The best pubs and taprooms to drink cider in the UK, by a pommelier

England Pebbles Tavern, Watchet, Somerset This quirky little pub on the North Somerset coast is a must-visit for anyone on a Somerset cider trail. At any given time there will be more than a dozen traditional still ciders available, many of them wonderfully named. Who wouldn’t want to sample a half (take it easy, folks – some of these can be pretty powerful) of Nempnett’s Piglet’s Choice or Secret Orchard Wild Rabbit? Friendly, fun – and you can even eat your fish and chips there. pebblestavern.shop Orchard Inn, Bristol Any list ever compiled featuring the best cider pubs in the UK will always feature the Orchard Inn. Why? Well, beyond an incredible selection of traditional bag-in-box ciders, such as Hecks and Worley’s, and their own house blend on tap, this is one of the friendliest pubs you’ll ever encounter. Everyone here is welcome, whether they be visitors to next door’s Bristol Dockyard or residents who simply know this place as their local. orchardinn.co.uk Steam Crane, Bristol South of the River Avon in Bristol lies Bedminster, an area teeming with new food and drink venues. The Steam Crane is part of this movement and is positioning itself as the destination for cider in the city. Alongside traditional offerings and a handful of cold refreshing keg ciders, this is now the place to try “fine” ciders by the glass. Featuring some of the best makers in the UK, such as the locally sourced Wilding, there is nowhere better to sample the full array of elegant, quality ciders being made in the South West and beyond. thesteamcrane.co.uk Gabe Cook is The Ciderologist (Photo: Provided) Pullo Exeter, Devon Any shop or bar that simply states “Wine, cider, cheese” is going to be a happy place. One of the best purveyors of fine cider in the country, the focus here is on spontaneously fermented ciders (and natural wines). The result is a range of drinks with intensity, complexity and regenerative agriculture at their core, such as the locally made Find & Foster. pullo.shop London Cider House Borough, London Central London’s premier cider destination, nestled in Borough Market. It features a constantly rotating selection of still and carbonated draught ciders as well as fine ciders available by the glass. If your interest is piqued by tasting these elegant offerings, there is a magnificent selection available for purchase to take home. Alternatively, grab a cider slushy (or mulled cider come winter) and find a spot to undertake some prime people-watching. londonciderhouse.com Southampton Arms, Kentish Town, London A freehouse in Kentish Town, in north London, The Southampton Arms proudly claims to be the capital’s only pub selling beer and cider exclusively from independent producers. This feels like a London community pub of old – small, no TVs and an eclectic mix of patrons. The friendly and knowledgeable staff can advise on their selection of rotating bag-in-box ciders, frequently featuring the likes of Burrow Hill. The place to be when you want to slow down the pace in the big city.instagram.com/southamptonnw5 The Hop Inn in Hornchurch, Essex (Photo: Provided) The Hop Inn, Hornchurch, Essex This micropub is gathering a reputation for not only the quality and range of the drinks, but also the people who work there. It was founded and run by a husband-and-wife team, Alison Taffs and Phil Cooke, and you will do well to find a more knowledgeable and passionate crew. As well as an outstanding selection of ciders on draught and can/bottle, in 2022 Alison founded the London Cider Club, ensuring there are regular visits of the UK’s finest cider makers to the capital to share their stories and wares on a monthly basis. Bravo. hopinnhornchurch.com Blackfriars Tavern, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk Not as heralded as the West Country, but Norfolk has a great pedigree of making cider and many passionate drinkers. It is also home to passionate landlords, too, by all accounts, for the Blackfriars Tavern won Camra cider pub of the year in 2025. This is all the more remarkable given the pub was derelict a little over five years ago. Today, this solid Victorian pub is wearing its win with pride, as it should, with more than 30 different traditional ciders available, including a big focus on local Norfolk makers. blackfriarstavern.co.uk Yew Tree Inn, Peterstow, Herefordshire This modest inn on the side of the A49 just outside Ross-on-Wye is a wonderfully friendly local with a generous range of cask ales, a remarkable range of Belgian beers and the best pizzas you will find within 30 miles. It is also the customer-facing element of the Ross-on-Wye Cider & Perry Co, one of the most heralded small cider makers in the UK. It is renowned for bone-dry, wild fermented single varietal ciders and perries, so come along and taste some Ball’s Bittersweet, Brown Snout and Hendre Huffcap and gain a true appreciation for cider’s real deal. instagram.com/yewtreepeterstow Napton Cidery, Napton-on-the-Hill, Warwickshire There are many cideries one can visit to purchase cider to take away, and a few even give the opportunity to sample on site. But Napton Cidery takes it one stage further by creating a full taproom bar experience, replete with menu and live events. And the ciders aren’t bad, either! There is a selection of easy-going sessionable ciders on draught, as well as a range in bigger bottle format, my pick being the Oak Aged cider. naptoncidery.co.uk The Monkey House, Defford, Worcestershire One of the last old-school true cider houses left in the UK. And by that I mean cider, and only cider (apart from perry and the odd soft drink), is served here – no lager, ale or wine. Drinks are served through a hatch in a stable door and the primary drinking space is the garden. Officially, it is simply called The Cider House, but for the longest time has been known as The Monkey House. Legend has it that a patron who over-imbibed woke up the next morning covered in scratches thanks to the brambles he had stumbled into, but to save face he insisted he had been attacked by a tribe of monkeys. camra.org.uk/pubs/monkey-house-defford-111250 That Beer Place in Chester (Photo: Provided) That Beer Place, Chester, Cheshire Quite simply one of the best places to drink cider (and beer) in the UK – and as it was Camra’s 2024 cider pub/bar of the year, proprietors Lisa and Dale Lord should really consider changing the name some time soon. The sheer diversity of cider styles is as impressive as the six rotating draught cider lines and about 120 bottled and canned ciders. French keeved cider? No problem. Quince co-ferment? They’ve got it. Classic, crisp, refreshing, thirst-slaking on a hot summer’s day type of cider? They’ve got your back. They also run the Chester Cider Club, a monthly gathering of cider-passionate folk being entertained by skilled makers. thatbeerplace.co.uk Fell Manchester In the past decade, Manchester can legitimately lay claim to the greatest number of pubs and bars with a great selection of modern ciders – and the pick of the crop is Fell. Located in the much-heralded Northern Quarter, this is the city centre taproom for Cumbria-based Fell Brewery, which is big into the contemporary cider scene. Featuring bag-in-boxes, kegs (the Rawlins Keeved was the best pint of cider I’ve had in a UK pub this year) and a fridge full of 750ml sharing bottles. Bring your mates and change some opinions on what cider is and how good it can be. fellbrewery.co.uk/venues/fell-northern-quarter The Old Shoe, Sheffield, South Yorkshire It may come as no surprise that the UK is the largest producer and consumer of cider in the world, but it may surprise you to learn that cider is made all over the world. And in this sensational Sheffield bar you get to taste that global breadth. As well as three dedicated craft keg cider lines of British fare, the cider list (yes, such a thing exists and should exist more often) features sensational ciders from Denmark, the US and Spain. It also has probably the greatest number of bottles of traditional perries available outside of Herefordshire. theoldshoebar.com The Old Shoe in Sheffield (Photo: Provided) Wales Flute & Tankard, Cardiff This traditional, wood-panelled single-room pub in the heart of Cardiff has gained a big reputation since opening in 2014. Now regarded as the best place to get great cider in the Welsh capital, it has an admirable range of both traditional and modern ciders available on draught. As well as supporting great Welsh producers, English (Hogan’s) and international (Sxollie) ciders feature prominently.thefluteandtankard.com Tŷ Seidr, Aberystwyth, Ceredigion If Welsh is not your first language, I can help you translate the name of this award winning bar. It simply means “Cider House” and although a little more modern than the cider houses of old, this Aberystwyth bar certainly lives up to the name. There is something for everyone here – whether it be traditional, still tannic ciders or fun and fruity offerings. The bar and its knowledgeable and passionate team were recognised for their dedication to cider in 2026 by being heralded the Camra Champion Cider Bar of Wales. tyseidr.cymru Scotland Jolly Judge Edinburgh This is the ultimate Edinburgh drinking hideout, although not so hidden – its reputation as one of the best places in the city to drink great beer and whisky is widely known. What might be less well known is that it also has an excellent cider selection. Nowhere better in this majestic city is there to nurse a pint of cider (Oliver’s would be my choice). Grab a bar snack, close your eyes and just listen to the wonderful hubbub all around. jollyjudge.co.uk Albert Tavern, Freuchie, Fife A small cider scene has emerged in Fife over the past few years. As it is a little calmer than the wild west coast, apples grow in abundance here and a cohort of progressive makers, such as Linn, Fleming’s, Naughton and Diggers are creating some fine wares. And now there is a pub to act as a single destination to sample many of them. The Albert Tavern is a neat, bustling two-room pub that was recently crowned Camra Scottish cider pub of the year 2026. Chuck in some bottles from other Scottish luminaries such as Caledonian Cider Co, and a few from south of the border and it makes this pub an essential stop on any Scottish excursion. camra.org.uk/pubs/albert-tavern-freuchie-168386 The Dog and Duck Inn in Lisbellaw (Photo: Provided) Northern Ireland Dog and Duck Inn, Lisbellaw, Co Fermanagh Northern Ireland has a small but vibrant craft cider scene, with most of its notable producers being located in Armagh – also known as the Orchard County thanks to its strong association with the Bramley apple, which is grown far and wide. This local cider scene is celebrated at the exceptionally friendly Dog and Duck, a family owned country pub in Co Fermanagh. The local cider scene is well-represented with a range of draft and bottle offerings from the likes of MacIvors and Long Meadow, as well as a range of traditional and flavoured English ciders. thedogandduckinn.com Sunflower Public House, Belfast The security cage on the main entrance to this Belfast city centre pub is a striking relic of the Troubles. But the mood of the Sunflower today is far more aptly summed up by the sign that greets on its wall next to the entrance that reads: “No topless bathing – Ulster has suffered enough”. This is a place of fun and good times and, slightly unexpectedly, good cider. The Sunflower features a range of draught and bottled ciders from the likes of MacIvors and Tempted and is the place in the city to slake your cider thirst. sunflowerbelfast.comGabe Cook is an award-winning global cider expert who has worked for some of the biggest cider-makers around, from Westons to New Zealand craft cider producer Peckhams. He has chaired the Japanese Cider Awards in Tokyo, tasted ciders with Will.I.Am live on TV and even presented a bottle of cider to Queen Elizabeth II. He wants to change the way people think about and drink cider. Find out more here: https://www.theciderologist.com/