Blockbuster boozers! Can YOU guess which movie these pubs featured in?
Brits have long considered their local boozer as a go to place to relax, socialise and enjoy some good food and drink.
Whether it be enjoying a Sunday roast, soaking up the sun with a freshly poured pint or watching the footy with a group of mates, the pub is often cited as a staple of British culture.
And this fondness doesn’t go amiss in the world of film, with many on screen characters often depicted in scenes in their favourite watering holes.
While their names are often made up for the purposes of storytelling, some of our favourite fictional pubs are often anything but.
Here we list some of the silver screen’s most famous pubs that you can actually drink in. But can you guess the blockbuster that they featured in?
1. The Black Prince, Kennington, London
The Black Prince, Kennington, London
2. The Jolly Gardeners, Lambeth, London
The Jolly Gardeners, Lambeth, London
3. The Royal Oak, Tower Hamlets, London
The Royal Oak, Tower Hamlets, London
4. The Black Swan, Ockham, Surrey
The Black Swan, Ockham, Surrey
5. The Tavistock Arms, Westbourne Green, London
The Tavistock Arms, Westbourne Green, London
6. The Duke of Albany, New Cross Gate, London
The Duke of Albany, New Cross Gate, London
7. The Wilbury, Letchworth Garden City
The Wilbury, Letchworth Garden City
8. The Beehive, Buntingford, Hertfordshire
The Beehive, Buntingford, Hertfordshire
9. The Victoria Comet, Newcastle
The Victoria Comet, Newcastle
Answers:
1. Kingsman: The Secret Service
The 2014 film Kingsman: The Secret Service sees a reluctant Eggsy, played by Taron Egerton, taken under the wing by agent Harry Hart, played by Colin Firth, and trained to become an international spy.
He later goes on to save the world from the clutches of evil tech billionaire Richmond Valentine, played by Samuel L. Jackson.
Before being recruited to Kingsman, Eggsy would often be seen hanging out with his mates at his local boozer, The Black Prince.
In one scene early on in the film Eggsy is told to leave the pub by a group of older lads. After stealing the keys to one of their cars, he takes it on a joy ride around the estate but is soon arrested by police.
On another now iconic scene, Eggsy and Harry are seen enjoying a pint together in a pub before being interrupted by the same group of men who are eager to get their own back on the youngster.
After being insulted by the group, Harry decides to teach them a lesson before engaging in a mass brawl in which the decorated spy of course comes out on top.
The pub, which shares its name with its on screen depiction, is located in Kennington in south London.
It is open from 4pm on Monday to Friday and from 12pm on the weekends. It serves ‘classic pub dishes’ as part of its ‘seasonally-adjusted menu’, with a variety of roasts available on a Sunday, according to its website.
The 2014 film Kingsman: The Secret Service sees a reluctant Eggsy (furthest left), played by Taron Egerton, taken under the wing by agent Harry Hart (furthest right), played by Colin Firth, and trained to become an international spy
On another now iconic scene, Harry engages in a mass brawl with a group of men in which the decorated spy of course comes out on top
2. Snatch
Guy Ritchie is well known for directing some of the best British gangster films to have graced cinema screens in the last two decades.
One his first and most iconic is the 2000 film Snatch, which features an ensamble cast of Brad Pitt, Vinnie Jones, Jason Statham and Benicio Del Toro.
The film is centred around the theft of an elegant 86-carat diamond which causes a number of criminals to butt heads as they try to retrieve it.
In one scene, the notorious ‘Bullet Tooth’ Tony, played by Jones, is held at gun point a the Drowning Trout pub by three masked assailants.
The exchange was filmed inside The Jolly Gardeners in Lambeth, which was recently renovated and opened in 2021.
The Victorian pub dates back to 1851 and was also said to be frequented by Charlie Chaplin Senior, who could apparantly regularly be found playing the piano in the corner, which still exists there today.
The 2000 film Snatch, which features an ensamble cast of Brad Pitt, Vinnie Jones (pictured right), Jason Statham and Benicio Del Toro
In one scene, the notorious ‘Bullet Tooth’ Tony (pictured), played by Vinnie Jones, is held at gun point a the Drowning Trout pub by three masked assailants
3. Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels
Another of Guy Ritchie’s classics, Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, similarly features a hilarious scene set inside a London pub.
After asking for a refreshing drink Jason Statham’s character Bacon is suprised when he and his two friends Tom, played by Jason Flemyng, and Soap, played by Dexter Fletcher, are served some fancy cocktails instead of beer.
The barman explains that it is a Samoan pub and tells the trio that they will have to go elsewhere if they want a proper pint.
Samoan Joe’s, as the pub is known in the film, is unfortunately not an authentic Samoan pub in real life.
It’s actual name is The Royal Oak, a popular boozer in Bethnal Green in east London, which dates back to 1923.
It has apparantly also been the filming location for a number of other television and movie scenes, including the 90’s sitcom Goodnight Sweetheart and Legend, the biographical film about the Kray twins who are both portrayed by Tom Hardy.
And similarly to the Guy Ritchie it does serve a range of boozy cocktails as well as a variety lagers, ciders and other ales of course.
Another of Guy Ritchie’s classics, Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, similarly features a hilarious scene set inside a London pub
4. An American Werewolf in London
For any tourist looking to get an authetic experience of British life, a trip to a local pub has to be on the to-do list.
As was the case with one scene in the 1981 horror An American Werewolf in London, which sees two Amercian college students, David and Jack, embarking on a back packing tour of England.
Before later being attacked by a werewolf, as alluded to in the film’s inconic title, the pair wander across a village after trekking across the Moors in Yorkshire.
They decide to stop at the Slaughtered Lamb but when they venture inside they receive a chilly greeting from the locals.
The pub’s real location is far from the Yorkshire Moors and it has a much less sinister name, The Black Swan.
It is situated in the Surrey countryside in Ockham and features open fires, comfy seating and a lusicous beer garden for punters to enjoy all year round.
It is also dog friendly, meaning that even if you’ve been bitten by a werewolf, you’ll still be welcome.
The 1981 horror An American Werewolf in London, which sees two Amercian college students, David and Jack, embarking on a back packing tour of England
They decide to stop at the Slaughtered Lamb but when they venture inside they receive a chilly greeting from the locals
5. Withnail and I
The 1987 British comedy Withnail and I was one of Richard E. Grant’s first films and catapulted his career to become an established name in Hollywood.
The film is set in 1969 and focuses on the lives of two unemployed actors Withnail and Marwood, played by Grant and Paul McGann, who live together in a flat in Camden.
After a long night of drinking, the pair wander in to the Mother Black Cap where they get in to an altercation with a Irish man after he brandishes the ‘perfumed ponces’.
They decide to flee the pub to avoid getting into a fight with the irate man
The actual pub, The Tavistock Arms in Westbourne Green in west London, was sadly demolished in 2011 to make way for a block of luxury flats.
Withnail and I is set in 1969 and focuses on the lives of two unemployed actors Withnail (pictured centre) and Marwood (pictured right), played by Richard E. Grant and Paul McGann, who live together in a flat in Camden
One of the fictional pubs in the film, the The Tavistock Arms in Westbourne Green in west London, was sadly demolished in 2011 to make way for a block of luxury flats
6. Shaun of the Dead
Simon Pegg and Nick Frost rose to fame off the back of Edgar Wright’s 2004 comedy Shaun of the Dead.
A parody of 1978s Dawn of the Dead, the film follows the life of electronics salesman Shaun who one day wakes up to find that he is in the middle of a zombie apocalypse.
After joining up with his best friend, played by Frost, his mother, his girlfriend Liz and a few other mates they gear up to take on the undead.
The group reluctantly comes up with a plan to hold up in their favourite pub The Winchester Tavern and wait for the whole thing to ‘blow over’.
As you can imagine this doesn’t exactly play out as perfectly as Shaun imagines it would.
Sadly, since filming, real location of the Winchester, The Duke of Albany in New Cross Gate in east London has closed down and converted into flats.
But I’m sure that in its hey day regulars boozer never needed the exscuse of an impending zombie apocalypse to enjoy a refreshing pint.
Zombie’s surround the fictional pub The Winchester in Edgar Wright’s 2004 comedy Shaun of the Dead
The film is a parody of 1978s Dawn of the Dead, the film follows the life of electronics salesman Shaun who one day wakes up to find that he is in the middle of a zombie apocalypse
Shaun (pictured centre left) joins up with his best friend Ed (pictured far right), played by Frost, his mother (pictured centre right), his girlfriend Liz (pictured far eft) and a few other mates they gear up to take on the undead
The group reluctantly comes up with a plan to hold up in their favourite pub The Winchester Tavern and wait for the whole thing to ‘blow over’
But as you can imagine this doesn’t exactly play out as perfectly as Shaun imagines it would
7. The World’s End
Another film in Edgar Wright’s iconic filmography, The World’s End, sees Frost and Pegg once again feature in the lead roles as budding best mates.
The plot explores Gray King’s, played by Pegg, obessession with completing The Golden Mile, an epic pub crawl across his hometown of Newton Haven.
After failing to complete the 12-pub journey 20 years earlier, Gary gathers his old school mates together for another stab at it.
However things take a turn when what was intially intended as a heavy night of drinking turns into a battle to save their town from an invasion of robots masquerading as local towns people.
Of course this doens’t stop Gary making it to the final leg of the legendary bar crawl, which is fittingly named The World’s End.
But in real lie, the name of the pub is in fact The Wilbury and here are plenty of other boozers in its vicinity so I’m sure it would fit in nicely as the final stop of a well planned pub crawl.
Albeit fingers crossed it doesn’t get interrupted by an evil robot takeover plot.
Another film in Edgar Wright’s iconic filmography, The World’s End, sees Frost (pictured second from right) and Pegg (pictured far right) once again feature in the lead roles as budding best mates
The plot explores Gray King’s (centre), played by Pegg, obessession with completing The Golden Mile, an epic pub crawl across his hometown of Newton Haven
8. Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy is a cult classic which began as a comedy broadcast on BBC Radio 4 primarily written by Douglas Adams.
It was later developed as a book in 1979 which provides a basis for the 2005 film which features a star studded cast with names including Martin Freeman, Sam Rockwell, Bill Nighy and John Malkovich.
The movie opens with Martin Freeman’s character Arthur Dent realising that the local council is trying to demolish his house to make way for a bypass.
Eager to prevent himself from becoming homeless Arthur decides to lie down in front of a bulldozer to stop the demolition.
But he is soon convinced by his best friend Ford Prefect, played by Mos Def, to see sense and come for a drink with him at The Horse and Groom pub.
It is here that Arthur discovers that Ford is in fact an alien who is working as a researcher for his book, you guessed it, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.
Arthur then embarks on a galaxy hoping adventure across the universe with a quirky band of intergalactic odd balls including a two-headed alien and a unhapppy robot named Marvin.
The real name of The Horse and Groom is The Beehive which is a charming little pub in the town of Buntingford in East Hartfordshire.
You can be sure to enjoy a pint or two in the 19th Century local boozer without any fear of Earth suddenly being destroyed by a giant space lazer.
2005’s Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy opens with Martin Freeman’s character Arthur Dent (pictued right) realising that the local council is trying to demolish his house to make way for a bypass
Later on in the film he goes for a drink with his best friend Ford at The Horse and Groom pub. It is here that Arthur discovers that Ford is in fact an alien who is working as a researcher for his book, you guessed it, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.
9. Get Carter
The 1971 British gangster film Get Carter features Michael Caine in one of his most gritty and ruthless performances.
The now 90-year-old veteran actor plays London thug Jack Carter who returns home to Newcastle to arrange a funeral for his recently deceased brother Frank.
Carter is convinced that his brother was murdered and his quest for answers takes him on a bloody joruney of revenge across the city.
Before his untimely death Frank worked in a local boozer called The Half Moon pub.
In one scene where Jack visits the Half Moon seeking information about his brothers killer, before a fight breaks out between a woman and a singer after she decides to kiss her husband on the lips after finishing her song.
The film stays true to its northern setting, with the real location for the Half Moon also in Newcastle.
The Victoria Comet is located opposite the Newcastle Train station, making it the perfect location for anyone venturing in to the city to enjoy a drink.
And I’m sure they’ll put it in a thin glass for you if you ask nicely.
The 1971 British gangster film Get Carter features Michael Caine in one of his most gritty and ruthless performances as Jack Carter (pictured centre)
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