Pubs, Cafes, Restaurants and Hotels Without Piped Music: London

Central London

Pubs

Star Tavern, 6 Belgravia Mews West, London SW1. A genuine pub in one of the wealthiest areas of London. Quite relaxing atmosphere with no music, just talk.

The Lamb, 94 Lambs Conduit Street, London WC1 Tel. 020 7405 0713. A Youngs pub with food and hot drinks. Serving Young's ales and traditional English fare, the cozy Victorian interior is a fine lunch stop, especially since there's no piped music. It's blissfully quiet and nearly tourist-free.

The Perseverance, 63 Lamb's Conduit Street, WC1. Tel. 020 7405 8278.

The Lamb and Flag, 33 Rose Street, WC2. This is a delightful old pub, reputedly the oldest in the Covent Garden area, with few modern amenities (no games machines, no music) but a great range of beers.

Calthorpe Arms, 252 Grays Inn Road, WC1X 8JR. Tel. (020) 7278 4732. On the corner of Gray's Inn Road and Wren Street, this is a comfortable single-bar pub popular with locals and office workers alike. Local CAMRA Pub of the Year 2001.

The Ard-Ri Dining Room, 88 Marylebone Lane, W1. Tel. 020-7935 9311. Downstairs is the pub with real beers, upstairs a dining room serving Irish cuisine that is of terrific quality. The Ard Ri has, over recent years, gained an excellent reputation for producing first-rate modern and traditional Irish fare.

The Cock Tavern, East Poultry Avenue, Central Markets EC1A. Tel. 020-7248 2918. All day breakfasts, hearty market food but definitely not good for vegetarians.

Cow Dining Room, 89 Westbourne Park Road W2 5QH. Tel: (020) 7221 0021. Website Great food and atmosphere in this extremely popular pub and restaurant.

The Draper’s Arms, 44 Barnsbury Street N1 1ER. Tel: 020 7619 0348. Cheap grub downstairs, something very much more sophisticated upstairs. Excellent.

The Fox Dining Room, 28 Paul Street, London, EC2A 4LB. Tel: 020 7729 5708. Website Deeply satisfying and fine cuisine.

The House, 63-69 Canonbury Road, Islington N1 2DG. Tel: (020) 7704 7410. Website Jeremy Hollingsworth, who won a Michelin star at Quo Vadis heads the kitchen. Won the Time Out Best Gastropub awards in 2003.

The Lansdowne, 90 Gloucester Avenue, Primrose Hill NW1 8HX. Tel: 020 7483 0409. Website The food is varied and luxurious.

Pan Asian at the Paxton Head, 153 Knightsbridge SW1. Tel. 020 7589 6627. An Asian restaurant attached to a pub with excellent food. But beware - the pub itself plays muzak.

The Seven Stars, 53 Carey Street WC2. Tel. 020 7242 8521. Website Good food, wonderful pub.

Hamilton Hall, Unit 32, Liverpool Street Station, Bishopsgate, EC2.

Masque Haunt, 168-172 Old Street, Old Street, EC1.

Hogshead, Parkway, Camden Town. Quite a mish-mash of pub styles. No music, food served and a wide range of beer.

Tyburn, 18-20 Edgware Road, Marble Arch, W2.

Moon under Water, 105-107 Charing Cross Road, Soho, WC2.

Moon under Water, 28 Leicester Square, Soho, WC2.

Wetherspoons, Unit 5, Victoria Island, Victoria Station, Victoria, SW1.

Willow Walk, 25 Wilton Road, Victoria, SW1.

Lord Moon of the Mall, 16-18 Whitehall, Westminster, SW1.

Windmill, 6 Mill Street, Mayfair W1S 2AT. This quiet and pleasant Young's pub, tucked away in Mill Street on the edge of Mayfair, is well worth a visit, partially for its atmosphere and partly for its award-winning food. Website

Goodmans Field, 87-91 Mansell Street, Aldgate, E1.

Camdens Head, 456 Bethnal Green Road, Bethnal Green, E2.

Wetherspoons, Metro Central Heights, 125 Newington Causeway, Elephant & Castle, SE1.

Knights Templar, 95 Chancery Lane, Holborn, WC2.

Penderels Oak, 283-288 High Holborn, Holborn, WC1.

Shakespeares Head, Africa House, 64-68 Kingsway, Holborn, WC2.

Angel, 3-5 Islington High Street, Islington, N1.

Glass Works, Units 5&6, N1 Centre, Parkfield Street, Islington, N1.

Printworks, 113-117 Farringdon Road, Clerkenwell, EC1.

White Swan, 251-256 Upper Street, Islington, N1.

Metropolitan Bar, 7 Station Approach, Marylebone Road, Marylebone, NW1.

Half Moon, 213-223 Mile End Road, Mile End, E1.

Masque Haunt, 168-172 Old Street, Old Street, EC1

Pommelers Rest, 196-198 Tower Bridge Road, Southwark, SE1.

Sir John Oldcastle, 29-35 Farringdon Road, Farringdon, EC1.

Ye Grapes, 16 Shepherd Market, W1Y 7HU. Tel. (020) 7499 1563. Very traditional Victorian House specialising in Real Ales. No Music.

Buckingham, The, Petty France. SW1. Good drinkers pub which can get crowded. Full of Home office types.

Beaten Docket, 50-56 Cricklewood Broadway, Cricklewood, NW2.

Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese, 145 Fleet Street, City of London EC4A 2BU. Tel. 020 7353 6170. W B Yeats drank here in the 1890’s.

Duke of Cambridge, 30 St Peter’s Street, N1 8JT. Tel. 020 7359 3066. Website

The Anglesea Arms, 15 Selwood Terrace, South Kensington.

The Olde Mitre, Ely Court, off Ely Place, London EC1. Tel. 020 7405 4751.

Cafes and Restaurants

Clarke’s 124 Kensington Church Street, W8. Tel. 0207 221 9225. Sally Clarke uses impeccable ingredients to produce simple but perfectly executed dishes that hide the considerable skill required in delivery. Mon-Sat 12.30-2 and 7-10pm. Main credit cards. No smoking in the dining room. No music.

Kensington Place, 201-207 Kensington Church St., W8. Tel. 0207 727 3184. Extensive menu of quality food. Open all week 12-3, 6.30-11.45 (10.15 Sun) Most credit cards. No music.

Che restaurant, 23 St. James Street, SW1A 1HE. Tel: 020 7747 9380.

The Wigmore Hall Restaurant, 36 Wigmore Street, W1. Tel. 020 72588292.

The Square, 6-10 Bruton Street, Mayfair, London, W1J 6LB. Tel: 020 7495 7100. Website

Connaught Grill, Connaught Hotel, Carlos Place, Mayfair, London, W1K 2AL. Tel: 020 7499 7070. Website

Le Gavroche, 43 Upper Brook Street W1K 7QR. Tel: (020) 7408 0881 / (020) 7499 1826. Website

Andrew Edmunds, 46 Lexington Street, London W1R 3LH. Tel. 020 74375708. Muzak free but avoid the noisy basement.

Restaurant at the National Portrait Gallery, Orange Street WX2H OHE. Tel. 020 73122490.

The Refectory, Southwark Cathedral, Nr. London Bridge.

Mustoe Bistro, 73 Regents Park Road NW1 8UY. Tel. 020 75860901. Inexpensive French/English food.

Cigala, 54 Lambs Conduit Street, London WC1 0207 405 1717. Spanish food, muzak only in the downstairs bar.

Southward Theatre bar and restaurant, the Sixty-Two. It is a serious, no frills restaurant with no muzak.

QC Restaurant, Chancery Court Hotel, 252 High Holborn, London. Tel. 020 78297000. Modern French food. Website

Carnevale, 135 Whitecross Street, London EC1Y 8JK. Tel. 020 7250 3452. A Mediterranean restaurant and deli.

British Library Restaurant, next to St Pancras, London.

Somerset House Cafes and Restaurants. Website

Paul, 29 Bedford Street, London WC2. Tel. 020 7834 3304. French bakery and patisserie with a small restaurant open only during the day. Omlettes, quiches and pastries.

Lindsey House, 21 Romilly Street, London W1. Tel. 020 7439 0450.

Beaten Docket, 70 Cricklewood Broadway. Clean, well run, very Good value. Food. No music.

The International, 116 St Martins Lane, Covent Garden, WC2N 4BF. Tel. 0871-223-3902. No music in the in the upstairs pan Asian restaurant.

Almeida 30 Almeida Street London N1. Tel: 020 7354 4777.

St. John, 26. St John St, London, EC1M 4AY. Website

Bentley’s, 11-15 Swallow Street, W1B 4DE. Tel. 0207 734 4756. Seafood restaurant.

L’Etiole, 30 Charlotte Street, London W1. Tel. 020 7636 7189.

Rules, 35 Maiden Lane, London WC2. Tel. 020 7836 5314.

Paul Rothe & Son, 35 Marylebone Lane, Wigmore Street, London W1. Tel. 020 7935 6783. Fine cafe with no piped music.

East London

The Crown, 223 Grove Road, Victoria Park, London E3 5SN. Tel. 020 8981 9998. Website

Match Maker, 580-586 Roman Road, Bow, E3.

Black Friar, 174 Queen Victoria St, EC4. Tel. 020 7236 6394. Open 11.30am-11pm Mon-Fri. On the site of the old Blackfriars Monastery.

The Bell, Bush Lane, EC4. The small pub with the best beer. No music - No TV - No fruit machines - Just good beer.

Crosse Keys, 9 Gracechurch Street, City, EC3.

Liberty Bounds, 15 Trinity Square, Tower Hill, EC3.

Drum, 557-559 Lea Bridge Road, Leyton, E10.

Goldengrove, 146-148 The Grove, Stratford, E15.

Walnut Tree, 857-861 High Road, Leytonstone, E11

Kings Ford, 250-252 Chingford Mount Road, Chingford, E4.

Baxters Court, 282-284 Mare Street, Hackney, E8

Hudson Bay, 1-5 Upton Lane, Forest Gate, E7.

George, 159 High Street, Wanstead, E11.

Ledger Building, 4 Hertsmere Road, Isle of Dogs, E14.

Millers Well, 419-421 Barking Road, East Ham, E6.

North London

Pubs

Tally Ho, 749 High Road, North Finchley, N12.

Tally Ho, 749 High Road, North Finchley, N12.

Gatehouse, 1 North Road, Highgate, N6.

Wetherspoons, Unit 5 Spouters Corner, High Road, Wood Green, N22.

Tollgate, 26-30 Turnpike Lane, Turnpike Lane, N8.

Rochester Castle, 143-145 Stoke Newington High Street, Stoke Newington, N16.

Picture Palace, Howards Hall, Lincoln Road, Ponders End, EN3.

White Lion of Mortimer, 125-127 Stroud Green Road, Stroud Green, N4.

Whole Hog, 430-434 Green Lanes, Palmers Green, N13.

New Crown, 80-84 Chase Side, Southgate, N14.

Coronet, 338-346 Holloway Road, Holloway, N7.

Gilpins Bell, 50-54 Fore Street, Upper Edmonton, N18.

Moon under Water, 115-117 Chase Side, Enfield, EN2.

Railway Bell, 13 East Barnet Road, New Barnet, EN4.

Restaurants

The Coffee Cup,74 Hampstead High Street, NW3 1QX. Tel. 0871 075 1386. The Coffee Cup is a small restaurant that is popular. They serve a variety of International dishes at their restaurant as well as a variety of snacks including toasted sandwiches and home-made pasta. It is not a chain, and it’s cosy: the dark wood panelling and shaded sconces suggest a cross between fin de siecle Vienna and 1950s Cricklewood High Street; there’s no piped music, and the clientele read or chat quietly.

North West London

The Salt House, 63 Abbey Road NW8 0AE. Tel: 020 7328 6626. Website Well-established gastropub. Regional Italian food.

The Wells, 30 Well Walk NW3 1BX. Tel: 020 7794 3785. Website Another gastropub.

Ice Wharf, Units 1-2 Suffolk Wharf, Jamestown Road, Camden Town, NW1.

Man in the Moon, 40-42 Chalk Farm Road, Camden Town, NW1.

Moon under Water, 10 Varley Parade, The Hyde, Colindale, NW9.

Three Horseshoes, 28 Heath Street, Hampstead, NW3.

Wetherspoons, Level 2, O2 Centre, 255 Finchley Road, Hampstead, NW3.

The Flask, Flask Walk, Hampstead, London NW3. Tel. 020 83407260.

Coliseum, 25-26 Manor Park Road, Harlesden, NW10.

Outside Inn, 312-314 Neasden Lane, Neasden, NW10.

Moon under Water, 148 High Street, Barnet, EN5.

Moon on the Hill, 373-375 Station Road, Harrow, HA1.

Moon & Sixpence, 250 Uxbridge Road, Hatch End, HA5.

Botwell Inn, 25-29 Coldharbour Lane, Hayes, UB3.

New Moon, 25-26 Kenton Park Parade, Kenton Road, Kenton, HA3.

JJ Moons, 553 Kingsbury Road, Kingsbury, NW9.

Sylvan Moon, 27 Green Lane, Northwood, HA6.

William Jolle, 53 Joel Street, Northwood Hills, HA6.

JJ Moons, 397 High Road, Wembley, HA9.

JJ Moons, 12 Victoria Road, Ruislip Manor, HA4.

Village Inn, 402-408 Rayners Lane, Rayners Lane, HA5.

Man in the Moon, 1 Buckingham Parade, Stanmore, HA7.

Good Yarn, 132 High Street, Uxbridge, UB8.

Lord Palmerston, 33 Dartmouth Park Hill, NW5 1HU. Tel. 020 7485 1578.

North East London

Barking Dog, 61 Station Parade, Longbridge Road, Barking, IG11.

Lord Denman, 270-272 Heathway, Dagenham, RM10.
Eva Hart, 1128 High Road, Chadwell Heath, RM6.

Great Spoon of Ilford, 114-116 Cranbrook Road, Ilford, IG1.

Moon & Stars, 99-103 South Street, Romford, RM1.