Real fire

When it's cold and frosty outside, there are few better things in life than a pint by a real fire
The Flask, London
The Flask ( Highgate, London )
FAP Rating 3 - Click for an explanation of our ratings
For a long time the Flask has been a great traditional boozer - a rambling olde worlde experience in the olde worlde village of Highgate. Stories of ghosts and Dick Turpin only add to a sense of it being a bit...
White Hart, Sevenoaks
White Hart ( Sevenoaks, Sevenoaks )
FAP Rating 4 - Click for an explanation of our ratings
A confession - until we stumbled into the White Hart, we were completely unaware of the Brunning and Price chain of pubs. In our defence though, it's not entirely surprising we had overlooked them until now as they're based predominately in the North West and it's only comparatively recently they...
The Royal Oak, Rusper
The Royal Oak ( West Sussex, Rusper )
FAP Rating 5 - Click for an explanation of our ratings
The Royal Oak was closed when we first visited, shutting for the afternoon like many pubs out here in the sticks. However, after a nose through the window we decided we'd come back when the doors were open and aren't we glad we did. This pub is incredible. From the hanging baskets out front to...
The Plough Inn, Coldharbour
The Plough Inn ( Coldharbour, Coldharbour )
FAP Rating 4 - Click for an explanation of our ratings
This pub is another well-kept secret in the middle of the Surrey Hills. Probably best known by walkers who use it as a base to scale the nearby Leith Hill, The Plough is fabulous. One of the biggest draws for us is the pubs own microbrewery, The Leith Hill Brewery, brewers of three cracking ales...
The Black Horse, Byworth
The Black Horse ( Byworth, Byworth )
FAP Rating 4 - Click for an explanation of our ratings
The Black Horse is a small village pub with a friendly, chatty and relaxing atmosphere. One of our favourite aspects of this pub is the way in which it can make the diners and drinkers entirely oblivious of each other by situating them at opposite ends of the pub. The last time we visited here,...
Birch Hall Inn, Whitby
Birch Hall Inn (goathland, Whitby )
FAP Rating 4 - Click for an explanation of our ratings
Cleveland CAMRA pub of the year in 2007, the Birch Hall is a most unusual pub in the tiny hamlet of Beck Hole, near Goathland, in the North Yorkshire Moors. It consists of two distinct buildings - the public bar is located in the white-brick left cottage, and the shop/saloon bar are located in...
The Dolphin Inn, Betchworth
The Dolphin Inn ( Surrey, Betchworth )
FAP Rating 4 - Click for an explanation of our ratings
The Dolphin is a classic Surrey country boozer. One of the Young's stable, it's ales include the standard Ram offerings as well as regular guests including Butcombe and Bombardier. A lot of the charm of this pub comes from its low ceilings, narrow passageways and two large fireplaces. The service...
The Hoy and Helmet, Canvey Island
The Hoy and Helmet ( Canvey Island, Canvey Island )
FAP Rating 3 - Click for an explanation of our ratings
One of three venerable pubs close together in the South Benfleet conservation area, the name of the Hoy and Helmet harks back to days when fishing and the maritime life played a greater role in the area's economy than they do today. As a board outdoors explains, a "hoy" is a barge, the "helmet"...
The Sportsman, Lower Kingswood
The Sportsman ( Lower Kingswood, Lower Kingswood )
FAP Rating 3 - Click for an explanation of our ratings
The Sportsman in Mogador seems to tick a lot of boxes for the regulars of the village as well as the dog-walkers, mountain-bikers and walkers of Walton Heath. What used to be a more rustic pub has been turned into something a little more gentile, but it has been careful to preserve the atmosphere...
Hop Blossom, Farnham
Hop Blossom (Farnham, Farnham )
FAP Rating 4 - Click for an explanation of our ratings
Great Pub in the back streets of Farnham that makes it sound like this is the Wild West - er, no...this is genteel Farnham we are talking about. Beer is kept to perfection and in the Winter with a real fire belting out from the grate there can be few better places to be. Food is good and quite...
Southampton Arms, London
Southampton Arms (Kentish Town, London )
FAP Rating 5 - Click for an explanation of our ratings
Having been open in its new guise since late 2009 now, we can barely remember what the old Southampton Arms was like anymore. This pub has it all: friendly staff, a wide cross-section of locals and one of the best beer selections you'll find in London (and that's with strong competition). There...
Curlers Rest, Glasgow
Curlers Rest (Glasgow, Glasgow )
FAP Rating 4 - Click for an explanation of our ratings
So the guys at The Curlers Rest would say: A comfy Glasgow pub with a cultural edge Residing in Glasgow's diverse West End, close to both Kelvingrove and the Botanic Gardens, the vibrant yet laidback Curlers Rest is the perfect place to soak up the local art scene (you'll find some of its best...