see whether they have a weekday happy hour or deal. Chances are, they will do!
Many pubs that also serve food will have a Monday-Thursday deal, and might even have a different deal on every night of the week. Wetherspoons in particular is great for this, but independents and other chain pubs are also likely to have promotions during the week to increase their level of trade on quieter days.
WHERE CAN I FIND GOOD DRINKS DEALS IN LONDON?
Use sites like Groupon, Living Social and Wowcher to find incredibly cheap drinks deals in London. More often than not you’ll find an incredible deal that comes in way under budget. It’s the best way to find cheap drinks in London.
Groupon– Groupon always has a crazy number of food and drink deals in London. From affordable champagne cocktails for two, to beer tasting and gin evenings- there is something for everyone and every budget on this voucher site.
Living Social– Living Social is great for cheap food and drink packages- think brunch and prosecco, or afternoon tea with champagne.
Wowcher– Wowcher offer up to 80% off drink and restaurant deals in London. If you’ve got a particular event coming up, check out Wowcher to see if you can get yourself a fantastic drinks deal beforehand.
KEY THINGS TO REMEMBER:
- Check out Samuel Smith and Wetherspoons for cheap drinks in central London
- Look to independent pubs to see if you can make a saving
- Check out your local Wetherspoons to see what deals they have available
- Get an amazing cheap drinks deal by using sites such as Groupon, Living Social and Wowcher
