The Barbican probably has more pubs per square mile than anywhere else in the U.K. Most are quaint old buildings that have seen more than their fair share of action over the centuries from sailors and fishermen alike.
Most of the pubs are centered around the old Sutton Harbour, once a hectic fishing venue, but more likely these days to contain pleasure craft and luxury yachts.
I visited a few choice specimens on my trip here and found them all to be welcoming, friendly, and reasonably priced, and with good menus and, above all, a great atmospheres with some colorful locals adorning some of the quieter corners of the establishments.
I couldn’t single one out above the others; they were all great, many of them decked out in naval memorabilia with low ceilings and smoke-blackened ancient beams. Some are obviously geared more towards the fishing community whilst others have a more "naval" feel to them. Some of the landlords were seafaring men themselves and will regale you with tales of their adventures should they have the time between serving customers. Most serve a range of genuine real ale, far better than that horrible old gassy stuff that masquerades as "beer" in some parts of the U.K.
Most of these pubs are open all day to serve the requirements of the many visitors that come here, particularly in the summer seasonal months.
The pubs I went into and can recommend are:
The Notte Arms, The Ship, The Navy, The Fisherman’s Arms, The Crown and Anchor, The Dolphin, The Commercial, and The Admiral MacBride. By the time I’d finished this lot, all I wanted was to lie down.
All these establishments are within a 3-minute walk of each other. There are many others that I didn’t have the time to visit, but all looked as equally appealing. Goodness me, I hate doing this, er… excuse me… zzzzzzz.