Covent Garden, London. The Crown and Anchor has existed since at least 1811 and was rebuilt in 1904. It was originally a Combe and Co. Brewery house. It is a lovely corner pub located on the border of the Covent Garden and Seven Dials neighborhoods, and still features its signage from 1904. Inside, the bar is located at the back with plenty of seating available, and upstairs is another bar and restaurant style seating. I grabbed a London Pale Ale from Southwark Brewing (see my post on the Bermondsey Beer Mile) and enjoyed people watching through the beautifully styled windows.

Directly across the street is the new Guinness Brewery which opened in December 2025 (the King was at the opening and poured a pint!). It is quite a large complex located at the Old Brewers Yard (which dates back to the 1740s), with several event spaces, a grillhouse, rooftop restaurant, and open courtyard. Besides their stout they will be brewing 14 different limited edition beers. I tasted several - Pale Ale, Lager, Porter, IPA, and Imperial IPA (8%?). It was a bit chilly but I still enjoyed sitting in the courtyard while sipping on an Imperial IPA. In warmer weather it will be a great spot to be - and quite busy I am sure!