6. The Grenadier, Wilton Row

Photo by Ewan Munro. Via Wikimedia Commons

All mews pubs are a bit hidden.  The Grenadier, a pub with military origins, is so well-embedded in the heart of a private Belgravia mews that finding it requires good directions and a bit of perseverance.

Although brightly colored in patriotic red, white, and blue, The Grenadier is tiny and located on a mews courtyard that branches off a winding mews called Wilton Row. The mews is privately owned and while it is open to pedestrians, vehicular access is restricted (hence no Google Streetview).

Named after a type of British Army combat officer, the Grenadier was originally built in about 1720 as an officers’ mess (in other words, a place where officers got their meals and relaxed away from the barracks). It has been a public house since 1818.

It’s worth the effort to find, both for the charming pub and for the village-like atmosphere of Wilton Row.

The Grenadier, 18 Wilton Row, London, SW1. Tube: Hyde Park Corner