It’s the first list of its kind compiled by the long-running guide, which wanted to celebrate the nation’s thriving appetite for the great British pub with “proper food and proper beer”.
The Highland Laddie in Leeds took overall top slot, while The Pelican in Notting Hill was the top ranked London watering hole.
But three locals north of the river are also namechecked, with The Eagle in Clerkenwell – renowned as the first gastropub – coming in 11th place.
The Victorian corner pub in Farringdon Road was founded by restaurant manager Michael Belben and chef David Eyre to create a casual pub environment with restaurant-quality, affordable food.
They guide said it was serving the same spirit of “big flavours and rough edges” it delivered upon opening in 1991.
The Parakeet in Kentish Town followed in 22nd place. It’s owned by the same people behind The Blues Kitchen bar and restaurant chain and Camden Town’s famous Jazz Cafe.
Since opening in March 2023 – replacing the old Oxford Arms – it has been praised for its restaurant which operates under the eye of ex-Brat chef Ben Allen and celebrates cooking over fire.
Inspired by the exotic birds that have flourished on nearby Hampstead Heath, it also has a welcoming front bar serving up craft beers and classic cocktails.
Further down the list at 69 is The Tamil Crown, which opened in November 2023 in Elia Street, Islington, in what was formerly The Charles Lamb pub.
It’s from the same stable as The Tamil Prince in Liverpool Road and serves a menu that blends Indian and Tamil flavours with British pub classics, including bar snacks like okra fries, chicken lollipops and onion bhajis, small plates such as lime leaf-roasted chicken and beef masala uttapam, and on Sundays a special Indian-inspired roast.
The Good Food Guide’s list was based on nominations from both regular reviewers and readers and aims to buck the doom and gloom of a climate in which pub closures average one per day.
Sponsor Timothy Taylor’s wanted to celebrate quality community-led establishments around the country.
The Good Food Guide editor Chloë Hamilton said: ‘We went searching for the pubs that nail the drinking and dining side of the equation.
“It turns out the harder you look the more you find, and they’re not all hidden away in the Cotswolds. The Highland Laddie – a city-centre slam dunk – is a very good case in point.”
