Continuing Part II of the Summer in London odyssey, here are some more of the finest Irish Pubs visited on my never ending quest to visit every Irish Pub on Earth!

1. The Dog, Feeneys , Whitechapel

Can lightning strike Thrice? Or am I barking up the wrong tree? Will this dog have its day? Or will I come out feeling ruff? How many canine related puns can one shoehorn in a short paragraph? Several, so it seems.

If anyone can deliver , Feeneys can. Not content with having the best pints in Zone 1, Feeney’s third offering offers something different, adding a more trad pub vibe to their ouvere. The devil, as always , is in the detail. 4 Guinness taps, an arguably even superior @murphys , a wee shelf of lesser spotted Tayto flavours . I even had the good fortune to speak to the man himself, Paul Feeney, the brains behind the operation, an absolute gent of the pub game and I say that before the free whiskey.

In ye olden times, the dog was seen as the symbol of loyality . If Feeneys keep opening new pubs, I will travel. Top Dogs yet again, you could say.

2. Dicey Riley’s, Edmonton

TASTE THE SAVINGS! NOTHING’S PRICEY AT DICEY’S-

Edmonton in North London remains an unknown, on the periphery of Zone 3 civility. In these testing times, their wonderful £4.50 Guinness is a joy to behold and well worth the trip if for any reason you would find yourself in Edmonton. The pub itself is a salty old dog, friendly and familiar with sizeable frontage that traps the sun. At these prices, worth the pilgrimage in my opinion.

3. The Crown and Half Crown, Hackney Central

Over the past 15 years, arguably no Borough in London has undergone more of a transformation than Hackney. And with the place in such a flux, nowhere better illustrates this than the Crown and Half Crown ,Hackney Central. Yes, by pure chance, this is a 2-4-1 Pub experience. Allow me to elaborate.

Just down the way is Morito, the restaurant where one of Boris Johnson’s many many sons worked as waiter. Outside across the road, lines of old bois line up in the Summer Sun sitting on crates enjoying Guinness export among others. A little further down the road is Umit and Sons, the private 35mm Film reel film store and mini- rentable cinema, one of the greatest treasures in London and the last remaining bastions of analogue film preservation in the Western World.

Amidst this scene , on a perfect Friday in July, I venture to see the Crown Pub and Guest House, Hackney. I have known of this pub for years, but never partaken; only recently discovering it’s Irish Origins. But in a mirror of modern Hackney, the pub is actually 2 pubs- the Original Old Boy The Crown- and the new gender fluid , dressed as fishermen mulleted twin, the Half Crown, linked via an Alleyway. East and West Berlin. Inside the Half Crown, signs are promising: Vintage Guinness Tap, Murphys for £5, pulled by an authentic Corkman from Skibbereen. Outside, and planning to stay for one or two, I begin talking to a sound group of pals in the street in front, taking in all that Hackney Central offers of a Summer’ Eve. Fast forward 7 hrs later to closing time, including an interval in the delightful pint alley where shots are consumed, rounds are shared , the whole divide between the Crown and Half Crown has evaporated and all asundry are comingled, in a stew of Karaoke , vape smoke and reasonably priced pints. It is , lamentably, rare to engage with strangers in modern London beyond a few cursory words, so it is great credit to the barrier-spanning Crown, striding the chasm between old and modern Hackney here in the Pint Alley of Universal.brotherhood. I liked this one, I must admit. Hackney Central, crying out for a good Irish Pub, now has filled the void with this fine establishment.

4. Mother Macs, Southwark

It’s once, twice, three times a winner from the Progeny of Mc, as Mac and Sons provide their third offering, also in Southwark. Molly Mcs s a Singing Pub, but it has all the classic hallmarks of their offerings:

1. Pint is always reliable.Staff are on the ball.
2. Whilst at the bar, get a whiff of the turf incense burner at the bar
3. The Food. Their Spice Bag…..whereas some chinese chippers use a powdery mix of water and brown, this one was an amazing coconuty , rich deep brew. Mighty stuff. If it were to be served by the pint, it would supercede their fine Guinness.

While this iteration of Mc and Sons doesn’t have the benefit of the beautiful pub structure of the other 2, they’ve still managed to get the snugs in , and it also has the advantage of tables out front, which give it a Continental feel. Tres bien. Music, naturally , is also of top quality. With Pubs closing at the rate of 2 a week, a salute to the attention to detail of these guys who’ve cracked it. Pint of Curry sauce is all that’s missing.

5. The Ramble Inn, Tooting

In London, there is no greater commitment than to traverse the river for a meet & pint. To travel the length of a tube line from end to end. But, the road to a friends house is never long, as they say. And the chance to sample the wares of Tooting’s finest, the Legendary Ramble Inn is not to be ignored.

The inn in question is a long ole hall, tables to the left, bar to the right and not an inch of wasted space in between. Cash is King in the Ramble Inn, which is a rarity in 2025 equivalent to seeing the last white rhino in the wild. You might think that this pecuniary imposition would irk the modern punter , accustomed to paying with a flick of the wristwatch- but on the contrary- the place is packed on a Thursday with young and old waving notes and making little stacks on the table with their change. Alas, it is announced ( to a chorus of ironic jeers) that as of next week, card will finally be accepted. You can’t fight city hall. This must be how Dylan fans felt when he went electric.

The pub is a real local boozer; the service- outstanding- rounds are committed to memory and brought to your table. £5.20 for their fine Guinness, so dig out your penny jar while you can. Using the power of our combined knowledge, Charlotte, Ken and I enter the quiz, absolutely demolishing it in the Toilet Themed mystery round ( particularly the ‘Did they die in the bath/ toilet? questions). Alas, we come undone in the tiebreak for first place, severely underestimating the number of Morleys Chicken Shops. It’s a South London thing apparently. And I’m a long way from home.

6. The Lamb, Highbury

An Islington London-Irish bastion of independent pub joy. Everything that is pure about a modern pub, eccentricities n’ all. Great range of pints too . See below for the rationale :

Reasons to like the Lamb:
1. Murphys on tap / Taytos on menu
2. Mini diorama of the Pub in the pub, complete with subway level
3. Trad session, weekly
4. Tinsel Curtain thingy
5. Being the only non-gastro pub in that part of town
6. The tiles outside
7. The stickers in the bog

Great spot. London Irish Alt Stronghold. A wonderful idiosyncratic beast of a pub.

7. The Ship, Southwark:

There are Cathedrals everywhere for those with the eyes to see them”

Thar she blows!! Back when I worked in Borough, I walked past this particular pub many’s a time , but had ne’r given thought nor intention of venturing in to this underwhelmingly titled boozer. Till one faithful day, I happened to notice an illuminated beacon of Guinness atop the doorway. As if t’were some sort of sirens call , I was lured in, like many a-salty seadog and corporate middle manager celebraring a successful Q1 before me . And it turned out to be a fine spot- snugs for days, ample beer garden and appropriately non-Celtic food accompaniment, in this case Lebanese. In the 1700’s the premises was said to be a crypto-church for outlawed Catholic rites, whereas now its a crypto-Irish Pub ; not overtly, but to the trained eye a professional can spot the telltale hallmarks of quality. All aboard mateys.

8. Brendan the Navigator , Highgate

See you later, Navigator. A wonderful London Irish music pub with a title close to my heart – The Legend of St Brendan , the Kerryman who definitely first discovered the American Continent (* apart from the Siberians obvs ) . You can also visit other nearby local resident , Karl Marx (deceased) and try their lovely Guinness – a fun day out for all the family.

9. Angie’s, Westbourne Park

It is with sadness that we learn of pubs across the UK and Ireland closing at a furious rate. What is the solution? Diversify into Small Plates??? Get the Youth to consume more booze, the selfish swine? Well, whatever the formula is , Angie’s in Westbourne Grove has it. Sub £5 Guinness in London is commendable, and this is truly a Free House for all the community. It hits that magical Pub sweet spot- there are locals / regulars galore, young fellas after playing football, couples on dates, students, the whole swathe of humanity in one faux Georgian Free Room. Wall tat alludes to Irish Sporting Heroes and to musical demigods of distinctly non-Irish origin like Bowie, Marley and the Goat, Hank Williams. A massive screen makes it ideal for partaking of the football, in this case Celtic vs my fav Team Kairat Almaty. I come from a long line of the Tralee Supporters of Kairat Almaty. The dull game is enlivened by the presence of 2 absolute gents, one Geordie and one Mackem, and we quickly get into rounds as we discuss Killarney, Isak the traitor, and folk horror in the context of Thatcher’s decimation of the Industrial Landscape of the North East. And a friendly sentient lift that drops you not at the floor you want, but the floor you need ° ™ . This is the wonder of the pub, a place where you can watch a 0-0 draw while simultaneously learning about Roko’s Basilisk. Pic at the end of these gents. On a Wednesday, the pub is full of punters, which is a soothing sight. Many times, of a Friday, I’ve been to visit boozers of Irish lore in Cricklewood and Camden, only to be shocked at the emptiness of these once- thronged halls. As Thatcher tore the soul out of once thriving communities, maybe this is the tail end of that same process , where the neo- liberal locusts swarm over the few remaining community assets- the Public House. But hand’s off Angie’s .

10. The Marquis of Granby

Who’s your favourite Marquis? Is it

5. E. SMITH from the Fall?

4. MARK , 90s icon?

3. MOON, seminal guitar noodle fest?

2. DE SADE , scatological sexpest?

Mine is THE MARQUIS OF GRANBY. The Marquis of Granby admittedly doesn’t sound like your average Irish publican. The Marquis in question refers to a certain John Manners, aka The Marquis, and the story goes he had the habit of gifting his ex-comrades pubs to run when they got too auld to fight. Subsequently, there are over 30 Marquis of Granbys in the UK, so impeccable manners from John there. With such a plethora of Granbys, how can this one set itself apart?? How can you keep the honorific legacy name, but make it distinctly Irish ? In a nod to artistic flourishes of nearby Goldsmiths College , how about painting the entire building to look like the rugged West of Ireland, cliffs and all. A masterstroke of design and easily one of the most impressive pub frontages I have had the pleasure to behold. The Marquis is a hectagon of pub beauty, never seen a pub in such a shape, but by god it works. Donegal is represented via the wall art and there are some delightful blown up photos of pastoral life, a fishing currach and nets, and a thatched cottage, making you forget that just outside there’s are a heap of chicken shops and offies. On a beautiful summer’s day, it’s simulatenously sunlit in parts with others perpetually shaded in mystery. There’s no where like the Marquis, meaning this is a firm favorite. This is one Marquis you’ll be Sade to miss.