The best places to drink mulled wine in London

Each year, the Queen of Hoxton’s rooftop space gets a wintry facelift. The theme for 2024 has yet to be revealed, but whatever it is, you can expect them to put their signature twist on mulled wine, serving up something warming enough to keep you cosy, even on a chilly night.

This characterful sixteenth-century inn is steeped in history. It was immortalised in Dickens’s ‘The Pickwick Papers’ and is also said to be the place where Keats wrote ‘Ode to a Nightingale’. Where better than here to sample the chef’s mulled cabarnet sauvignon next to a roaring fire. Who knows, maybe your own literary inspiration will strike several sips in?

Head to this themed Victorian Covent Garden pub-bar to step back in time – both in setting and in your sips. Its mulled wine draws from an historic recipe from one of its posh nearby neighbours, the Savoy. The secret? Keeping it at a particular temperature and infusing it with a variety of spices – from classic cloves to cassia bark – which provide layers more depth than you’ll find in some of the stewed toddies you’ll find elsewhere.

Mulled wine with a view isn’t something you can find just anywhere in London. At this Georgian riverside pub, though, you’ll find scenes aplenty. We can’t explain why, but gazing upon them while you savour the tavern’s mulled offerings – including wine, cider, and maybe even gin – makes them taste that even more delicious. Trust us.

You shouldn’t wish away time, but we are sort of counting down the days until December starts. The beginning of the last month of the year is when this Tooting stalwart starts serving up their warming brew. Perfect for washing down their tasty pub grub.

You can take your pick of toasty toddies at The Old Red Lion – mulled wine or spiced cider. Whatever your choice, it’s best enjoyed nestled in one of the pubs many cosy nooks and crannies, or to fuel your brain while getting competitive at its regular weekly quiz night.

After you’ve gone for a bracing walk around the Heath, duck into the Lord Palmerston to get your body back to a toasty temperature. A glass or two of mulled wine will speed things along, especially when knocked back next to the fire. Get ready for the glow.  

Not many London pubs have a fire as inviting as the one at the Anglesea. Make a beeline for it and for the spiced stuff. This pub takes its wine list seriously, so mulled goodies are always served with a little bit of flair. 

Fancy sipping your mulled wine on a boat? You can do it on the Tamesis, a floating pub. They serve mulled wine that's a perfect winter warmer to be enjoyed out on deck, admiring some iconic London views, like Westminster and the Houses of Parliament.