Public House Crawl

London

Belgravia to Westminster

The Grenadier
Street: 18 Wilton Row
Operator: Ineos 123 Ltd

Open:
12:00 - 23:00 Monday-Saturday
12:00 - 22:00 Sunday

Map: Belgravia to Westminster crawl
Homepage
Underground: Hyde Park Corner (5 min)
Piccadilly

About the pub:
Hidden away in an exclusive cul-de-sac behind Belgrave Square, this small mews pub was built in 1843 and called the New Grenadier until 1885. Even though the pub is small, the two doors suggest two different class-segmented drinking areas at one time. The two rear rooms are usually reserved for diners. A notice outside states that the licensee is only allowed to serve customers who arrive by taxi or on foot.

The sentry box outside is a modern addition.
A haven for its regulars, it has no TVs or music but welcomes visiting Morris dancers. Note the messages from customers written on banknotes and stuck on the ceiling! The wood panelled walls are not surprisingly decorated with prints depicting the history of the Grenadier Guards. In spite of its hidden location, this is quite a well-known pub and can become crowded at times.

In 2023 the operator became Ineos 123, a company manufacturing the Grenadier Ineos car marque; it is sub-leasing from Greene King.
The so called historical connections, that the pub was used as a billet for the officers of the Duke of Wellington and that it is haunted by the ghost of a disgraced officer caught cheating at cards, apply not to this building but to another earlier tavern called the Horse Grenadier (renamed the Grenadier in 1800) which stood a short distance to the north and closed by the 1830s. There were, in fact, three taverns called the Grenadier in Belgravia at one time or other in the 19th century. This pub was the starting point for the 1955-56 Oxford & Cambridge Far Eastern Expedition, an epic 12 thousand mile overland journey to Singapore, largely sponsored by Land Rover.

Nearby point of interest:
Blue plaques -Westminster
Hyde Park (6min)
Hyde Park
Wellington Arch (7min)
Wellington Arch
Green Park (9min)
Green Park
Buckingham Palace (17min)
Buckingham Palace

The Nags Head
Street: 53 Kinnerton Street
Operator: Independent

Open:
11:00 - 23:00 Monday-Saturday
12:00 - 22:30 Sunday

Map: Belgravia to Westminster crawl
Homepage
Underground: Hyde Park Corner (5min)
Piccadilly

About the pub:
An early Victorian beer house, this little unspoilt two bar pub has been a free house since 1991, and is run by former guardsman and actor Kevin Moran. Most patrons would agree that he could be described as one of the more characterful pub landlords in London.

The upper, front bar claims the lowest counter in London. Mounted on the counter is a marvellous pewter beer engine with pink ceramic Chelsea Pottery handpulls. The walls are crammed with fascinating pictures, and a collection of memorabilia includes a ‘What the butler saw’ machine and two early fruit machines.

WCs are upstairs not downstairs. NB coats must be hung on the provided hooks and Kevin bans mobile phones from the pub!
Ale prices reflect the area, and the venue has been reported cash-only for bills below £15. Further updates welcome.

The Nags Head was a tenanted Ind Coope pub run from 1929 to 1973/74 by long time landlord Leonard Cole and his wife. Photos online show his name displayed on the frontage. A young couple ran it for a short time until in 1975 Ind Coope (by then part of Allied Breweries) undertook a major refurbishment to create the historic looking pub we know today.

It appeared in the 1977 and 1979 editions of the CAMRA 'Real Beer in London' pub guide selling Ind Coope Bitter from Romford and the new Ind Coope Burton Ale from Burton. Until 1980/81 all Allied pubs in Greater London traded under the Ind Coope name but then four decentralised semi-autonomous trading units (brands) were created, with Ind Coope retained for one unit and the other three taking the names of former breweries absorbed in the '50s and '60s, namely Benskins (of Watford), Friary Meux and Taylor Walker.

Pubs were allocated to trading units randomly with no historic relationship to the former breweries whose names were displayed. The Nags Head was one of the few central London pubs branded 'Benskins' and the 1973 RBIL Supplement recorded Benskins Bitter (brewed at Ind Coope Romford) as being sold alongside Burton Ale. The Nags Head was sold off by Allied in 1994 to Kevin Moran who subsequently displayed his own name outside and runs it as an independent pub; it has remained in his ownership to date.

Nearby point of interest:
Blue plaques -Westminster
Harvey Nichols (5min)
Harvey Nichols
Harrods (10min)
Harrods
Natural History Museum (24min)
Natural History Museum
Royal Albert Hall (27min)
Royal Albert Hall

The Star Tavern
Street: 6 Belgrave Mews West
Operator: Fullers

Open:
12:00 - 23:00 Monday-Saturday
12:00 - 21:00 Sunday

Map: Belgravia to Westminster crawl
Homepage
Underground: Hyde Park Corner (8min)
Piccadilly

About the pub:
A Belgravia-mews Grade II listed pub dating from 1848 and last refurbished in 2008 in shabby-chic style, the Star is a traditional pub that has kept its cosy wood panelling and a real fire. Another fine feature is the Thomas Crapper wash basins.
As well as a good choice of cask ales, normally four to five, there is a wide selection of single malt and other whiskies on offer as well as an attractive food menu.
So far the Star has been listed in every edition of the Good Beer Guide and in September 2017 was awarded a special 45-year certificate by the then Good Beer Guide editor, Roger Protz. It was also CAMRA West London's Pub of the Year 2017 and some of the photos show the night of that certificate presentation.
Winner of a CAMRA Golden Award in 2021,
Folklore has it that the 1963 Great Train Robbery was planned here, with Bruce Reynolds, Buster Edwards and Ronnie Biggs meeting up regularly in the days leading up to the 'blag'. It's also said to have been one of John Profumo's favoured haunts for discreet assignations with Christine Keeler. Other assorted high-life 'stars' were said to include Elizabeth Taylor and Bing Crosby, and that both Peter O’Toole and Princess Margaret would occasionally stop in for a 'snifter'.

Nearby point of interest:
Blue plaques -Westminster

The Horse and Groom
Street: 7 Groom Place
Operator: Shepherd Neame

Open:
11:00 - 23:00 Monday-Friday
12:00 - 23:00 Saturday
12:00 - 19:00 Sunday

Map: Belgravia to Westminster crawl
Homepage
Underground: Hyde Park Corner (9min)
Piccadilly

About the pub:
A hidden gem, this traditional, intimate (if not tiny) and well-maintained wood-panelled pub with etched glass windows is tucked away in the corner of a quiet cobbled mews where the outside courtyard is busy in summer. The upstairs room is mainly used for dining but also has a dartboard and can be booked for private use for up to 50.

Nearby point of interest:
Blue plaques -Westminster
Sean Connery lived here (5min)
Margaret Thatcher lived here (8min)
Winston Churchill lived here (17min)

The Albert
Street: 52 Victoria Street
Operator: Greene King

Open:
08:00 - 00:00 Monday-Saturday
08:00 - 22:30 Sunday

Map: Belgravia to Westminster crawl
Homepage
Underground: ST James Park (2min)
District
Circle

About the pub:
This landmark 1864 rebuild of the 1831 Blue Coat Boy was named after the recently-deceased Prince Consort; Grade II listed and one of very few Victorian buildings left on a street now largely modern glass and concrete. It has a sprawling ground floor bar with large ornate windows, a high ceiling and an intimate dining room down to the right; upstairs past framed photographs of prime ministers is a sumptuous carvery restaurant. The food offering includes Sunday roasts.

There is a Parliamentary Bell in the pub dining room.
Note that the licence permits sale of alcohol from 10am Monday to Saturday and from noon on Sundays.