London Virtual Pub Crawls: Bringing the Bar Experience Home

Missing that buzz you get walking past Soho’s packed pubs or squeezing into a Shoreditch boozer on a Friday night in London? You’re not alone. When lockdowns hit, Londoners didn’t just sit around and sulk—they turned their famous pub crawls digital, using Zoom, WhatsApp, and even VR headsets to keep those legendary nights going from home.

Why bother with a virtual pub crawl if you can’t physically bar-hop down Camden High Street? Because for lots of Londoners—especially if your crew is scattered across town, or you’re juggling work or family—a virtual pub night beats no pub night at all. It keeps everyone connected, and it’s surprisingly easy to set up. All you need is a laptop, plenty of banter, and a drink in hand (even if it’s just a pint from the corner Tesco).

The real magic? You can jump between the digital versions of classic London pubs, throw in themed quizzes, or order craft beers from local London breweries like Beavertown or Camden Town straight to your flat. If you’re new to the idea, it’s all about mixing the old-school London pub feel with the perks of staying at home—like wearing your slippers and not worrying about missing the last Tube.

• The Shift: Why Virtual Pub Crawls Took Off in London
• How it Works: Setting Up Your Online Boozer
• Choosing the Right Bars: Mixing Iconic London Pubs with Digital Flair
• Drinks and Deliveries: Bringing London’s Best to Your Door
• Games, Quizzes, and British Banter: Keeping the Vibe Alive
• Tips for Hosting: Getting That Authentic London Pub Feel

The Shift: Why Virtual Pub Crawls Took Off in London

Londoners love a good night out. The city’s always been famous for its pub culture, with locals crowding tiny taverns in Bloomsbury or sprawling out into the streets of Covent Garden. But everything changed in 2020 when COVID-19 shut down physical pubs overnight. Instead of giving up those social rituals, Londoners found new ways to keep things going—online. Suddenly, London saw virtual pub crawls popping up left and right on platforms like Zoom and Houseparty.

People craved more than just drinks—they missed the stories, the music, the pub quizzes, and the random banter with friends and strangers. Virtual pub crawls started out as a creative fix during lockdown but stuck around after restrictions lifted, especially for folks who couldn’t always make it into the city. No tubes to catch, no pricey Uber home, and you could hang out with mates living all over London—or even abroad.

Some London companies jumped on the trend fast. For example, The Virtual Pub Crawl UK started offering themed events, sending out pub packs with snacks and pint glasses. Even established pubs like The Churchill Arms in Kensington and Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese on Fleet Street live streamed tours, real-time events, and trivia nights. Suddenly, you could hop from your living room into a historic West End tavern or a trendy Hackney craft beer bar—all without moving your slippers.

Here’s a quick look at what spurred virtual pub crawls in London:

• Pandemic closures and social distancing forced people online.
• Long commutes and busy schedules made in-person crawls harder for many Londoners, so virtual options felt easier and more inclusive.
• Expats and students in different locations wanted to stay in touch with their London friends.
• Local breweries like Five Points and Fuller's started offering home delivery, making it easy to stock up on proper London pints for the night.

To give you an idea of just how quickly the shift happened, here’s some real data from surveys run in 2021-2022:

It’s clear: London’s not ditching its pubs. People just found a new way to experience them—and it’s a trend that’s probably sticking around whenever you need a low-stress, good laugh with friends (and your own fridge just steps away).

How it Works: Setting Up Your Online Boozer

Kicking off a London virtual pub crawl is much less faff than trying to book a table at a packed Covent Garden pub on a Saturday night. The whole thing takes about fifteen minutes if you know what you’re doing. Here’s how Londoners have been nailing it:

• Pick a Platform: Most people use Zoom, Google Meet, or even Facebook Messenger Rooms – basically, any free video call service works. Zoom’s virtual backgrounds are perfect for showing off a digital version of The Churchill Arms or The Spaniards Inn.
• Send Out Invites: Create a group chat on WhatsApp or Messenger. Add everyone taking part, pick a time when your mates can actually join, and send out the meeting link so no one gets left behind.
• Plan the Route: Just like a regular crawl, pick a handful of London pubs to "visit" online. You can use websites like Google Street View or virtual pub experiences (like those run by Secret London or DesignMyNight) to queue up a few iconic stops, or just set your Zoom background to famous pub interiors as you hop between calls.
• Sort Your Drinks: Either order a London beer delivery ahead of time—places like Beavertown, Camden Town Brewery, or even HonestBrew UK deliver to your door—or see who can come up with the best homemade cocktail. Some groups even theme each pub stop with a different drink.
• Get the Pub Vibe: Crank up a Spotify "British pub songs" playlist, set up some pub snacks (crisps, pork scratchings, or scotch eggs from your local), and you’re good to go. Bonus points for dressing up or adding some London pub trivia to keep things lively.

Here’s a quick snapshot of how Londoners set up their online pub crawls, based on a 2024 poll from Timeout London:

Bottom line: you don’t need fancy tech or tons of prep. It’s really about nailing the atmosphere and making sure your virtual route is as full of laughs and banter as any South Bank Saturday night.

Choosing the Right Bars: Mixing Iconic London Pubs with Digital Flair

If you've ever crawled from The Churchill Arms in Kensington to The Ten Bells in Spitalfields, you know every London pub has its own vibe. Recreating that online might sound tricky, but it starts with big names everyone loves. Take spots like The Lamb & Flag in Covent Garden, known for its Dickensian history, or The Spaniards Inn in Hampstead, where legends like Keats and Dickens used to drink. These names set the scene and give your virtual night some proper London flavour.

But you don’t have to stick to just the classics. The fun part about virtual crawls is you can hop from a 300-year-old pub to a hidden Hackney cocktail bar—without leaving your sofa. Why not throw in a round at The Alchemist, with its wild molecular cocktails, or breeze through Gordon’s Wine Bar, where you can tell ghost stories from your own dark cellar? All you need is a little Google Maps Street View action or a quick YouTube tour to get everyone talking.

For a real local feel, lots of London virtual pub crawl hosts use pub backgrounds (either photos or VR) during the call. Some go all out and theme each "bar" of the night: think a Camden punk pub round, a traditional Sunday roast stop, and a South Bank riverside view—all in one evening. If you want to raise the stakes, use a random pub generator online or just ask everyone to "host" a bar they miss most and tell a story about it.

Tip: Mixing in a few lesser-known locals like The Faltering Fullback in Finsbury Park or The Queen’s Head in King’s Cross keeps it interesting. Let people vote for their next stop or share their own favourite haunts. The more London-specific you get, the more it feels like the real thing—even if everyone’s just sipping from the kitchen.

Drinks and Deliveries: Bringing London’s Best to Your Door

If you’re organising a London virtual pub crawl, the right drinks can make or break it. Good news: you don’t have to settle for supermarket cans or just tea from the kitchen. Loads of London breweries, distilleries, and bottle shops now deliver direct to your door—often within a day or two.

Let’s talk beer first. Places like Beavertown Brewery offer mixed cases straight from their Tottenham HQ, and if you’re a fan of something local, Camden Town Brewery are legends for their fresh lager and unique seasonal packs. London’s smaller craft brewers like Five Points and South London’s Fourpure are also in on the game, with easy-to-order online shops. If you want to taste the proper ‘draught experience’, Portobello Brewery sells mini kegs you can crack open in your own kitchen.

Not just into beer? Wine lovers aren’t left out—look at The Sampler or Vagabond, both with classic London wine shop street cred. They’ll deliver curated bottles, so you don’t even need to know the difference between a Malbec and a Merlot to have a great night. Gin more your thing? Sipsmith and East London Liquor Company ship their London Dry direct, and you can grab cocktail kits from TT Liquor that make mixing a breeze.

Tony Naylor, writing in The Guardian, says, "Lockdown supercharged the ingenuity of London’s drinks scene—delivery services made great local booze more accessible than ever before."

Here’s a quick checklist to get your drinks sorted for a virtual do:

• Pick a local brewery or bottle shop—check if they deliver to your postcode.
• Order at least a couple of days ahead (Fridays tend to get slammed for deliveries).
• Ask your mates what they fancy drinking, or pick a ‘pub theme’ and match your drinks.
• If you like a bit of variety, see if they do mixed packs—perfect for sharing recommendations mid-call.
• Toss in snacks from London brands, like Serious Pig or Joe & Seph’s popcorn, so you’re not drinking on an empty stomach.

One of the best bits? You’re supporting London’s independent pubs, breweries, and shops every time you order. No need to trek across town; you can enjoy the city’s best pints, wines, and gins in your socks.

Games, Quizzes, and British Banter: Keeping the Vibe Alive

If you’re trying to nail that classic London pub night vibe online, it’s never just about the drinks. It’s the chitchat, the pub banter, and, of course, those timeless British pub games and quizzes. Even on Zoom, you can make a regular Friday night feel like you’re squeezed into a snug by the Thames or shouting over the crowd in Brixton.

Pub quizzes are a London staple. The trick with the virtual version is picking topics that get a laugh or a groan—think EastEnders trivia, current Premier League scores, or odd facts about Camden. There are loads of ready-made quiz packs online, but if you want to flex your creative muscles, just make your own on Google Forms. Add a picture round with famous London landmarks or local pubs for a proper city spin.

Then there’s the games. Here’s what Londoners are actually playing on virtual pub crawls:

• Never Have I Ever: London Edition – Tailor the questions to the city, like "Never have I ever got lost on the Circle Line" or "Never have I ever queued for fabric."
• Online Bingo – Turn classic pub bingo into a digital game. Free tools like My Free Bingo Cards let you create and share custom London-themed boards.
• Guess the Landmark – Share cropped or blurry images of City locations (Big Ben, Hampstead Heath, Carnaby Street) and see who can name them first.
• Accent Challenge – Try out Cockney or posh Londoner accents. It always ends in laughing fits—especially after a pint or two.

And don’t sleep on the importance of banter. London’s chat is legendary. Throw in some “cheeky” jokes, gentle ribbing about each borough, or a rundown of who’s got the best local. If you want to add a bit more structure to the night, try rotating quizmasters for each round, just like rotating landlords in a real pub crawl.

People stick around longer if it’s fun, so mixing it up matters. A 2024 survey by Virtual Events London found that groups who mixed quizzes, games, and free chat in a 1:1:1 ratio averaged stays of 2.7 hours, compared to just 1.5 hours for quiz-only nights.

To keep things smooth, give everyone a heads-up about the running order. Maybe send the quiz or game rules round before you start, just like those laminated quiz sheets you’d find at the Old Queen’s Head or The Churchill Arms. And remember, it’s all about the laughs—not who wins.

Tips for Hosting: Getting That Authentic London Pub Feel

If you want your virtual crawl to actually feel like a night out in London, don’t just stick your mates on a Zoom call and hope for the best. You’ve got to bring the little things that make a proper London pub night stand out—just minus the sticky floors and hopeless queue for the loo.

Start with a theme. Maybe you bounce from a West End wine bar one round, to a spit-and-sawdust East London pub the next. Each person can change their Zoom background to a real pub—grab photos from places like The Churchill Arms in Kensington, The Spaniards Inn in Hampstead, or even your local Wetherspoons if you want to take the mick.

• Drinks: Go beyond supermarket lager. Loads of London breweries now deliver straight to your door. Check out Five Points, Gipsy Hill, or the cocktails-in-a-can from Little Mercies in Crouch End. Want to mix it up? Share a simple cocktail recipe (something classic like a gin and tonic), or plan a round where everyone brings a silly flavoured cider.
• Food: The authentic pub experience needs snacks. Who says you can’t rustle up a Scotch egg at home, or order a packet of pork scratchings from Borough Market’s shops? There are even London delivery services for cheese plates, pies, or fish and chips if you want to be fancy.
• Games and Banter: Set up a London-themed pub quiz (there are loads of free templates out there). Try a round on tube stations, Cockney rhyming slang, or famous Londoners. Or go classic—start a ‘Would You Rather’ chain, play charades, or see who can do the worst Michael Caine impression.
• Music: You know how most London pubs have someone fighting with the jukebox or a playlist of old indie bangers? Make a shared Spotify playlist where everyone adds their own picks—think Blur, Amy Winehouse, or Stormzy. Keep it on loop in the background so there’s always a bit of noise.
• Atmosphere: Lighting makes a difference. Swap the harsh ceiling lights for lamps or candles, and ask your guests to do the same. Want to get silly? Stick up a few pub signs or bunting—there’s plenty of printable templates online for those ‘Ye Olde Boozer’ vibes.

One last tip: Build in a bit of a break between 'pubs', just like you’d have to walk down the street. Give everyone a chance to nip to the kitchen or freshen up their pint. Stick to a loose schedule but don’t stress if things get a bit chaotic—it’s all about fun, not rules.