London’s best pubs for a pint of Guinness in 2024
Not every pint of Guinness is poured equal.
The beloved Irish stout is a delicate thing; a decent jar needs an experienced hand. There's a little pub science in it, something to do with the nitrogen, pressure, temperature, the cleanliness (or not) of the lines. The glass counts, so too the storage of the barrels. And then there's all the theatre of pouring, the 45 degree angle, the famous pause, the chance to let it settle. Does it all matter? Perhaps not on its own, but definitely altogether — no-one argues about where to find the best pint of Heineken, after all.
While a reported 40 per cent of the world’s Guinness is brewed on the African continent, every drop the UK drinks comes from St James's Gate in Dublin, which can turn out some three million pints a day. And while the stuff across the sea will always have a better reputation than what we’ve got here — and there is a difference, all to do with the pumps and the pressure and the gas — certainly holds up its end, especially if you know what to look for.
