Ye Olde Mitre, London

Ye Olde Mitre, London

Not your typical backstreet tavern, this pub is more of a clandestine hideaway, renowned for being one of London's most elusive establishments, as well as one of its oldest, dating all the way back to 1546. Nestled amidst the diamond vendors of Hatton Garden, you'll need to navigate through a hidden entryway, effectively leaving the bustling City of London behind for what was once part of Cambridge, formerly belonging to the Bishop of Ely's palace.

Ye Olde Mitre likely served the bishop's servants, and the surrounding area functioned as an independent enclave akin to the Vatican. If people with less-than-honorable intentions wanted to avoid getting caught by the City of London police, they'd hide in the alley where the pub stands and then slip into the neighboring slums. Those very slums were the ones that Charles Dickens used as inspiration for Fagin's hideout in his book "Oliver Twist", where the old mentor taught young homeless boys how to pickpocket.

Inside the front bar, you'll find remnants of a distinctive cherry tree that once marked a boundary and is said to have witnessed Queen Elizabeth I dancing around it with Sir Christopher Hatton during a maypole celebration. Locals often migrate to the upstairs Bishop's Room or the cozy rear snug, and on pleasant days, patrons can enjoy their drinks outdoors, gathered around large beer barrels in the alley.

This establishment, closed on weekends, offers a selection of English tapas in the form of Scotch eggs, toasties, and sausage rolls, maintaining a traditional charm that includes having restroom facilities located outside.

Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in London. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

Download The GPSmyCity App

Ye Olde Mitre on Map

1
30 m
100 ft
Leaflet © OpenStreetMap contributors
Sight Name: Ye Olde Mitre
Sight Location: London, England (See walking tours in London)
Sight Type: Food/Drink
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:

Walking Tours in London, England

Create Your Own Walk in London

Create Your Own Walk in London

Creating your own self-guided walk in London is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
London Introduction Walking Tour

London Introduction Walking Tour

After the Roman invasion of 43 AD, the settlement of Londinium came into being. Things went well enough until 61 AD. Then Queen Boudica and her Iceni warriors arrived. They burned the town to ashes. They were not just rowdy tourists. Londinium had died but it rose again and it flourished until the Romans left in the 5th century.

With the Romans gone, Londinium was Anglo-Saxon Lundenwic. Until...  view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.2 Km or 2.6 Miles
South Bank Walking Tour

South Bank Walking Tour

The South Bank is a stretch of the Thames in London that is beautiful to walk through because there are so many iconic and magnificent things to see along the way. A lively and ever-changing area at the heart of London’s cultural scene, it also has the advantage of offering views across the Thames to some of the most famous buildings anywhere. The Palace of Westminster is the major feature in...  view more

Tour Duration: 3 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.8 Km or 3 Miles
Kensington/Knightsbridge Walking Tour

Kensington/Knightsbridge Walking Tour

Situated just below Hyde Park, Knightsbridge and South Kensington are two adjacent neighborhoods with grand Victorian homes and leafy garden squares. Home to London’s most expensive homes, Knightsbridge has some of the highest density of millionaires in the world. This is clearly reflected in the selection of stores & restaurants in the area, including the famous Harvey Nichols and Harrods...  view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.5 Km or 2.8 Miles
Charles Dickens Tour

Charles Dickens Tour

Today's world's literature and mass culture are hardly imaginable without the works of Charles Dickens, recognized as the greatest British novelist of the Victorian era. A pioneer of “cliffhanger” endings, Dickens remains one of the most-read English authors whose writings never go out of print and have been repeatedly adapted to stage, screen and TV.

Dickens was born in...  view more

Tour Duration: 3 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.5 Km or 2.8 Miles
London's Historic Pubs Walk

London's Historic Pubs Walk

If there’s any more iconic symbol for London than Big Ben or the London Eye, then it must be the traditional English pub. And London sure is full of them, dating from pre-Victorian times to just about five minutes ago.

With so much history surrounding London there is no shortage of historic pubs to choose from. Whether you fancy half-timbered, rambling watering holes or small but perfectly...  view more

Tour Duration: 3 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 5.6 Km or 3.5 Miles
Harry Potter Walking Tour II

Harry Potter Walking Tour II

The arrival of Harry Potter books, followed by tremendously successful Hollywood adaptation, has made London an even more popular destination now with the Harry Potter fans all over the world. The list of attractions in the city associated with Potter’s journeys includes both, newly-invented as well as some long-standing locations.

On Part II of the self-guided Happy Potter Walking Tour, you...  view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.1 Km or 2.5 Miles

Useful Travel Guides for Planning Your Trip


London Souvenirs: 20 Distinctively British Products for Travelers

London Souvenirs: 20 Distinctively British Products for Travelers

Most visitors to London consider shopping as part of their must-do London experience. From street markets to Victorian arcades to snobbish Sloane Square to busy Oxford Street, there are a host of shops selling items which typically represent this vibrant city. Whether you are shopping for souvenirs...