Table of Contents
1 Five great pubs within less than 5 minutes walking distance between them
The Mayfair Foodie Guide to Pubs in Shepherd Market. In a two-minute read, I will take you on a virtual tour of the excellent pubs in Shepherd Market; feel free to open a beer to take with you.
Shepherd Market has a lovely village fee,l and whilst it is very much part of Mayfair’s landscape & history, it retains its own identity. So here is our guide to pubs in Shepherd Market, Mayfair
Visit Shepherds market after work most weekdays, and you will see groups of workers & tourists enjoying a few drinks. On a nice day, the streets are filled with people outside the pubs; it is a very relaxed haven when you think the busy streets of Mayfair are literally a few minutes walk away.
As well as fine ales, these pubs more than contribute to the culinary offering in Shepherd Market.
To complete the culinary picture in Shepherds Market, check out the restaurants in the area.
2 Ye Grapes
Ye Grapes boasts a corner position, overlooking Shepherd Market since 1882. With its unusual name, I have never come across another Ye Grapes (please let me know if you have ). It’s fair to say the pub is very popular with frequent visitors & the workers of Mayfair. Be prepared for standing room only at peak times.
Although I said the pub was established in 1882, it was first on the site over 100 years earlier in 1742 as the “Market coffee house” (a very early Starbucks, haha) and then renamed The Grapes in 1782, then renamed again “The bunch of Grapes” 1827, before finally being rebuilt & renamed Ye Grapes!! We got there in the end.
Inside, the pub is deceptively larger than it might appear outside. It is what you would imagine a traditional London pub to be like, with a dark wood-panelled bar with room for people to lean against the bar as is the tradition in pubs in the UK. However, there is enough downstairs seating & an upstairs dining room with a good view across Shepherds Market.
The food offering consists of Traditional English pub food & by way of complete contrast, the pub is famous for its Thai menu.
Amongst the English menu are the old favourites: steak & chips, fish & chips, sausage & mash & the ever-popular Beef Pie. You can also enjoy the Ye Grapes Combo of cod, Scampi, Calamari & chips, which should be enough to sort out any fish craving.
The Thai menu again offers favourite selections from the land of smiles, including Spring Rolls, Chicken Satay, steamed pork dumplings, and fried prawns.
There you have it; Ye Grapes should be on any visitor to Shepherds Market list, even if it’s for a pre-dinner drink before visiting the hugely popular Kitty Fishers next door.
16 Shepherd Market, London, W1J 7QQ
3 The Kings Arms
The Kings Arms was built in 1742 and formerly known as the Three Jolly Butchers, personally, I wish they kept the original name, but what’s in a name? This is a Green King pub, the UK’s largest brewer with over 3,100 pubs. If you are familiar with Greene Kings pubs, the menu is standard but well-priced pub grub for the area. Also available is a range of sandwiches & light bites.
Like Ye Grapes, it does get busy at peak times; Sky Sports TV is available, which is good news if you are into the footie or sports in general. Overall, if you are looking for a decent pint & pub grub without breaking the bank, the Kings Arms is for you. Traditional Roast dinners are available on Sundays. A comprehensive wine list and a range of lagers, beers and spirits.
2 Shepherd Market, Mayfair, W1J 7QA
4 The Market Tavern
Built-in 1808, the Market Tavern is a traditional Victorian pub; its wood-panelled adds to the atmosphere of this lovely old English pub. With plenty of tables & upstairs dining, the pub is ideal for a light bite or 3-course dinner.
Starters include Scallops, Scotch egg, & Jerusalem Artichoke veloute. The mains include the pub menu’s popular Fish & chips (all the pubs listed include fish & chips) burger & pies, but also, for something different, you could opt for the Roasted Garlic Chicken & truffle Dauphinoise or the venison cutlet.
The Sunday menu includes traditional Roasts.
There is an excellent selection of beers, cask ales, UK craft, fruit & wheat, beers from Belgium (be careful from experience; they are deceptively strong), and a range of ciders. Wines, spirits & an excellent selection of Cocktails are available.
7 Shepherd Street, London, W1J 7HR
5 The Chesterfield Arms
Well, is the Chesterfield Arms in Shepherds Market? Strictly speaking, no, but as it is only about 200 meters from the Market Tavern, I’ve included it. In fact, a pub crawl around would involve walking less than 200 steps between the first three pubs as they are so close to each other; a little fresh air & a stroll to the 4th pub will do you good.
However, the main reason to include the Chesterfield Arms is it’s a really good pub.
There has been a pub on the site since 1769 & over the years, it has had many names, but since new owners took over in 2021, it has returned to its original name, The Chesterfield Arms.
It’s fitting that, along with its original name, the Gastro pub has been given a new lease of life. The menu contains traditional bar snacks, A la Carte & Sunday Menu. The pub’s signature dish is beef wellington on the A la carte menu (also served on Sunday). From the starters menu, the Scallop thermidor served with samphire & paprika fleurons caught my eye.
To complement the food menu, the pub has an excellent wine menu. Don’t be put off if you want a pint; it retains the pub vibe.
Chesterfield Arms, 50 Hertford Street, London, W1J 7SS
6 The White Horse
Mayfair’s first wine-led pub recently opened on White Horse Street just off Shepherd Market. The pub is part of the Hedonism team (also Hide Restaurant & Hideaway), so it is no surprise that wine & food plays a big part in this pub’s offering.
The pub also has a wine-tasting room in the downstairs basement.
There is a light bites menu with old favourites like a Scotch egg but also includes a few newbies to light bite menus, Roasted Cauliflower, sesame labneh, sweet curry dressing, and also for meat eaters, crispy lake district lamb belly kebab.
Judging by the success of the other Hedonism ventures, the White Horse will be a very busy pub.
The White Horse, 5 White Horse Lane, W1J 7LQ
Visit Shepherd Market
So there you have it, a fine quartet of Shepherd Market traditional pubs steeped in history. Like the restaurants in Shepherd Market, all the pubs are very individual, and each has its own unique character. I would recommend a visit, and with the bonus, there is no need to wear your most comfy shoes.
The Mayfair foodie walking tours do include a visit to Shepherds Market
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