Lord Mayor's Show 2026: Where to Drink Along the Route on a Rare Busy Saturday in the City

The latest licence on this list: Saturday hours run from 11am to 3am, so it works as a first stop near Mansion House and as the place you end up long after the procession has gone. Despite the name, it sits on Queen Victoria Street, close to where the parade sets off. Cask ale, cocktails and burgers cover the basics, with darts and bar snacks for idle moments. Sky Sports and TNT Sports screens mean any Saturday football should be on. Anyone needing step-free entry should note it's listed with disabled access. Rated 4.3 on Google from 196 reviews.

Families get the best deal at this Old Jewry sports bar and kitchen just off Bank. It's listed as child friendly, has a children's menu and accepts table bookings. That matters on a Saturday when the few open City venues will be in demand. Burgers, pizza, wings and vegetarian options suit mixed groups, and darts and shuffleboard help fill the wait before things get going outside. Saturday hours are listed as 11am to midnight. Goldwood also has the top Google score of our eight picks: 4.7 from 118 reviews.

Early risers should head for Gracechurch Street. This former Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation hall opens at 8:30am on Saturdays, the earliest start on our shortlist. That makes it a practical rendezvous near Bank and Monument before you walk west to stake out a spot. The room itself is the draw: high ceilings, marble pillars and a stained-glass cupola above a huge oval bar. Three banks of hand pumps keep real ale flowing. Fish and chips, burgers, pizza and vegetarian dishes are on the menu, with non-alcoholic choices too. Listed Saturday close is 11pm.

Two floors give this Queen Street pub more room than many City pubs, which helps when crowds drift off Cheapside. It's moments from St Paul's, so it slots neatly into the middle of the day. The menu leans British, with pies, steak, fish and chips and sandwiches, plus pizza and vegetarian choices, and tables can be booked. A self-contained private room with its own bar is worth asking about if you're organising a larger group. Saturday hours are listed as midday to 9pm, and it's closed on Sundays.

Watling Street follows the line of a Roman road, and this pub on it sits a short way from St Paul's, handy for lunch once the procession has passed the cathedral. Pies and burgers anchor the food, with gluten-free and vegetarian options. The bar covers real ale, craft beer, cocktails and non-alcoholic drinks. There's an upstairs bar and outdoor seating, and you can book a table. Rated 4.6 on Google from 137 reviews, it's listed as open 11am to 9pm on Saturdays and closed on Sundays.

Worth the slight detour south of the route, down Queen Victoria Street towards the river, for the interior alone. Henry Poole's Art Nouveau reliefs cover a richly decorated historic room, and it's the kind of place to linger over lunch. Steak and ale pie and fish and chips lead a classic pub menu. Craft beer, real ale, cocktails and non-alcoholic options fill the bar. Its 11am to 11pm Saturday hours cover the whole day, and tables can be booked. Rated 4.5 on Google from 201 reviews.

Our one Fleet Street pick sits at number 95, on the stretch heading towards the Royal Courts. Behind its stained-glass frontage are more than 300 years as a licensed tavern. Pies, burgers, fish and chips and sandwiches are on the menu, alongside Meantime lager and pale ale, real ale and a City of London Gin selection. Vegetarian and non-alcoholic options are listed too. It's open 11am to 9pm on Saturdays and accepts table bookings, worth doing if you want a seat once the procession reaches the western end. Rated 4.5 on Google from 182 reviews.