- Pub culture is a big part
of life here in the UK. So if you're coming to visit London, I definitely recommend
that you experience it even if you don't like drinking. Now I have lived here in the
UK for over nine years now and I've picked up on
a lot of cultural norms and social rules that you might wanna know before you step foot into your first pub. So I will pass them along
to you in this video. And by the way, if it's
your first visit to London, I have a special freebie for
you at the end of the video, so make sure you watch
'til then to get it. Okay, let's go have a drink or four. We are at the Hillgate
Pub here in Notting Hill and I'm gonna have a pint of beer. The number one drink to order when you come to a pub in the UK is always gonna be the classic
beer, order it by the pint and there's always loads of options, so you can either get a taster to see which one you might like the best. or just pick one that looks good. I wanted a lager, so I went for an Asahi which is a Japanese beer. When is the best time to go to a pub? I'd say is between 5:00 and 6:00 PM, which is when a lot of
people get out of work and they'll go with their
friends and their colleagues to go have a pint at the pub
to wind down and decompress. On the weekends, pubs
get busy much earlier, usually around lunchtime, and also Sundays are really popular because people love to
go and have Sunday roast. Where is the best place to have your drink when you're at the pub? There's a couple of different options. If you come into a pub and
you see a table that's free, you're free to take it as long as it doesn't have
a reserved sign on it, and just bring your drinks
over and pop your stuff down. if there's no tables available, you can also go stand by the bar, which is actually the most social place, and probably where you're gonna strike up a conversation if you want to. Finally, if it's a nice day out
and it's crowded in the pub, you'll notice that lots of
people will go stand outside of the pub and have their drinks out there and enjoy the sunshine, or
at least not having any rain. How to get a drink at a pub? In most pubs, you'll need to
go to the bar to get your drink so don't wait for someone
to come over to your table. The only exception is if
you're in the restaurant part of the pub, which
then someone will come take your food and your drink order. If you visit and it's busy,
wait patiently in the queue. Don't push through and once
you get to the front at the bar you'll wanna make sure you
make strong eye contact with a bartender. Don't be on your phone otherwise they will pass right over you. Next up, we are at the very
famous Churchill Arms Pub here in Kensington, and I'm
gonna order a cider here. So let's do it. (upbeat music) At this pub I've ordered a cider which is one of the most popular
drinks to order at a pub. It's an alcoholic beverage,
not dissimilar to beer, but it's made from fermented apples and also sometimes pears. Every pub will have a pretty
good selection of ciders but to make it easy, you can
just ask which cider is on tap. Little fun cider fact for ya. 45% of households in the UK drink cider, and the UK is the country
that drinks the most cider in the entire world. Cheers to that. (upbeat music) Have my cider. I'm gonna be very happy
in a couple of pubs. Do you tip at a pub in the UK? So you don't have to and
it's not really expected. However, of course you can. And the way that you do it is that you buy the bartender a drink. I would recommend doing this in cash so you can leave some coins, or if you wanna leave a bill you can, and they'll put that into a tip jar which gets spread across
everybody at the end of the night. Or if you're paying by card you can buy them an actual drink but they won't get the
cash just so you know. So I usually say bring
cash, then they can decide if they wanna drink or
they want the money. You never have to go too
far to get to a good pub. Pubs, especially in London,
are such a local affair. You just go to the good one that you like nearby where you live, and you can do the same thing
with wherever you're staying. But if you still need help
finding good pubs around London then check out the casual tourist guides in which I tell you some of the best pubs in all the different parts of London. Link in the description
box to check those out. (upbeat music) Make sure you say cheers to
everybody that you're with before you start your drink That is a big cultural yes here in the UK to make sure you raise your glass up, clink it with everybody
else's, say cheers to everyone, and look them in the eye
before you have your first sip, 'cause it acknowledges
that you're all friends and you're all gathered
to have a good time. Don't miss that one. Cheers. (upbeat music) Just outside the Windsor Castle, and I'm gonna go inside
and have a gin and tonic. Let's go. Gin is a distilled alcoholic spirit that comes mostly from juniper berries, and gin is actually
the most popular spirit here in the UK now. So you will always see loads of people at the bar
ordering a gin and tonic, 'cause it pairs really well with tonic. It usually comes like
this when you order it, and then pour it yourself. And there we go. (upbeat music) When you hear the bell at the
pub, it's never a good thing. Usually happens around 10:30, and the first bell means
that it is last call. So if you wanna get another drink, you better get up to the
bar and get one quickly. A second bell means the bar is closing. Can't order any more drinks so all you can do is finish
your drink and head out. What do you wear to a pub? The answer is whatever you want. Pubs are super casual
so there's no dress code and you might notice some
people who are quite dressed up but it's only because
they've come from work or maybe they're off to
another special occasion, but otherwise it's casual. (upbeat music) Mos pubs are kid friendly here in the UK. A lot of them will have kids' menus, they'll have high chairs, colouring books, and they generally
welcome families to come especially during the day. So don't be surprised when you come into a pub and you see
lots of kids around, and don't be afraid to
bring the whole family when you're here. Right behind me is The Ladbroke Arms, a pub in Notting Hill and
I'm gonna go have a Pimm's. (upbeat music) Pimm's is the classic
British drink to order at the pub in the summertime. It's made up of Pimm's,
which is a gin-based liquor, with lemonade and lots of chopped fruits and a bit of mint mixed in. It's very good. It's especially popular during Wimbledon, one of England's biggest sporting events. So when you come to a pub
on a sunny day in London, order yourself a Pimm's cup. (upbeat music) How to order food at a pub. Most pubs serve food, and a lot of pubs serve really good food. So you have two ways to
be able to have some food while you're there. First is to sit in the
restaurant section of the pub, which operates more like a restaurant where they'll come over and
serve you and take your order. Or if you just wanna sit
in the regular pub area you can grab a menu from the bar, pick out what you want and
order your food at the bar, and then they'll come
deliver it to your table. Make sure you get a round. It is customary when you are at the pub with a few friends to
make sure you buy a round, which basically just means
you buy all the drinks for everybody at one time. It also means that if
everyone's buying a rounds, only one person has to go up
to the bar at a time and queue. Do not be the person that leaves the pub before you buy your round, because you will not be invited out again. How to strike up a conversation
with somebody at the pub. Despite Londoners being a
little bit more closed off to conversations with
strangers than usual, once they've got a pint or two in them, people are a lot more friendly, especially in pubs which are
really casual social settings. A great way to strike up
conversation is when you're in the line to get a drink at the bar. And another way is if
you see a couple people on a long table, ask them if you can sit on the other end of it and
you might start chatting too. Also, Londoners love
to give recommendations for the area that they live in so you can always ask someone for recommendations for
restaurants, bars, other pubs, and that is a great way to
start chatting to someone. Now, if it's your first
time visiting a pub and visiting London,
then make sure you get my free London 101 guide, has
everything you need to know for your first visit to London. Click the link popping up over here or in the description
box to get that for free. And for more tips for
your visit to London, you've also got loads of videos like the ones popping up next
to me that you can watch next. Mm, love beer. I look angelic?
- [Cameraman] You look good. - Thanks babe, thanks, thanks.
