- Pub culture is a big part of life here in the UK.
So if you're coming to visit London,
I definitely recommend that you experience it
even if you don't like drinking.
Now I have lived here in the UK for over nine years now
and I've picked up on a lot of cultural norms
and social rules that you might wanna know
before you step foot into your first pub.
So I will pass them along to you in this video.
And by the way, if it's your first visit to London,
I have a special freebie for you at the end of the video,
so make sure you watch 'til then to get it.
Okay, let's go have a drink or four.
We are at the Hillgate Pub here in Notting Hill
and I'm gonna have a pint of beer.
The number one drink to order
when you come to a pub in the UK
is always gonna be the classic beer, order it by the pint
and there's always loads of options,
so you can either get a taster
to see which one you might like the best.
or just pick one that looks good.
I wanted a lager, so I went for an Asahi
which is a Japanese beer.
When is the best time to go to a pub?
I'd say is between 5:00 and 6:00 PM,
which is when a lot of people get out of work
and they'll go with their friends and their colleagues
to go have a pint at the pub to wind down and decompress.
On the weekends, pubs get busy much earlier,
usually around lunchtime,
and also Sundays are really popular
because people love to go and have Sunday roast.
Where is the best place to have your drink
when you're at the pub?
There's a couple of different options.
If you come into a pub and you see a table that's free,
you're free to take it
as long as it doesn't have a reserved sign on it,
and just bring your drinks over and pop your stuff down.
if there's no tables available,
you can also go stand by the bar,
which is actually the most social place,
and probably where you're gonna
strike up a conversation if you want to.
Finally, if it's a nice day out and it's crowded in the pub,
you'll notice that lots of people will go stand outside
of the pub and have their drinks out there
and enjoy the sunshine, or at least not having any rain.
How to get a drink at a pub?
In most pubs, you'll need to go to the bar to get your drink
so don't wait for someone to come over to your table.
The only exception is if you're in the restaurant
part of the pub, which then someone will come
take your food and your drink order.
If you visit and it's busy, wait patiently in the queue.
Don't push through and once you get to the front at the bar
you'll wanna make sure you make strong eye contact
with a bartender.
Don't be on your phone
otherwise they will pass right over you.
Next up, we are at the very famous Churchill Arms Pub
here in Kensington, and I'm gonna order a cider here.
So let's do it.
(upbeat music)
At this pub I've ordered a cider
which is one of the most popular drinks to order at a pub.
It's an alcoholic beverage, not dissimilar to beer,
but it's made from fermented apples
and also sometimes pears.
Every pub will have a pretty good selection of ciders
but to make it easy, you can just ask which cider is on tap.
Little fun cider fact for ya.
45% of households in the UK drink cider,
and the UK is the country that drinks the most cider
in the entire world.
Cheers to that.
(upbeat music)
Have my cider.
I'm gonna be very happy in a couple of pubs.
Do you tip at a pub in the UK?
So you don't have to and it's not really expected.
However, of course you can.
And the way that you do it is
that you buy the bartender a drink.
I would recommend doing this in cash
so you can leave some coins,
or if you wanna leave a bill you can,
and they'll put that into a tip jar
which gets spread across everybody at the end of the night.
Or if you're paying by card
you can buy them an actual drink
but they won't get the cash just so you know.
So I usually say bring cash, then they can decide
if they wanna drink or they want the money.
You never have to go too far to get to a good pub.
Pubs, especially in London, are such a local affair.
You just go to the good one that you like
nearby where you live,
and you can do the same thing with wherever you're staying.
But if you still need help finding good pubs around London
then check out the casual tourist guides
in which I tell you some of the best pubs
in all the different parts of London.
Link in the description box to check those out.
(upbeat music)
Make sure you say cheers to everybody that you're with
before you start your drink
That is a big cultural yes here in the UK
to make sure you raise your glass up,
clink it with everybody else's, say cheers to everyone,
and look them in the eye before you have your first sip,
'cause it acknowledges that you're all friends
and you're all gathered to have a good time.
Don't miss that one.
Cheers.
(upbeat music)
Just outside the Windsor Castle,
and I'm gonna go inside and have a gin and tonic.
Let's go.
Gin is a distilled alcoholic spirit
that comes mostly from juniper berries,
and gin is actually the most popular spirit
here in the UK now.
So you will always see loads
of people at the bar ordering a gin and tonic,
'cause it pairs really well with tonic.
It usually comes like this when you order it,
and then pour it yourself.
And there we go.
(upbeat music)
When you hear the bell at the pub, it's never a good thing.
Usually happens around 10:30,
and the first bell means that it is last call.
So if you wanna get another drink,
you better get up to the bar and get one quickly.
A second bell means the bar is closing.
Can't order any more drinks
so all you can do is finish your drink and head out.
What do you wear to a pub?
The answer is whatever you want.
Pubs are super casual so there's no dress code
and you might notice some people who are quite dressed up
but it's only because they've come from work
or maybe they're off to another special occasion,
but otherwise it's casual.
(upbeat music)
Mos pubs are kid friendly here in the UK.
A lot of them will have kids' menus,
they'll have high chairs, colouring books,
and they generally welcome families to come
especially during the day.
So don't be surprised when you come
into a pub and you see lots of kids around,
and don't be afraid to bring the whole family
when you're here.
Right behind me is The Ladbroke Arms,
a pub in Notting Hill and I'm gonna go have a Pimm's.
(upbeat music)
Pimm's is the classic British drink to order
at the pub in the summertime.
It's made up of Pimm's, which is a gin-based liquor,
with lemonade and lots of chopped fruits
and a bit of mint mixed in.
It's very good.
It's especially popular during Wimbledon,
one of England's biggest sporting events.
So when you come to a pub on a sunny day in London,
order yourself a Pimm's cup.
(upbeat music)
How to order food at a pub.
Most pubs serve food,
and a lot of pubs serve really good food.
So you have two ways to be able to have some food
while you're there.
First is to sit in the restaurant section of the pub,
which operates more like a restaurant
where they'll come over and serve you and take your order.
Or if you just wanna sit in the regular pub area
you can grab a menu from the bar,
pick out what you want and order your food at the bar,
and then they'll come deliver it to your table.
Make sure you get a round.
It is customary when you are at the pub
with a few friends to make sure you buy a round,
which basically just means you buy all the drinks
for everybody at one time.
It also means that if everyone's buying a rounds,
only one person has to go up to the bar at a time and queue.
Do not be the person that leaves the pub
before you buy your round,
because you will not be invited out again.
How to strike up a conversation with somebody at the pub.
Despite Londoners being a little bit more closed off
to conversations with strangers than usual,
once they've got a pint or two in them,
people are a lot more friendly,
especially in pubs which are really casual social settings.
A great way to strike up conversation is when you're
in the line to get a drink at the bar.
And another way is if you see a couple people
on a long table, ask them if you can sit
on the other end of it and you might start chatting too.
Also, Londoners love to give recommendations
for the area that they live in
so you can always ask someone
for recommendations for restaurants, bars, other pubs,
and that is a great way to start chatting to someone.
Now, if it's your first time visiting a pub
and visiting London, then make sure you get my
free London 101 guide, has everything you need to know
for your first visit to London.
Click the link popping up over here
or in the description box to get that for free.
And for more tips for your visit to London,
you've also got loads of videos
like the ones popping up next to me that you can watch next.
Mm, love beer.
I look angelic? - [Cameraman] You look good.
- Thanks babe, thanks, thanks.