New pubs don\u2019t open up as much as new restaurants. In fact, it\u2019s likely that more pubs in London are closing down than opening up, which makes the launch of new boozers in the capital something to celebrate.<\/p>\n
One pub however stands pump and cask above the rest; The Pocket<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>in Islington, which we have crowned the best new pub in London for 2025.<\/p>\n It was the only new pub to make our recently updated top 50 pubs in London list<\/a>, and as such was the only real contender for the title. The Pocket opened in March 2025, on the site of a long-shut bar called the Four Sisters pub on Canonbury Lane. Owner Pete Holt also runs the Southampton Arms<\/a> on Highgate Hill by Hampstead Heath, an old school ale and cider house with an open fire and a piano, which also features in our pubs top 50.\u00a0<\/p>\n A former carriage house, The Pocket has local ales and ciders, sells scotch eggs and sausage rolls, and like the Southampton Arms, also has a piano, with regular music afternoons and evenings.\u00a0<\/p>\n Our five star review of the new pub reads: \u2018The Pocket\u2019s premise is simple, and, let\u2019s be honest, perfect: \u201cNo reservations. No green food. No shit beer. No terrible modern music,\u201d they say. The bar snacks come in various shades of beige (scotch eggs, sausage rolls, pasties, and pork pies), the music comes from either the piano or a vinyl record player which favours vintage jazz and soul, and the crowd is gorgeous. Beer is priced in order of strength, meaning it\u2019s possible to get that rare thing – a London pint for a fiver.\u2019<\/p>\n The Pocket,\u00a025 Canonbury Lane, Islington, N1 2AS<\/p>\n The best new London restaurants of 2025<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n The\u00a08 best things Time Out staff ate this year in London<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n Get the latest and greatest from the Big Smoke \u2013 from news and reviews to events and trends. Just\u00a0follow our Time Out London WhatsApp channel<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n