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London is full of exceptional pubs – just head to any establishment on Time Out’s list of the 50 best boozers in the capital and you’re pretty much guaranteed a great time – and crowning one better than all the rest is very, very contentious business. But that doesn’t stop the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA), which every year names the best pub in both the UK overall as well as in its various regions and nations.
Today (August 21), CAMRA has unveiled its list of regional and national winners of the latest edition of its esteemed Pub of the Year awards, with a total of 17 winning boozers throughout the UK. Excitingly, one of those pubs has been crowned the best in Greater London.
Drum roll, please. The capital’s winning boozer is... the Little Green Dragon in Winchmore Hill, north London. Congrats, Little Green Dragon!
All the way out in the borough of Enfield, the Little Green Dragon occupies an old shopfront at the northern end of Green Lanes. Named after another pub just up the road called the Green Dragon (which has since been turned into a Waitrose), the LGD opened in 2017 as Enfield’s first micropub.
CAMRA chose its winning pubs by scoring them on factors like atmosphere, decor, service, inclusivity and, ‘most importantly’, the quality of their live beer, real cider and perry.
It’s pretty clear that the Little Green Dragon scores well on all fronts. CAMRA describes the cosy boozer:
‘Focusing on the quality and diversity of real ale, the Little Green Dragon has an ever-changing selection of four cask beers sourced from local microbreweries and other independent brewers from further afield, plus real cider, perry and four keg beers.
‘Traditional pub games such as table skittles and shove ha’penny are available for pub-goers to play. The Little Green Dragon’s interior features an eclectic range of seating, from wall mounted benches to low sofas, and even repurposed bus seats.’
This isn’t the first time that the Little Green Dragon has triumphed in CAMRA’s awards. In 2018, just a year after opening, it was also named Greater London Pub of the Year.
Will the Little Green Dragon win CAMRA’s coveted nationwide Pub of the Year 2024 award? Only time will tell. It’ll compete against 16 other regional and national finalists, and the winner will be announced in January 2025.
Last year’s overall Pub of the Year winner was Staffordshire’s Tamworth Tap – you can read all about its victory on Time Out here.
UPDATE: As of October 16, the Little Green Dragon is through to CAMRA’s final for Pub of the Year.
Time Out’s take
Not many of Time Out’s staff are from Winchmore Hill, but the author of this news piece is. Having grown up in the area, there really is no better pub around than the Little Green Dragon, for atmosphere or drinks selection – my favourite feature being the bus departures board on the wall that lets you judge whether or not to you can squeeze in another pint. I’ll be vouching for it in CAMRA’s grand final!
Read up on last year’s CAMRA London winner: The Hope in Carshalton.
Plus: the UK’s most beautiful pub has been crowned by CAMRA.
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