Best Pubs in Kingston & Surbiton (2026)

The Spring Grove

Best for: Hidden gem, families, garden drinks

You won’t stumble across The Spring Grove — and that’s entirely the point. Tucked away on a quiet residential street on the Kingston–Surbiton border, this is the pub that locals keep to themselves. The kind of place where you walk past the houses, wonder if you’ve gone wrong, and then find a charming pub with a proper garden waiting for you.

It’s family-friendly without being a soft-play-with-pints, and the food menu is genuinely worth eating from — not an afterthought. The garden is the star, especially on long summer evenings when the tucked-away location means it stays peaceful while louder pubs fill up. If you only discover one new pub from this guide, make it this one.

The Boaters Inn

Best for: Riverside drinks, sunny days, brunch

The Boaters Inn has the location that every Kingston pub wishes it had — right in Canbury Gardens, with the Thames flowing past. On a sunny day, the outdoor seating fills early and for good reason. This is one of the few spots where you can drink with genuine river views, not just “near the river if you squint.”

They serve brunch and lunch, and the setting elevates even a straightforward pint. It’s the obvious choice for a sunny weekend, and worth the competition for a table.

The Antelope

Best for: Gastropub dining, sit-down meal, groups

The Antelope on Maple Road is Surbiton’s answer to the gastropub question. The food menu changes regularly and the kitchen takes it seriously — this is the pub you go to when you want a proper meal, not just something to soak up your beer. The garden at the back is a bonus.

Best for a sit-down evening or a group dinner where you want pub atmosphere with restaurant-quality food.

The Lamb

Best for: Cask ales, quiet pint, beer garden

The Lamb on Brighton Road is a traditional pub in the best sense. Rotating cask ales for those who care about what they’re drinking, and a beer garden at the rear. Not trying to be trendy, not serving deconstructed anything. Just a solid local.

The Grove

Best for: Beer garden, groups, summer drinks

The Grove’s main selling point is space — a large beer garden that can absorb groups without feeling cramped. On Grove Road in Surbiton, it’s a reliable choice when you need somewhere for a bigger group or want to sit outside without fighting for a table.

The Canbury Arms

Best for: Brunch, Sunday lunch, north Kingston

A gastropub near the Thames in north Kingston, The Canbury Arms covers multiple bases — breakfast, brunch, and a Sunday lunch menu. It’s a neighbourhood pub that does food properly, with a slightly more polished feel than the average local.

Waggon and Horses

Best for: Quiet pint, pub quiz, near the station

A straightforward local on Surbiton Hill Road with a beer garden and regular pub quiz nights. The Waggon and Horses is the pub for when you want a pint without a production — close to Surbiton station, dog-friendly, and reliably unpretentious.

Surbiton Flyer

Best for: Groups, sports, families

The Surbiton Flyer on Victoria Road is the big, reliable option — sports screens, a beer garden, and enough space that families and groups can spread out. Not the most atmospheric, but useful when you need somewhere that can handle a crowd.

The Victoria

Best for: After-work drinks, central Surbiton

Central Surbiton pub on Victoria Road. A solid meeting point and after-work option, though less distinctive than some of the others on this list.

The Elm Tree

Best for: Watching sports, live music, remote working, dog-friendly

The Elm Tree reopened in March 2025 under new independent ownership and quickly carved out its own niche on Victoria Road. Five big screens carry Sky Sports and TNT Sport — football, rugby, NFL, GAA, boxing — and it’s one of the few pubs in the area that shows Gaelic games.

Thursday nights belong to Jam-Pact, a weekly live jam session with a house band from 8:15pm and an open stage from 8:45pm till close. Saturdays bring booked live bands from 8:30pm.

The weekday Work & Play deal is genuinely clever: £15 gets you unlimited tea and coffee, a sandwich with fries, WiFi, power points, and a complimentary pint or G&T. There’s also 2-for-1 cocktails Monday to Friday 4–7pm. Dogs are welcome — the pub’s own Great Dane and British Bulldog are part of the furniture.

64 Victoria Road, Surbiton KT6 4NQ · elmtreesurbiton.co.uk

The Coronation Hall

Best for: Budget drinks, large venue

A large Wetherspoons in a converted civic hall on St Mark’s Hill. Best for budget-friendly drinks and meals. The building itself is more interesting than the average Spoons, but this is utility drinking rather than destination pub territory.

Grey Horse & Ram Jam Club

Best for: Live music, whisky, BBQ smokehouse

Two connected venues in an 1849 building, a two-minute walk from Kingston station. The Grey Horse is a whisky bar and BBQ smokehouse with 150-plus single malts. Out back, Ram Jam Records runs live music every night and comedy every Friday. Won Time Out’s Best Music Venue at the 2018 Love London Awards.

46 Richmond Road, Kingston upon Thames KT2 5EE · grey-horse.co.uk

The Plough & Harrow

Best for: Families, dog owners, garden room

A beautifully renovated 1930s pub in Long Ditton with a retractable-roof garden room, children’s play area, and a dedicated dog menu. Restaurant Guru rates it 4.5 out of 5.

64 Ditton Hill Road, Long Ditton, Surbiton KT6 5JD · ploughandharrowlongditton.com