Give us a flash of sunlight and us Brits are all over a bit of park life. When the canned beers get warm, your ginger mate is struggling with the heat and your BBQ has been confiscated, it’s time to get a real drink. Here are the best bars by the biggest and baddest parks in London.
HYDE PARK
You can’t really get any nearer to a park than IN a park, which is exactly what the Serpentine gives you. Kite broken? P*ssed off with the pedalo? Or maybe it’s just time for a pint. Head here, sit by the lake or grab a deck chair and watch the roller skater as you feed and water yourself. Yes Serpentine.
Modern twists on British classics fill the food menu, there are decent cocktails for a pub, a bunch of real ales, friendly staff and laid back surroundings, so this is the perfect place to put your feet up after a long day of parking.
Don’t expect lagers. Tea, cocktails and steaks are on offer here, at a large price. Perhaps better for a special occasion or if you’re cash rich. It’s a Park Lane paradise and is the perfect way to end/begin a little park time. (Why not go all out and splash all your cash? Check out China Tang and The Blue Bar at The Berkley too… roll with style!)
LONDON FIELDS
The name says it all: Pub on the Park. Need we say more? Open till midnight in the week, and 1am on weekends they’ll always have time for you once the park fun has run its course. Food, drink, big beer garden, ping-pong, football, BBQs and a lot of space, so don’t worry about bagging a seat; big groups are more than welcome here. Get some mates and get the first round in, you’re gonna be here for the long haul.
Good pub, good park, good times. Work up a thirst playing ping pong/tennis/football (all available on these playing fields) then head here for a well-deserved cold pint.
NYC meets Mexico in this awesome hangout. It’s here where you wanna head for killer cocktails and great guacamole. Particularly perfect for when the sun goes in.
REGENTS PARK
Short walk from Primrose Hill, so if you’re that end of Regents Park or have just finished laughing at weird animals in the zoo, it could be time to settle for some food and foot rest. The Engineer has a buzzing atmosphere, great food, small garden and a wonderfully well-stocked bar.
(Primrose Hill side) – This pub has it all, plenty of space, decent drinks, a dining room and a terrace. Get here for sunset, take your drinks outside and you’ll have the best seat for checking out the amazing views over the hill.
CLAPHAM COMMON
Prince of Wales
Inside this old school pub is a kind of treasure trove full of weird titbits. There are the usual stuffed animals in hats, but then these are teamed up with more obscure things hanging off the ceiling like vintage false legs?!…. nice. Perfect entertainment when it’s dark after a long hot day in the sun. There are seats outside too, ideal for some Indian summer vibes and drinking.
This place is always rammed, whether it’s inside, outside, upstairs, downstairs, on a sunny day people will be here. Maybe something to do with the name, or just the fact it’s right by the park cos the prices here ain’t cheap, and the beer selection is limited. Love it or hate it, this place will be there for you when its got a little cold, or for when you need that all important loo break.
New to the summer scene The Rookery is on it like an old pro. With great seating areas looking over the common, a wide selection of wine and a seasonal daily changing menu.
BATTERSEA PARK
Festival vibes, mismatching quirky sofas, board games and lamps. Secret garden party comes to Battersea. Cheap prices, good music, quiz nights, great garden and lots of booze. Well done dudes!
LOST ANGEL - This kitsch neighbourhood hangout just a stone throw away from the park has everything you’d want, from real ales and killer cocktails to a mega food menu. Not wanting to give up on the sun just yet? They have a huge beer garden with heaters so you can enjoy the outside as long as possible.
VICTORIA PARK
This is one of those places that’s a little pricey… but worth it. Amazing décor (if you like stuffed animals), great atmosphere, staff up for a laugh and a mean pint of MeanTime! With that on tap this place has to be good. Get comfy cos you might be here for a while.
Always busy, this place is laid back, they make good cocktails, have an impressive wine list, and stock some super sherry. Get some snacks and stay for the evening.
ST JAMES PARK
It’s a bit of a walk, but hey there’s nothing like a roof terrace over looking Trafalgar Square! With views all over town, and of the tourists struggling to climb on the Lions down below, it’s the perfect place to hang out, expect buff cocktails, banging food and chilled vibes. Do it.
This Inn is on the park, the brunch is banging and the cocktails rock. Open all year round, seven days a week, this is a restaurant ready for you any season, whatever weather.
HOLLAND PARK
Trade in the typical British pub grub for The Lansdowne’s daily vibrant Mediterranean menu, it’s Summer after all no? Huge wooden tables mean you can come with all your mates and really get stuck in. The perfect end to a Summer’s day, yay!
QUEENS PARK
Killer cocktails, cool dudes, and good vibes. What more do you want after some park time, oh it’s dog friendly too!
HAMPSTEAD HEATH
With a range of summer cocktails (including one made with beer and rum which is a particular favourite of BarChick’s), combine that with top quality pub grub and their own unique White Horse Ale on tap and a cosy little beer garden and you can really go too wrong. What’s more, it’s a pint glass’ throw from the tranquil calms of Hampstead Heath. If you’re feeling really brave (or drunk), then pop along for a postprandial swim in one of the swimming ponds. Not many better ways to spend an afternoon.
