The Champion

You'll find yourself on Wellington Terrace in Bayswater, a pocket of the city that feels properly removed from the tourist trail despite being minutes from the park. The Champion is the sort of pub you'd want living on your street—unfussy, genuinely welcoming, and run by people who actually care about what goes in the glass and on the plate. It's got that rare thing: no pretence whatsoever, just good beer, decent pub food, and a crowd that ranges from local workers grabbing lunch to proper boozers settling in for the afternoon.