True to name, the Blackfriar was constructed on the site of a former Dominican friary. It’s not often that you find drinking establishments with museum-quality artworks inside, but this 19th-century pub is worth visiting for its decor alone. British sculptor Henry Poole and architect Herbert Fuller-Clark contributed to its lavish, art nouveau design. Look out for stained-glass windows, marble accents, and brass and mother-of-pearl reliefs.

Located in the shadow of St. Paul’s Cathedral, the Cockpit is hidden down a small warren of centuries-old alleys. True to its name, the pub hosted illicit cockfights until the 18th century, and that rather sordid past is reflected in its rooster-themed decor and raised gallery area, where spectators would have once stood. However, according to Johnny Warland of Liquid History Tours, “the site is more famous as the location of Shakespeare's first house in London.”

This cozy pub, located near Holborn, dates back to 1549. That specific moment in English history is key, as following King Henry VIII’s reign, Protestantism was declared the official state religion. That meant that Catholics had to worship in secret—and this pub was one place for them to do so. “Catholic priests were known to sneak behind the bar and offer a secretive Mass to willing participants,” Warland says. The spirits of unlucky priests who were caught are said to haunt the pub today.

In Sketches by Boz, Charles Dickens wrote of one such bar: “The gay building with the fantastically ornamented parapet, the illuminated clock, the plate-glass windows surrounded by stucco rosettes, and its profusion of gas-lights in richly gilt burners, is perfectly dazzling ...” To see a real-life Dickensian marvel, venture to the Princess Louise, which is outfitted with etched glass, carved wooden features, and a gilded ceiling.

Speaking of Dickens, the Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese on Fleet Street was once frequented by the great scribe, as well as luminaries such as Mark Twain and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. One of the oldest pubs in London, the pub has stood on site since the 1540s. “The pub is seven stories in total, and Dickens' favorite seat was to the right of the fire, under the portrait of the head waiter,” says Warland. During your visit, claim his seat and see if inspiration strikes.