There are more than 6,000 pubs in London, some hundreds of years old. Even if you are not a drinker, a trip to London would not be complete without a visit to some of its pubs - they are an integral part of British culture. Depending on where you are in the country, British beer is often bitter, dark, non-fizzy and drunk at room temperature. What is known as beer to the rest of the world (cold, light, fizzy ale) is known as lager to the British.
Prospect of Whitby
Built in 1520, during the reign of Henry VIII, the Prospect of Whitby, in Wapping, claims to be London's oldest pub. A large terrace overlooks the River Thames and every window in the pub has a water view, while the decor is reminiscent of a ship captain's cabin. Behind its traditional faeade are solid timber beams and a mass of nautical ornaments: the shelves are crammed with ship's blocks, pewter ladles and ceramic jars. The 400-year-old stone floor is the oldest relic in the pub. Charles Dickens, who often dined upstairs in what is now the Pepys Room restaurant, is believed to have used the pub as the setting for a scene in his novel Our Mutual Friend. (57 Wapping Wall; Underground station: Wapping)
The Dove
Recognised as the tiniest pub in the world by the Guinness Book of World Records, the Dove in Hammersmith has the smallest public bar in Britain, measuring 1.3 by 2.4 metres. Charles II is said to have had a secret rendezvous with Nell Gwynne there. The pub boasts a long list of other celebrity customers, including Graham Greene, Ernest Hemingway and A.P. Herbert, whose novel The Water Gypsies features a pub called the Pigeon, thought to be the Dove. James Thomson, who wrote the poem Rule Britannia, set to music by Thomas Augustine Arne in about 1740, lodged and died at this pub. (19 Upper Mall; station: Hammersmith)
Old Cheshire Cheese
A pub has stood on the site of the Old Cheshire Cheese since 1538. The current occupant dates from the 17th century and is a favourite spot for soaking up the atmosphere of Dickens' London. Other literary patrons have included Oscar Wilde and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Claims have also been made that the pub is the setting for parts of the novel A Tale of Two Cities. Stepping into the pub is like stepping back into an older England. (145 Fleet Street; station: Blackfriars)