After-work pints with the dog: London Bridge, the City and Shoreditch
The laptop is shut, the working day is done and someone with four legs has been waiting patiently all afternoon. Here's where we'd take them for a pint on the way home, grouped by area so you can pick one that suits your commute: around London Bridge and Borough, across the river in the City, and up in Shoreditch.
London Bridge, Borough and Bermondsey
South of the river is good for a post-work wander, with side streets and pubs a short stroll apart. For the full list, see every dog-friendly pub in Borough.
The Woolpack
If your dog would rather be outside, start here. The Woolpack is at 98 Bermondsey Street, the quirky little road running south from London Bridge. Dogs are welcome at the garden tables, and the garden is enclosed, with shade for warm evenings and heaters for cooler ones. Dogs have been seen playing happily out there. Inside there are private booths, a drinks list that runs from craft beer to wine, and pub grub made with British seasonal ingredients.
The Mudlark
A Nicholson's pub on Montague Close, a couple of minutes from London Bridge, with outdoor seating for a pint in the fresh air. If the after-work drink turns into dinner, it has a fish house menu (mussels in Nicholson's pale ale, Shetland salmon) and a Sausage and Chop House menu with wild boar and apple sausages and porterhouse chops. You can eat properly in the dining rooms or have a quick bar snack from the same menu.
Mc & Sons Borough
A traditional Irish pub at 160 Union Street, on a small side street between Blackfriars Road and Borough. Photos of the Mc Elhinney family through the generations line the walls. On weekdays the kitchen serves Thai street food as Johnny Rice, and the signature spice bag (chicken popcorn bites, chips, chillis and spring onions) goes well with a pint. Traditional Irish music plays on Friday and Saturday evenings, so a nervous dog may prefer a Monday to Thursday visit.
The Ministry, Borough | Workspace & Members' Club | South London
This one is for members. The Ministry is a workspace and members' club from Ministry of Sound, in a converted Victorian printworks at 79-81 Borough Road. If you work there, you don't need to go anywhere else after work: the bar serves post-work cocktails, there's outdoor seating, and the dog can come along for the whole day.
The City and Liverpool Street
City pubs do history and cask ale well. For more options, see every dog-friendly pub in the City of London.
The Astronomer, EC1
A Fuller's pub at 125-129 Middlesex Street, just off Bishopsgate and a few minutes' walk from Liverpool Street, so it's an easy first stop on the way to your train. The decor is themed on the night sky, and the bar pours cask ales, craft beers and cocktails. Petticoat Lane market starts right outside the front door. There's a lift, which helps if your dog is older or struggles with stairs.
Crutched Friar
A Pubsmiths pub at 39-41 Crutched Friars. It takes its name from an order of cross-bearing friars who settled on the site in 1249, and the pub occupies the building where they lived. Well-behaved dogs are welcome, with certain areas set aside for guests who have dogs with them. There's a large range of cask ales and an extensive gin list, and you can sit out in the courtyard.
The Pavilion End, St Paul's
A Fuller's pub at 23 Watling Street, in the shadow of St Paul's Cathedral and about a minute from Mansion House station. It's a proper sports pub with Sky and TNT Sports on big screens, so on match nights it'll be loud and busy. On a quiet evening the courtyard is a calm spot for a pint of cask ale with the dog.
Shoreditch
Shoreditch is busy and lively, and its pubs are used to an after-work crowd. For more, see every dog-friendly pub in Shoreditch.
Queen's Head Shoreditch
At 222 Shoreditch High Street, and beer is the main draw. Alongside international classics and local craft beer, some is brewed on site, and the team will pour you a beer flight or a sample if you can't decide. There's shuffleboard, karaoke and live sport on the screens, plus burgers and British pub classics.
The Shoreditch Arms
Further down the same street at number 127, with an enclosed garden and outdoor seating. That makes it a good pick for a dog who likes to sit outside. During the week there are lunch options and small plates to go with the craft beer. The basement, Bar Kick, is for sport and games, so if the garden's full on a big match night, expect noise downstairs.
Commercial Tavern
A Victorian corner pub at 142-144 Commercial Street, where Spitalfields meets Shoreditch, with large windows, eccentric decoration and a cocktail bar upstairs. The craft beers rotate, there's table football, and the burgers come from Meat Stop, made with dry-aged British beef. Those big windows mean you can see how busy it is before you go in.
Three Crowns
At 8 East Road, about two minutes' walk from Old Street station. Some people call it The Three Crown Old Street. It suits an after-work pint, with lagers, local craft beers, real ales, stouts and ciders. A head chef cooks pub classics if you'd like to eat too. Sky Sports and TNT Sports are on here as well, so check the fixtures if your dog prefers things quiet.
Making the most of the evening
- Walk first. Before you sit down, give the dog a proper walk or a run round the block. A tired dog settles under the table much more happily than one that has been waiting at home all day.
- Bring water. A collapsible bowl and a bottle take up hardly any room in a work bag.
- Watch the fixtures. The Pavilion End, Queen's Head, The Shoreditch Arms and Three Crowns all show live sport. If your dog doesn't like crowds or sudden cheers, go on a night without a big game, or head for The Woolpack's garden.
- Keep the lead short. City pubs fill up fast with people coming straight from the office, so keep your dog close and out of the way of anyone carrying a tray.
- Bring something to chew. A chew or a familiar mat keeps the dog busy while you finish your pint.