Pubs. London

Pubs London

It's a public house, informally known as a pub and sometimes referred to as the "local", is a licensed drinking establishment which is part of British culture.

There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom; a number that declines every year, so that nearly half of the smaller villages no longer have a local pub.

In many places, especially in villages, a pub can be the focal point of the community.

Public houses are socially and culturally different from places such as cafés, bars. Pubs are social places based on the sale of alcoholic beverages, and most public houses offer a range of beers, wines, spirits, alcopops and soft drinks.

Many pubs are controlled by breweries, so beer is often better value than wines and spirits, while soft drinks can be almost as expensive. Beer served in a pub may be cask ale or keg beer. All pubs also have a range of non-alcoholic beverages available.

Traditionally the windows of town pubs are of smoked or frosted glass so that the clientele is obscured from the street. In the last twenty years in the UK and other countries there has been a move away from frosted glass towards clear glass.

Many of London's pubs are known to have been used by famous people.