This is the kind of pub you hope to stumble on in central London but rarely do — a proper Victorian Young's boozer with etched glass mirrors, a curving bar, and stained glass screens that survived a 2009 refit. Licensed since the 1780s and listed in every Good Beer Guide since the first edition in 1974, the Buckingham Arms sits two minutes from Buckingham Palace and Westminster Abbey, making it the ideal pit stop after sightseeing. Go for the Young's ales on tap, stay for the solid pub classics — fish & chips, pies, bangers and mash — and a surprisingly worldly wine list.
Listed in every Good Beer Guide since 1974, this etched-glass Victorian Young's pub two minutes from Buckingham Palace is the real-deal London boozer tourists dream of finding.
Go on a Monday lunchtime when it's blissfully quiet — weekdays after 5pm and weekends get busy with the post-sightseeing crowd.
A Victorian gem that's been getting it right since 1780
If you want the "proper London pub experience" without wandering into a tourist trap, the Buckingham Arms is your spot. This late Victorian Young's pub on Petty France has been pouring pints since the 1780s — originally as the Black Horse, rebuilt in 1898, renamed in 1901 — and it's earned a place in every single Good Beer Guide since the first edition in 1974. That's not luck; it's consistently well-kept beer. The 2009 refurbishment actually preserved the good stuff: etched glass mirrors behind the fine curving bar, attractive stained glass screens, and that warm, wood-panelled feel that makes you want to settle in for the afternoon.
The food is exactly what you want from a pub like this — no pretension, just solid classics done well. Fish & chips, pies, burgers, and sausages and mash are the go-tos, and reviewers consistently praise the quality for the price. A full range of Young's real ales is always on tap, and there's a worldly wine list if beer isn't your thing. In summer, they roll out a spritz menu that's worth knowing about.
What makes this place special is the contrast — you're a two-minute walk from Buckingham Palace and Westminster Abbey, yet it feels like a genuine local. It's opposite the barracks, so you'll see the odd guardsman, and on a Monday lunchtime it can be blissfully quiet. Weekday evenings and weekends get busier with the after-sightseeing crowd, but the staff handle it well. With a 4.7 Google rating across nearly 2,500 reviews and a Tripadvisor ranking in the top 60 of over 20,000 London restaurants, the Buckingham Arms earns every star.