London has always been dogged by the canard that the Guinness here can’t compete with what’s served across the Irish Sea. It is certainly difficult – perhaps impossible – to replicate the quality of the pints in Mulligan’s on Dublin’s Poolbeg Street, or at the Gravediggers by Glasnevin Cemetery. However, there are pubs here that do it admirably – if you know where to look. Whether you’re a lifelong aficionado, or you’re merely observant on St Patrick’s Day, these are some of your best bets for a great London Guinness:
The Auld Shillelagh, Stoke Newington
A stone-cold classic of a pub, the Auld Shillelagh’s deceptively small frontage on Church Street leads to a longitudinal bar that serves some of London’s finest pints. In any given week they’ll crack into north of 40 kegs, but come St Patrick’s Day this figure will be far, far exceeded. Take a seat at the bar and you’ll see the well-practised, and generally excellent, staff demonstrating the two-step pour.
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