What do you get when you take all of the great aspects of our beloved pubs and blend them with fine dining? A gastropub, that’s what.
While Britain’s boozers have always put ale, stout and lager centre-stage, gastros are food-first. Many of them boast the finest chefs in the country, menus to rival London’s grandest restaurants and even the odd Michelin star.
Our brand new list of the 21 best gastropubs in the country includes two that you can find right here in the capital city, but there are four more on the ranking that are just a short train journey away. These are our four fave gastropubs for a food-focused day trip out of the Big Smoke.
The best gastropubs near London for 2026
The Wellington, Margate
This gastro, with its hearty French-inspired dishes and cosy interiors, ranked third on our list. Its handwritten menu is constantly changing but is consistently based around whole-carcass butchery, using as many parts of the animal as possible. Think lamb with roast shallots and runner beans alongside lamb faggots and crushed peas, or duck breast with crispy duck leg, duck fat toast and chicory. Chef and co-owner Billy Stock has previously cooked at St. John, The Marksman and Rochelle Canteen, so you know you’re in good hands.
The Killingworth Castle, Wooton
Just over an hour’s train ride away, set in the lush green Oxfordshire Cotswolds, you’ll find number six on our list: The Killingworth Castle. ‘The Killy’ has been frequented by thirsty travellers since 1637 and was transformed into a gastro in 2012. Here, you’ll find dishes in the vein of juicy Cotswold lamb, roasted monkfish and chicken liver parfait on chicken-fat brioche. Time Out writer Phil de Semlyen, who visited earlier this year, said that ‘the pillowy slices of home-baked treacle bread are worth the journey on their own’.
The Unruly Pig, Woodbridge
The menu at the Unruly Pig in Woodbridge, Suffolk (which you can reach by rail in just over 90 minutes) honours British ingredients with a distinct Italian accent. Like most other gastros, the menu changes often according to what’s in season locally. Dishes that it has served up in the past include orkney scallop crudo, grilled octopus with potato puree and ‘nduja dressing, sirloin steak tagliata and iberico pork presa with cheek raviolo and stuffed courgette flower. It’s also one of the best value pubs on our list, offering a three-course lunch from Monday to Friday for £35 per person.
The Bull, Charlbury
At number 17 is The Bull in Charlbury, an hour and five minutes from the capital. This place was taken over by James Gummer and Phil Winser (the same guys behind west London pubs The Pelican, The Hero and The Fat Badger) in 2023. When he visited, Time Out contributor James Manning dined on raw local beef with mustard, garden-fresh veg with pork and apple and homemade soft-serve ice cream to finish. Other standouts on its menu include the Bull Pie filled with chicken and ham and doused in gravy, the velvety short rib with onion and the sticky toffee pudding.
🍽️ The best gastropubs in the UK.
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