2005 award winners
in association with: Visit London 
Reviewers’ awards
The Lamb, Lamb's Conduit Street WC1 - overall winner:
A charming Victorian boozer that gets everything just right
Fitting many people’s ideal of the classic London pub, the Lamb never disappoints and is a worthy winner of our top award. Great beers, lovely pub grub and a genuine mix of punters add up to a terrific pub experience that is hard to beat.
Monkey Chews, Queens Crescent NW5
A clever and modern take on the British pub experience
Plenty of places claim to mix the best elements of pub and bar culture, but few do it as convincingly as Monkey Chews. Whether you’re into drink, food or just want a great space to chat with friends, you’re sure to find what you want here.
Robin Hood & Little John, Lion Road, Bexleyheath
A fine pub offering great beer and food in pleasant surroundings
Sometimes you have to travel a bit further to find the perfect pub. Get on the train to Bexleyheath and make for this one. Doing business for about a century, it offers a great choice of beer and homely cooking in very pleasant surroundings.
Market Porter, Stoney Street SE1
The best reason for visiting Borough Market
One of London’s most famous real ale pubs and deservedly so - a refurbishment this year has resulted in more seats and, even better, more beers. With the Market Porter nearby, foodie shopping becomes a lot more interesting.
Windsor Castle, Crawford Place W1
A wonderfully eccentric pub with a clientele to match
It may resemble a Windsor gift shop inside, but the Windsor Castle combines all the attributes of the Great British Pub. Its warm and welcoming atmosphere – coupled with excellent beer and plentiful Thai Food – creates one of the most characterful of the Capital’s pubs. A national treasure, as much as HRH’s Berkshire home itself.
Reviewers’ award - best pub renovation:
Pig’s Ear, Old Church Street SW3
A thoughtful renovation creating a real pub with a Continental feel
What with so many identikit gastropub refits in London, a pub that gives its décor careful thought will definitely stand out from the crowd and that’s the case at the Pig’s Ear. Out went the pale wood of the old pub and in came formica tables, powder lamp shades and a darker shade of paint for the walls. It adds up to a continental feel many pubs aspire to yet seldom attain, and proves that pub renovation can still result in something original.
Reviewers’ award - most improved pub:
Island Queen, Noel Road N1
A fine makeover brings this pub back from the brink - with style
This once much loved pub was dire until Mitchells and Butlers stepped in and brought it back to life. Like a number of their pubs in London, this one offers a great range of both continental beers and traditional ales and displays a more elegant pub interior than has been the norm in recent years and with the renovation, the old atmosphere returned. It’s great to see this one back to its best.
Reviewers’ award - best newcomer:
Defectors Weld, Uxbridge Road W12
A loungey pub with an air of cool - ideal for a pre-gig drink
The sort of place so ideally suited to its location you immediately wonder why no one thought about opening a place like this before in Shepherd’s Bush. This pub didn’t take long to establish itself, offering as it does a genuine alternative to its neighbours. A newcomer it may be, but it already feels like it’s been there for years.
Visitors’ awards
Scarsdale Arms, Edwardes Square W8 - overall winner:
Its refined, unostentatious feel makes it the visitors’ favourite
Long before the word ‘gastropub’ had entered the lexicon, the Scarsdale Arms was offering a traditional pub atmosphere with a distinguished dining area. It still combines the two and offers up an experience befitting its exclusive postcode.
The Ship & Shovell, Craven Passage WC2
It's a pub in two halves, but that's not the whole story
A decent pub so close to Charing Cross Station - its no wonder the Ship & Shovell has proven to be so popular with visitors to Fancyapint.com, though we absolve ourselves of all responsibility if you enjoy it too much and miss your train.
Queen's Arms, Queen's Gate Mews SW7
Rightly popular with tourists, students and concert-goers
Handily placed for pre-Albert Hall or post-Hyde Park drinks, the Queen’s Arms does a sterling job looking after punters whether they be newcomers to London or those who work in the area.
Carpenters Arms, Seymour Place W1
A gem of a traditional boozer hidden away in the West End
Although hidden away from the hurly-burly of Marble Arch and Edgware Road, the Carpenters Arms has proven to be a popular one for Fancyapint.com users seeking out a rare thing – West End pub with good beers and great atmosphere.
Nag's Head, Kinnerton Street SW1
Not a TV, jukebox or mobile phone in sight - just good beer and bags of atmosphere
One of the most popular pubs on fancyapint?, the Nag’s Head casts a spell over even the most jaded pub goer. Its cosy, wood-panelled interior and excellent beers hark back to pubs of the past, its secluded location deluding you into believing you can keep it to yourself. They don’t make them like this anymore - though truth be told, they never did.