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Best Dive Bars and Pubs in Soho, London

Old pubs, jukebox rooms, and jazz history that keep Soho grounded between cocktail reservations.

Soho, London1 guide4 mapped stops
Nightlife/Soho

Best Dive Bars and Pubs in Soho, London

Guide: Old Soho Pubs and Jazz Rooms

Soho's older drinking rooms survive among the cocktail bars, from narrow pubs and a jukebox basement to a jazz club that requires a ticket. Come for cask ale, cava, or conversation without ceremony; reserve the music room when the performance is the reason for the night.

  • The French HouseThe French House is a Soho institution for half-pints, artists, writers, theatre people, and old central-London conversation. Go for the bar's history and upstairs dining, not because the name means French fine dining.
  • Bradley's Spanish BarBradley's Spanish Bar is a narrow Soho veteran for cava, beer, jukebox nights, and late central-London energy.
  • The ShipThe Ship is a compact Wardour Street pub for cask ale, a crowded standing-room pint, and the worn-in feel of old Soho.
  • Ronnie Scott'sRonnie Scott's is the Soho jazz institution that turns nightlife into a booked event: headline players, late shows, supper-club atmosphere, and a reason to build the whole evening around music.
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