Guinness. It’s just a drink, they say. Pedants will swear blind it tastes the same everywhere, and it’s all a ruse for Big Pint to sucker you in. And yet…..I know what I’ve tasted. I know the creamy from the metallic- watery glass of sadness. My central argument would be ; Good Pint = Good Pub. And this same quality is not influenced by the price of the porter, nor the splendour of the fixtures and fittings of where you’re drinking it. On the contrary, some fine pints are to be had in those places that will never be described as hidden gems as Tik-Tok. In 2025, Irish stouts reached their zenith, as inevitable one-up-manship of the tragically hip meant lesser spotted stouts grew in fame, namely those hailing from the Texas of Ireland , Co. Cork. To cap it all, only recently, Guinness opened a Storehouse thingy in Covent garden – a monument to hubris or a Craic-filled Megadome? Time will tell……

Here are the 10 best / most surprising pints of 2025. Past winners include Foxy John’s in 2022, Feeneys in 2023, and the Floirin in 2024. Who will join this illustrious list? **(In the interests of fairness, I have disqualified the Dublin Pubs I visited as they’d all top the list but they cheated by being next to the Storehouse)

First, as is custom, a shout out to the non-Guinness Pints,( to show my expansive palate) . In no particular order we have:

• Union Pivo– Ljubljana’s finest, served in a big ole’ mug.
• The first Negroni when you arrive in Italy. Buono
• Amaro Monetnegro – the finest digestiv of herbs and botanicals. (What’s the difference?)
• The notorious JellyFish shot of Valli Bar, Tallinn. Called the jelly fish cause it’s a blob that packs a punch.)

10. Harat’s , Ljubljana , Slovenia :

Harats- the Largest chain of Irish Pubs worldwide , run by some Siberian businessmen. As much as this pub/franchise is a cash cow, or ”дойная коров”, they do actually serve a decent pint of Guinness ( read below , in Slovenian). Which is not always easy to find in Ljubljana. You win this round, Harat’s. You can read the full experience here.

9. College Arms, Bloomsbury:

Just by UCL, this aptly named Irish spot is great when you want a decent pint in a decent pub in Central London. Plus, you can also get your face printed on your pint. If that’s a deal breaker?

8. Philomena’s, Covent Garden

Philomena’s is as mysterious as the Mason’s hall that stands before it. Who’s Philomena? Wasn’t it an O’Neill’s before? ? Worry not about the unknown, and focus again on their very very good pint. Does it taste better cause they bring it over to you? Yes. Yes, it does.

7. The Toucan’s , Bergamo:

A fine pint in a pub I had longed to visit for many years. This one will feature highly in the Pub of the Year. Their excellent pint is testament to the attention to detail of this cavern located high up in the citadel of the Old town of Bergamo. They have a mad range of Uk /Irish beers you only find abroad , but know their stuff.

6. W.B Yeats, Finsbury Park:

Sister pub to the inimitable Auld Shillelagh, and suitably has a pint to match. ”A terrible beauty is poured!*

5. The Shanakee, Ealing ;

Named after the Seanchai of Irish society, a story teller extraordinaire; a wandering poet/ oral historian. It is said that tis from this tradition comes the loquaciousness of the average Irish person. Wishful thinking? Or plain horseshite? After sampling their fine pint, I would gladly walk the earth spreading the word. And when I get that feeling, I want Sexual Ealing. Bonus points for being the only pub to also sell Meanies.

4. Dicey Reilly’s, Edmonton

Taking to the sup on a Summer’s day in the spirit of exploration, I traveled to the North London enclave of Edmonton. A fantastic, great value pint in an unsung Irish Pub that will never make the best of lists due to its unsexy geography. A pity.

3. The Little Crown, Deptford

The little pub that could. Never mentioned in the hierarchy of great pints due to its unspectacular nature. I only came across it by chance on the way to another pub. Looks genuinely like a pub from a rural Irish town. One in the midlands I mean. You get the picture. Pint is mighty. Go and try.

2. The Murphys at Nancy Spain’s:

Getting in on the Stout buzz before all others, Nancy’s decided to stay loyal to Munster by serving Murphy’s instead of Guinness. On a recent visit, they also now do a Beamish, which is the latest hipster up yours stout do jour. In fact ,I had my very first pint of the stuff here. It’s always a bit weird when you mix the porters. Never cross the Streams, as Egon Spengler wisely said. Always a good pint here

1. The Raglan, Walthamstow

The new kid. Not content with having an incredibly successful Irish/Indian restaurant, the team took over The Raglan Pub in E17, conveniently close to where I live bringing an excellent pint into walking distance, and for that they have my eternal gratitude. As such, I have had ample time and opportunity to try their Pint, expertly poured from their old-skool Guinness tap. The first time I had it, I had no expectations- it’s just another new pub I mused , they have Guinness , big deal. But I remember the moment when I knew something special was up. To see it wasn’t a fluke, repeated sittings were necessary . Look at them all there now. Well done to all the team and thank you.