Edgar Wallace, London

Just off Fleet Street, moments from the Royal Courts of Justice, The Temple and Aldwych, the Edgar Wallace remains one of London’s great hidden gems, a characterful one-room pub with an additional upstairs space for dining and private hire.

The ceiling is lined with an extraordinary collection of vintage beer mats, while the walls and back bar showcase historic advertising for beer, sherry, port and tobacco, a living archive of Britain’s drinking heritage. A shelf of Edgar Wallace crime novels, pub guides and well-thumbed classics invites you to stay a little longer.

The pub champions well-kept cask ale, with four regular beers forming the backbone of the range: Harvey’s Sussex Best, Timothy Taylor Landlord, Fuller’s London Pride and St Austell Tribute. These are complemented by guest ales, including Bankside Blonde and Mayflower, subject to availability and seasonality.

The kitchen delivers freshly prepared pub food from traditional British favourites to globally inspired plates — with weekday lunches particularly popular among local professionals.

The Edgar Wallace is conversation-led with no background music. On Saturdays it is usually open to the public from 12pm to 6:30pm, but also hosts private hire events, special ticketed evenings and promoter-led functions at weekends.