Guinness launch the Harp Guide revealing the best 35 pubs in Britain for a pint

Guinness launches its first-ever Harp Guide – celebrating the 35 best pubs in Britain for a perfect pint

The 2026 guide highlights 35 pubs from London to Liverpool, Manchester to Brighton, each chosen not just for pouring a flawless Guinness, but for offering a warm welcome, great service, a buzzing atmosphere and a genuine love of the stout.

Every pub selected will now receive an official brass Guinness harp plaque, marking them as one of the best places in the UK to enjoy a perfect pint of the black stuff.

The inaugural list features iconic venues including The Devonshire and The Audley Public House in London, Mulligans in Manchester, Kitty O’Shea’s in Glasgow, The Star in Bristol, and Pogue Mahone’s in Liverpool.

Guinness says the guide was created to spotlight the pubs that represent the best of British pub culture – the places steeped in decades of stories, tiled ceilings, slanted bars worn down by dancing, steamed-up windows from a full room, and the characters that keep people coming back night after night.

From 2026 onwards, drinkers will also be able to nominate their own locals for future editions of the Harp Guide.

Paul Senior, CEO of DGB Hospitality Ltd, whose Pogue Mahone’s appears on the list, said: “We couldn’t be prouder of the team at Pogue’s whose tireless work – and of course serving outstanding Guinness – has got our venue into the prestigious Guinness Harp Guide 2026.

"We know we’ve got one of the region’s best proper old pubs, steeped in history, a true institution for locals and tourists alike. So we’ll all be raising a glass and toasting to this success.”

Here's the full list of pubs selected for the Guinness Harp Guide 2026

London

• The Devonshire
• The Coach & Horses
• Bricklayers Arms
• The Auld Shillelagh
• Skehans Freehouse
• The Audley Public House
• The Toucan
• Mc & Sons
• The Fox & Pheasant

North West

• Mulligans, Manchester
• Kennedy’s, Didsbury
• The Station, Didsbury
• Pogue Mahone, Liverpool
• The Monro, Liverpool
• Shenanigans, Liverpool

Scotland

• Malones, Edinburgh
• Kitty O’Sheas, Glasgow
• Jinty McGuintys, Glasgow

Rest of England and Wales

• The Beckford Arms, Salisbury
• The Star, Bristol
• Queens Vaults, Cardiff
• Free Press, Cambridge
• The Fat Cat, Norwich
• The Boot, St Albans
• The Centurion, Newcastle
• Barluga, Newcastle
• Sheepfolds, Sunderland
• The Fiddlers Elbow, Brighton
• The Lion & Lobster, Brighton
• Whitelocks Ale House, Leeds
• Dog & Partridge, Sheffield
• The Grapes, Sheffield
• Hearsall Inn, Coventry
• The Guinness Arms, Bury St Edmunds
• Elvenden Inn, Thetford

For more information visit www.guinness.com.