By Mallory Legg
The pub culture in London is inescapable, and with over 3,500 pub fronts in the city, it can be daunting to plan your next crawl without proper guidance. Take it from me: as a new London resident who is constantly on the prowl for the best pub blocks, areas, pavements and pints, there’s pressure to be the one to suggest the next destination in the group chat.
That is until you visit Exmouth Market. Tried and tested by myself and what seems to be all of the other London twenty-somethings, this one block of pubs and bars sees time go out the window, like a portal to some al fresco safe haven.
It’s a land of young people sprinkled along the pavement, pints and spritzes in hand, seemingly unbothered by all things work, study or responsibility. So, here is your ‘how to crawl Exmouth market’ guide for next weekend.
The Best Places to Visit in Exmouth Market
Photo: Visit London
Exmouth Arms
In any pub crawl, there should always be your classic UK boozer. A tall, corner ale house, perhaps with green tiling, always with wooden floors and outdoor picnic tables, and often with a name like Exmouth Arms.
The Victorian pub sets the scene of a simple, post-work, cosy establishment, with pints in every hand. It is the place to unwind after a long day and a solid home base as stop one.
The Street Easy
The first bar I visited on Exmouth Market was The Street Easy. The name tells you all you need to know: street food made easy. By easy, I mean there are not many boundaries when it comes to the menu.
Jake and Ruby, the couple who opened up the shop post-pandemic, incorporate their Caribbean and East Asian backgrounds to highlight the big flavours of street food, avoiding rigid guidelines and rules.
Similarly, their drinks menu showcases a diverse range of cocktails with dynamic and vibrant flavour profiles. For me, though, a standout was the classic margarita and at eight pounds each, it's hard to beat in London.
Photo: Visit London
Cafe Kick
In Exmouth Market, seemingly every storefront has some sort of theme. For Cafe Kick, a much-loved bar that's been around since 1997, it’s football. Not just watching football but playing it as well. Table football, at least.
And with a wide range of draft beers, wine, and cocktails, it's quite easy to let time escape you; to be sucked in from the pavement and suddenly, out of thin air, to become a sports fan.
Mikkeller
The Exmouth market show is stolen, in my opinion, by the Mikkeller storefront. Sure, Mikkeller pulls a refreshing young crowd, has a deep bar room, plenty of seating, and a massive pavement space. Yes, it has a very dimmed ambience for a flirty over-the-table lean and genuinely nice people tending the bar.
They are not only winning in all the above mentioned, but every now and then, you see the quintessential southern fried chicken sandwich wrapped in parchment on a tray with fried pickles float up the stairs as if sent by an angel. Of course, Mikkeller is partnered with the brilliant Lucky's Fried Chicken. Great bar, great vibe, fried chicken; nothing to lose here.
Photo: Visit London
Gerrys Hot Subs
So you’ve come to the end of your night. If it’s an early one, before 10, I mean. If you haven’t already grown wings and floated toward the smell, now is the time.
Philly cheese steaks, pastrami sandwiches, pulled pork, buffalo chicken: need I say more? So, herein lies the proof: Exmouth Market is a utopia in the heart of London. Go once, then go again, then never stop going.
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