London pubs

Over 1,700 of you took part in our survey, and we saw 175 comments on our discussion. 

You love your pubs. Over half (54%) of you visit a pub at least once a week. 59% do so with friends most commonly, while 19% are most likely to visit with family members and 11% with colleagues. The most popular activities in pubs are drinking, eating and celebrating birthdays, leaving dos and other events.  

Pubs are not just about drinking. 82% of you agree that pubs are good places for community groups to meet. 66% say that they’re good places to meet people from different backgrounds to you.  

Over three-quarters say that pubs are very important to London’s cultural heritage. Only 6% say that they are not very or not at all important. Despite this, two-thirds (66%) of you think the supply of pubs is getting worse, reflecting the 27% reduction in pub numbers since 2001. 

“Pubs are quintessentially British, a part of our cultural heritage and identity.” (Talk London member) 

On the other hand, pubs aren’t for everyone. 32% of you say that pubs are too expensive, a concern that also came up strongly in the discussion. 18% say you don’t have the time to visit pubs, while 15% would prefer to socialise elsewhere. Only around a quarter of Talk Londoners say that the variety of pubs is getting better. 

“All the pubs around me have become 'gastro pubs' and therefore have become too expensive.” (Talk London member) 

City Hall’s culture team are using these findings to understand more about how Londoners use pubs, and where pubs could host other activities like community meetings or services. This is part of work on London’s Cultural Infrastructure Plan, which sets out what facilities and spaces London’s arts and culture needs to survive. Visit the Cultural Infrastructure Map to find facilities near you. 

The Mayor’s Culture and Creative Industries team works to ensure all Londoners can connect with and benefit from culture in our city. We champion London’s culture, creative industries and night time businesses, helping Londoners to experience and create culture on their doorstep and delivering ‘good growth’ in the capital. Our work includes saving and sustaining cultural places and spaces, investing in a diverse creative workforce for the future and ensuring London continues to be a global creative powerhouse.