London's best pubs: let's support our finest tourist attractions

Since 2010, over 3,000 British pubs have called Last Orders for the final time

(Corbis)

When you think about it, London’s pub culture is pretty much the true soul of the city. It attracts countless tourists from all over the world and has a uniqueness, which can never be replicated anywhere else. What’s terrifying though is the cold hard fact that steadily, we are losing such an essential element of our social life.

According to the most up to date figures from the British Beer and Pub Association, pub closures have sadly increased steadily every year for the last five years. It is estimated that since 2010, over 3,000 British pubs have called Last Orders for the final time with on-trade beer sales also taking a nosedive.

But with the growing enthusiasm for all things craft comes a potential lifeline for the pub trade. Total beer sales were up by 1.4% last year, halting a decade of decline. What is interesting though is that this slight growth seems to be driven by off-trade sales. With so many new emerging craft brands, the consumer clearly has more choice than ever - they just don’t seem to be enjoying drinking it at the pub.

But this isn’t all about doom and gloom. It’s time to celebrate our pub culture. London Beer Week is currently in full flow and there are plenty of good reasons to visit one of the 100+ pubs, which are taking part.

Here’s a list of my favourite London pubs. You may not agree with any of them, but that’s that what makes our pubs worth fighting for…