The best breweries and taprooms in London

Signature Brew Blackhorse Road is an award-winning brewery reinventing what it means to be a brewery, creating a hub for the community to come together over freshly brewed craft beers, music and events. It's located on the iconic Blackhorse Beer Mile, where they serve a range of flagship beers, including Studio Lager, Roadie IPA and Backstage IPA. They've brewed with more artists than any other brewery worldwide, including IDLES, The Darkness, Hot Chip, alt-J and more.

This trendy East End brewery is the UK's first dedicated tank bar serving home-brewed beers in a lively Hackney Wick setting. They cut out the middle man, forgetting about the bottles, cans, pipes and kegs, and pour straight from the tank to the glass. The result? Smooth, unfiltered, unpasteurised beer best enjoyed al fresco in their front yard courtyard.

If sipping on a home-brewed beer and chomping on lamb jalfrezi pizza sounds like your idea of fun, get yourself down to Crate in Hackney Wick. This brewery, bar and pizza spot ticks all of the boxes for an edgy Hackney hangout; it's located in an old print factory (very Hackney Wick) and is perched along the canal with a handful of picnic tables for enjoying pizza and beer al fresco.

Exale Brewery & Taproom is among the many famous Blackhorse Beer Mile microbreweries. It has a real industrial feel since it's located inside a building once used as a furniture factory (very East London). Their brews have won multiple awards and are constantly evolving, including various sours, IPAs and barrel-aged beers.

Whatever beer you want, Dogs Grandad Brewery has got you covered. They specialise in brewing whatever beer you fancy in whatever form you want, cans, glass bottles, steel kegs and even key kegs using the highest-quality ingredients. Their giant mash tun means they can brew any beer up to 6%, including pale ales, IPAs, fruited sours, wheat beer and more. Head there on Saturday night if you like live music or Friday if you prefer comedy.

Two brew-loving brothers, Louis and Archie Village, opened Villages Brewery back In 2016 out of a shared passion for brewing great beer and bringing people together. You can try a fantastic range of beers at their Deptford-based brewery, located inside a set of historic railway arches. Try everything from lager and IPA to pale ale, dark beers and more alongside street food served by Buster Mantis, a small independent business serving delicious Jamaican cuisine.

It's all about European beer at Orbit Beers Brewery and Taproom. Here, they take inspiration from European tradition, crafting brews inspired by those found mainly in Germany and Belgium. Founder Robert is also deeply inspired by music, so he has adopted the ethos of his favourite record labels and taken it as inspiration for the brewery's own.

This microbrewery was founded by owner Ian back in 2013 in his garden shed but is now a local favourite amongst beer-loving South Londoners. You can sample their range of beers at their taproom, located in an old railway arch just behind Peckham Rye Station. They produce a range of tantalising beers, from their famous gluten-free Helles lager and pale ale to their silky pilsner. There's also food available.

This lively brewery is one of the newer breweries on the Blackhorse Beer Mile. They've got a flagship brewery in Forest Gate, where they've been brewing the good stuff for a while, but the Blackhorse spot only opened in 2022 and specialises in modern, progressive, seasonal beer. Enjoy a variety of pale ales, lager, IPAs and low-alcohol drinks alongside pizza from their resident pizza parlour. You can also find them pouring fresh pints upstairs at the 17&Central shopping centre in Walthamstow.

The Kernel Brewery was one of the first craft breweries to open in the city and the first of its kind to open on the famous Bermondsey Beer Mile in 2009. They brew everything from pale ales and dark ales to lagers and mixed fermentation beers with a focus on aromas, flavour and bitterness of hops. They stock a range of beers on tap at their taproom, a vibey spot in old railway arches in Bermondsey.

Enjoy a variety of delicious brews at Fourpure Taproom in the heart of Bermondsey, where a whopping 43 regularly-changing taps are available to sample. There's also a street food menu that changes weekly, including plenty of vegan options. It's a wide, open taproom with plenty of room for large groups, featuring a roomy central bar and ample seating.

Two Tribes Campfire is a venue from Two Tribes Brewery where you can enjoy tasting their range of mouthwatering beers in a creative, welcoming space. It's all about celebrating good beer, food, music and art here, with a changing timetable of DJs and live music, alongside a meaty menu of delicious food dishes cooked over an open firepit.

This independent brewery and taproom is run by two brothers based on a passion of brewing beer with quality ingredients. The brews are gluten-reduced and vegan, all made with top-quality ingredients. It's not just beer you can enjoy here; they also stock a wide range of wines, including organic and biodynamic varieties. When you get hungry, there's an on-site pizzeria serving an assortment of mouth-watering Italian pies.

Hackney Church Brew Co. is another independent London brewery and taproom nestled inside old disused railway arches. They serve various craft beers brewed with hops and grains, from pale ales to stouts, alongside a menu of delicious British dishes made using locally sourced produce. There are also regular community events taking place here, including talks, quizzes and supper clubs.

People's Park Tavern is a pub located in the leafy Victoria Park that prides itself on being for the people, inspired by the people. They have their own on-site microbrewery where they make everything from stouts to sours and an ever-changing range of cask and craft beers on tap, in cans and in bottles. If you get hungry, they serve a seasonal menu inspired by the surrounding park, made up of indulgent small plates, pub grub and a legendary Sunday roast.

Meantime Brewing Company is one of the older breweries in the city and has been brewing the good stuff in Greenwich since 1999. If you're loyal to independent brands, you might not want to give this one a spin since the big boys, Asahi, own it. However, if you're keen to get an up-close, behind-the-scenes look at how the brewing process works, their 90-minute brewery tour will demonstrate how they get their beer from tank to glass, followed by a tasting session of four beers.

At this casual taproom, you can enjoy a competitive game of Dutch shuffleboard while slowly navigating the eight changing taps of craft beer, UK craft ciders and English wines. You can sit inside the spacious bar area, or if the weather is playing ball, they have a roomy beer garden with comfortable booths, perfect for al fresco drinks in the summer months.

Cloudwater Co. has made hundreds of varieties of beer over the years, but these days, it's all about rich, hoppy beers brewed and packaged at their brewery in central Manchester. Though their beer is brewed at their Manchester spot, you can try their 20 draft taps for their fresh releases and barrel-aged beers at their London taproom, located in a disused railway arch in the heart of Bermondsey. 

This might seem like just another Bermondsey brewery, but these guys are doing things a little differently. They use honey from independent beekeepers when brewing their beer, resulting in a deliciously aromatic, unpasteurised pint. Try it for yourself at their taproom on the Bermondsey Beer Mile, where you can also enjoy street food, sports screenings and their timetable of musical performances.

For those who aren't big on drinking, are cutting back or watching their calorie intake, Small Beer Brew Co is the place to be. These guys use innovative brewing methods to produce classic beer below 2.8% ABV without compromising on flavour, meaning the calories and alcohol content are lower than your usual pint. You can enjoy their range of brews at their Bermondsey taproom, a trendy space where you can play board games while you sit back, relax and sip.

At Long Arm Sports Pub & Brewery, you can sip on beer straight from the tank, eliminating all of the packaging in the process. Enjoy smooth, unfiltered, unadulterated fresh beer brewed daily whilst catching all the major sporting action on the brewery's big screen in their edgy, industrial-style venue.

Although no brewing is done on-site at Little Faith Taproom, you can sample a wide selection of local beers, including a handful of Little Faith bevs. It's located inside the Artworks Creekside complex, home to other small, independent businesses, like a coffee roastery, pizzeria, art gallery, urban vertical farm, street food vendors and more. The brewery has an industrial feel to it, featuring a handful of tables and chairs and a blackboard scribbled with all the available brews on tap.

Signal Brewery has been skilfully brewing natural beers in Croydon since 2016. The brewery taproom offers a spacious outdoor space lined with Signal Brewery kegs and within view of the brewing vats inside. Unwind with friends as you savour freshly brewed beers and various other drinks. Additionally, the taproom frequently hosts live music, sports screenings, and other exciting events.

Craft Tooting is the area's craft beer shop and bar, serving a variety of brews from small producers and well-established breweries. Beers are available on tap and they sell products from local producers too. As well as beer, Craft Tooting also sells a range of craft gins.

Mother Kelly's is an independent brewery in London, with several taprooms around town where you can sample a broad range of different beers on tap. There's plenty of space and private hire is available. There's also a simple food menu of sandwiches and sharing boards.

Blondies Brewery, located within the Patchworks factory complex in Leyton, is a spin-off of the famed Clapton dive bar, Blondies. More than just a brewery and taproom, the Leyton site also operates as a café, complete with a well-lit front space. Ample outdoor seating is provided for sipping brews in the sun as well.

Anspach & Hobday is at the forefront of London's burgeoning independent craft brewery scene when it comes to daring, presenting adventurous options like a sea salt & chilli stout alongside a selection of traditional beers. Located on the Bermondsey Beer Mile, their taproom invites guests to savour their unique brews in a spacious, vaulted setting. The space frequently serves as the backdrop for various events.

Established in 2012, Hammerton Brewery has a global reach and is acclaimed for its versatility in crafting a diverse array of beer styles, maintaining a consistent and enjoyable core selection of brews, and its creative use of special ingredients, with a particular proficiency in stout production. In addition to owning a pub, Hammerton Brewery features a renovated taproom at its brewing site, serving a menu of their unique brews and pizza.

Hidden away in a discreet street in Muswell Hill, Muswell Hillbilly Brewers Taproom is a place to sample beers brewed on-site. It's a popular and on-trend bar with a lively atmosphere, and various events including quizzes, parties, and comedy nights. You can try a range of brews here, from a classic IPA to a strong stout brewed with coffee.

The Werewolf Beer taproom opened in Camden in 2022. The taproom is set into railway arches and features lots of horror paraphernalia, including a 1950s ghost train. At the taproom you can try out a variety of own-brewed American-style craft beers and participate in interesting events such as film screenings.