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In the colder months of the year, there's nothing better than taking shelter in a pub with a refreshing drink and a warm fire.

In fact, when it comes to winter-time haunts, the cosier the better, and nothing adds a comforting atmosphere quite like an open fireplace.

Luckily, Londoners have a huge choice when it comes to cosy pubs, and these are the best open fire settings you'll find in the city.

The Dove

Found just a skimming-stone’s throw up the river from the impressive Old Ship, the Dove is one of the very nicest Fuller’s pubs in the city.

Walk into this much-loved pub and you’ll find the cosiest of split-level rooms, complete with a snug open fire, beamed-ceilings and a dark wooden bar, which wouldn’t have looked out of place a few hundred years ago.

The cask beer selection here isn’t massive, but it’s certainly good enough to satisfy most tastes. Outside is a great spot for a relaxing pint too, providing customers with great views of the Thames. These outdoor areas are also just about as close you can get to the river without the need for a wetsuit, and there’s a plaque that marks the worryingly high levels reached by the great flood of 1928.

It’s just another feature which adds to the character of this Hammersmith drinking haunt, which is a must visit for London pub fans and tourists alike.

19 Upper Mall, Hammersmith, W6 9TA, dovehammersmith.co.uk

The Pride of Spitalfields

This unpretentious pub in E1 serves a well maintained selection beers out of a charmingly small bar, and can be found down a cobbled street just off Brick Lane.

With carpeted floors, a piano in the corner, a snug open fire and a reliable assortment of regulars, it’s a pub full of character and rough-around-the-edges appeal.

3 Heneage St, E1 5LJ, facebook.com

The Gun

Hidden away in Coldharbour, The Gun is a great riverside spot offering great views of the O2.

Inside you’ll find pleasingly unorthodox decor and a stylish food menu to boot. It also features a smart waterside terrace, making this a top setting for a drink in Canary Wharf. There's also an open fire, which adds to the relaxing atmosphere.

The pub - which was taken over by Fullers in 2016 - has been a much-favoured drinking spot for centuries and is said to have been a favourite of Lord Horatio Nelson back in the 1700s.

27 Coldharbour, Poplar, E14 9NS, thegundocklands.com

The Grapes

Everyone familiar with the drinking scene in Limehouse and Canary Wharf will be well aware of the iconic Grapes.

This famous drinking spot has been a fixture on London’s social scene since way back in 1583, and remains one of the city’s most-loved boozers. It's a popular spot, but the open fire adds a cosy feel to the place.

The charming Narrow Street pub is owned by Evgeny Lebedev, Sean Mathias and Sir Ian McKellen, and you can even find one of the staffs McKellen used to film the Lord of the Rings behind the bar.

76 Narrow St, Poplar, E14 8BP, thegrapes.co.uk

Old Coffee House

Despite the name, this Beak Street haunt isn’t a coffee shop but an old Soho boozer.

This drinking spot is full of old posters and engraved mirrors, and the wall space is covered with oddities and pub paraphernalia. An open fire helps add an authentic feel to the pub, and it also caters for Soho’s sports fans with two screens in the bar area.

The booze is all locally sourced, too; East London brewery Brodie provides the pub with eleven different beers on tap, which are well worth trying out.

49 Beak St, Soho, W1F 9SF, carnaby.co.uk

Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese

This is one of the many pubs that were rebuilt in 1667, following the Great Fire of London.

The Cheshire Cheese has been on this site since 1538, but its vaulted cellars are thought to have once been part of a 13th century monastery.

With its dark wood panelled walls, comforting fire and saw-dusted floorboards, the Cheshire Cheese feels like a Dickensian time warp. The seating areas in the cellars mean it is considerably bigger than it appears from the outside.

145 Fleet St, EC4A 2BU

The White Horse

This west London institution — affectionately(ish) known as The Sloaney Pony due to its location and clientele — serves a lot of great British beer, but really comes into its own when it comes to foreign imports — particularly from Belgium, Germany and the USA. Options include Pilsner Urquell tank beer alongside eight hand pumps and around 10 taps, plus more than 130 bottles.

The gastropub food is good quality and it boasts an open fire, as well as a particularly sizeable beer garden and a calendar packed with beer festivals.

1-3 Parsons Green, Fulham, SW6 4UL, whitehorsesw6.com

The Spaniards Inn

As the pub proudly declares on the exterior, this charming old pub has been serving Hampstead's punters since 1585.

It’s welcomed a few famous faces during that time too, including Charles Dickens who “found inspiration” within the Spaniards Inn. The dark wood interiors and open fire help instil all the charm and gravitas you’d expect from a place this historic. However, the contemporary menu is helping to keep the Spaniards Inn firmly planted in the 21st century: You’ll fresh seasonal dishes and stylish takes on pub classics on the menu, as well as a pretty wide selection of cask beer at the bar.

Definitely one to try if you like your London pubs steeped in history.

Spaniards Road, Hampstead, NW3 7JJ, thespaniardshampstead.co.uk

The Holly Bush

This old-school 18th century pub, which stands at the top Holly Mount, is a great option for drinkers in NW3.

The Holly Bush’s handsome, but cosy front rooms - complete with an open fire - are comfortable places to enjoy one of the ten tap options, five cask ales, or one of the many spirits from the well-stocked bar.

Move through to the dining rooms at the back of the pub and upstairs, and you’ll find welcoming spaces to enjoy a hearty menu of pub favourites and good seafood options. If you’re feeling brave and can bag yourself a seat, the small outside space at the front of the pub is a nice space to take in a summer’s evening too.

22 Holly Mount, NW3 6SG, hollybushhampstead.co.uk

The Southampton Arms

This pub set about equal distance between Gospel Oak, Tufnell Park and Kentish Town stations has resisted going too ‘craft’ despite stocking around 20 varieties just that — it still feels like a local boozer.

There’s a particular prevalence of brews from London’s smaller breweries as well as those from around the UK, while fans of craft cider are also well catered for with five or six on tap at all times. The pub's open fire also makes this one of the cosier pubs in the area.

139 Highgate Road, Highgate, NW5 1LE, thesouthamptonarms.co.uk

The Flask

Young’s have looked after this historic Hampstead boozer since way back in 1904, but this Grade II listed building dates back early in the 18th century, where it was the operating space for the Hampstead mineral water business.

These days though, the Flask is all about serving fantastic beer and food to the residents of NW3. Outside and in, this is a lovely looking pub, serving a surprisingly substantial selection of cask ale choices from an endearingly diminutive bar.

If you’re looking for a characterful pub - complete with open fire - within strolling distance of Hampstead Heath, then The Flask is a great option.

14 Flask Walk, NW3 1HE, theflaskhampstead.co.uk