Clerkenwell Pub Shakespeare's Head Crowned London's Best for 2026 by Time Out

Time Out London has awarded its 2026 Pub of the Year title to the Shakespeare's Head in Clerkenwell, a Victorian-era pub rebuilt in the 1960s that sits on Arlington Way, just behind Sadler's Wells Theatre near Angel station. Time Out editor Joe Mackertich praised it as a 'salt-of-the-earth local that extends a warm welcome to all,' highlighting staff for whom 'nothing is too much trouble' and a clientele described as an easygoing mix of theatregoers and talkative regulars who have been drinking there for years. The accolade ends a 12-month reign for The Old Nun's Head in south London. Despite its modest flat-roofed exterior, the pub is noted for its gloss-painted wood, standard-issue carpets and plump seating — and for still feeling like a hidden secret. Other notable new entries to Time Out's refreshed top 50 pubs list include Moylett's in Clapton, which ranks as the highest new entry, The Dacre Arms in Lewisham, the Royal Exchange in Paddington and The Nag's Head in Walthamstow. Looking back at previous winners, The Old Nun's Head held the title in 2025, the Army and Navy in Newington Green took it in 2024, and Skehans in Nunhead was named best pub in 2023.