London Virtual Pub Crawls: How Locals Are Partying at Home

London’s pub crawl scene hasn’t vanished—it’s just swapped Borough High Street for your living room, and swapped sticky carpets for slippers. If you miss squeezing into The Churchill Arms or gossiping in a dim Soho corner, you’re not alone. Since the pandemic, virtual pub crawls have exploded across London, letting people jump from The Camden Head to The Lamb & Flag without freezing at the bus stop.

This isn’t about staring blankly at a Zoom call with a flat pint. With the right plans, you can relive the best bits of London nightlife. That means themed playlists, proper lock-in quizzes, and even drinks delivered by local companies like DrinkDrop and HonestBrew. People are bringing their favourite venues to the screen, queuing up interactive games, and supporting small independent bars through online tasting sessions. The digital pub crawl scene lets you invite friends from Hackney, Hammersmith, or halfway to Scotland—nobody misses the last tube.

• Why London Loves a Pub Crawl, Even Online
• How Virtual Pub Crawls Work in the UK
• Top London Venues And Themes To Try Online
• Tech Tools: Get Set Up Like a Pro
• Drinks Delivery: Making the Pub Come to You
• Best Tips for Hosting an Epic London-Style Online Crawl

Why London Loves a Pub Crawl, Even Online

Nothing quite matches that feeling of wandering between London pubs with your mates. For locals, a good old London pub crawl is practically a right of passage. Whether it’s scoping out historic boozers on the Strand or stumbling around Shoreditch for last orders, there’s always been a real buzz about it. According to a 2023 YouGov survey, over 60% of Londoners who drink socially said they prefer bar-hopping with friends to sitting in one place all night. Tradition runs deep—and so does the urge to explore.

With city life flipped on its head by lockdowns and train strikes, virtual pub crawls started to fill in the gaps. Londoners still wanted the mix—the change of scenery (or screens), the group chat banter, and a chance to show off their knowledge about weird pub names like The Dog & Duck or Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese. It’s not just about the booze, either. These nights give everyone a way to stay close, whether you’re a Uni fresher settling in at King’s Cross or a longtime local living out in Croydon.

What’s actually made online bar hopping so popular with people in the UK capital? Here’s a quick breakdown:

• Social glue: London life is fast. Crawls—online or offline—are the cheat code for reconnecting, sparking random chats, or keeping up WhatsApp groups that might otherwise go silent.
• Low travel stress: No faffing with TfL. Virtual means nobody gets stranded, misses the last tube, or tries to decode the Night Bus timetable after midnight.
• Local tradition, new tech: Londoners have always reinvented the pub crawl—think Monopoly board challenges and secret speakeasy tours. Clicking between calls or mini breakout rooms is just another twist for the digital age.
• Welcoming everyone: Got mates in Battersea and cousins up in Manchester? Everyone logs in together. No need for complicated plans.

People first tried virtual crawls out of necessity, but now it’s caught on as a big part of London nightlife. It’s cheaper, easier, and still gives you plenty of reasons to raise a glass in community—even if you’re just moving your own glass from the kitchen to the sofa.

How Virtual Pub Crawls Work in the UK

If you’re wondering how a virtual pub crawl actually works in London or anywhere around the UK, it’s less complicated than you might think. Usually, the host picks a few bars or pubs they love—real places like The Spaniards Inn, The Dog & Duck, or quirky online bars that popped up in 2020—and creates a schedule for the night. But instead of hopping between venues in Soho or Camden, everyone jumps between online meeting rooms and themed activities.

Here’s the simple formula most Londoners use for these at-home events:

1. Pick your platform—Zoom and Google Meet are solid. Some even use Houseparty for its built-in games, but Zoom’s ‘breakout room’ feature is a favourite for splitting into smaller groups, just like real pub corners.
2. Set a route or bar sequence—each pub “stop” (that’s a new meeting link or a change of theme) has its own playlist, drinking game, or mini quiz. If you want, shout out to actual London venues or name each hop after local classics like The Ten Bells or The Coach & Horses.
3. Organise your drinks—many order from drinks delivery services like HonestBrew for craft beers or DrinkDrop for premixed cocktails. It keeps the drinks authentic and usually supports local spots struggling with fewer footfalls.
4. Add entertainment—real pub quizzes are a London staple. Loads of bars now offer online versions, including BrewDog’s Virtual Pub Quiz and even some old-school East End boozers running live trivia over Facebook Live.
5. Send out invites—group chats, Facebook groups, or WhatsApp lists work well. Set a dress code if you fancy it, or ask folks to decorate their living room based on a favourite London boozer.

It’s not just about drinks. People join from all over—students, old mates stuck abroad, even your nan in Cornwall. The point is to keep the best of London’s pub crawl culture alive, mixing games, banter, good music, and the thrill of hopping between venues—even if it’s only from the sofa to your fridge.

Most folk find these nights way less hassle than the usual night out in Covent Garden. You skip the queues, there’s no last orders, and everyone sits in their own comfy chair. It’s not a perfect swap for a packed Saturday at The World’s End, but it works surprisingly well for keeping the spirit of the city’s nightlife alive.

Top London Venues And Themes To Try Online

Missing the buzz of London’s best pubs? When you run a virtual pub crawl, you can still hit the city’s legendary bars without the long Uber journey. Here’s the trick: pick venues that spark memories and use your online group chat to hop through them, one by one. It isn’t just about the drinks—it’s about the stories behind these spots.

Themed stops work best. Start with Soho’s The Yard for a high-energy opener, then bring out the big guns with The Churchill Arms’ floral backdrops as your quiz round. Themed background images are easy to download, or just share photos so everyone feels like you’re propping up the same original bar.

For a classic pub crawl vibe, choose favourite areas—think Camden, Shoreditch, or Fitzrovia. Here’s a sample crawl you could run from your sofa:

• The Spaniards Inn in Hampstead for a ghost story round
• The Old Blue Last in Shoreditch for a live indie playlist (Spotify makes this easy)
• The Ten Bells in Spitalfields for weird London history quizzes
• The Clarence on Whitehall for a classic British pint competition

Interactive themes keep things lively. Try these ideas:

• Pub Quiz Night: Make it local with rounds just on London facts.
• Mixology Challenge: Pick classic UK cocktails—the Pimm’s Cup or Espresso Martini—and vote for the best-made drink on screen.
• Dress As Your Favourite Londoner: Bowie, Amy Winehouse, or even a Beefeater guard. Show off in the first five minutes at every ‘venue’ stop.

If you want a real taste of going out, some local services even offer drink kits themed after famous London bars. DrinkUp London often collabs with venues like Callooh Callay and Nightjar so you can order the same cocktails to your door. These aren’t just for show—they keep the independent bar scene ticking too.

If you’re curious what’s popular, here’s a quick look at favourite London pubs that show up often in virtual crawl plans:

The best part? You can invent new traditions—maybe a round of London-themed charades at each stop, or a contest for the best “lost tourist” impression. Blend local trivia with your dynamic, and watch your living room take on a real London vibe.

Tech Tools: Get Set Up Like a Pro

Ready to host a proper London virtual pub crawl? Missing the right tech can kill the vibe before it starts. Luckily, most Londoners already have the basics: a decent laptop, good Wi-Fi, and a half-empty glass nearby. But stepping up your setup takes your online crawl from awkward video call to real party atmosphere.

The first thing: pick your platform. Zoom is the go-to because breakout rooms let you mimic hopping from The Ship Tavern to The Spaniards Inn with ease. Want something designed for socials? Try Houseparty or Gather Town—great for mixing in games and side chats. If your mates are already WhatsApp fans, video calls there are a quick fix for smaller groups.

Decent sound means nobody’s left shouting for attention. Invest in a cheap USB mic or some wireless earbuds. If you’re going for that proper London pub quiz energy, wrangle up some good speakers or connect to your telly using Chromecast or Apple TV for shared playlists and drinking games.

There’s nothing worse than a screen freeze mid-story, so check the Wi-Fi. If you’re relying on patchy broadband, plug your laptop into the router with an ethernet cable. Virgin Media and BT have upgraded a lot of areas across London, so a speed boost might be just a call away if your streams keep lagging.

Online pub games keep things moving. Speedquizzing Live is made in the UK and lets you play on your phones while you chat over video. Jackbox Games also works a treat—just one person needs to buy it and the rest join in via browser. For the real London touch, themed backgrounds are a must: you’ll find free Zoom shots of The George or The Coach & Horses to pop behind you, no matter where you actually are.

• Use Google Calendar to send invites with links and times—no more endless WhatsApp confusion.
• Get a drinks delivery tracker app (like Parcel Live) if you’ve ordered your booze in. Nobody wants to start dry.
• If you’re doing live tastings, split the order from local shops on platforms like Tabl or Big Night—cheaper and keeps it local.

Here's a quick guide to the best tools Londoners use for their online bars and pub crawl sessions:

Setting all this up means less faff, fewer lags, and a proper UK drinking culture vibe you can actually enjoy—pajamas and all. No one has to queue for a drink or brave the night bus home. Just jump online and soak up the London spirit, wherever you’re connecting from.

Drinks Delivery: Making the Pub Come to You

Missing that first pour at The Red Lion or fancy a can from your local craft taproom? You don’t have to depend on your corner shop for your next pint. Thanks to London’s booming drinks delivery services, you’re just a few clicks away from pub-quality beer, cocktails, and even proper pub snacks.

Loads of local companies jumped in to fill the gap when real-life bar hopping got tricky. Take DrinkDrop—these folks partner with London bars like Callooh Callay and The Sun Tavern, delivering their mixologist-made cocktails all over the city. If you want your usual from Brixton Brewery or Beavertown, HonestBrew and Beer52 let you order boxes of London’s best craft beers. For something fancier, The Bottle Club brings Champagne or gin right to your door, and they ship anywhere in London—sometimes same day if you order early enough.

Here’s how to get your drinks sorted for a virtual pub crawl:

• Choose your vibe: Go classic (Guinness and crisps), craft (a crate from Gipsy Hill), or try-themed boxes (wine, cider, or mocktails—no one’s judging).
• Order in advance: Most services let you pick exact time slots. If you’re planning a Friday crawl, get your order in by Wednesday to avoid last-minute stress.
• Mix it up: Some places like Top Cuvée’s Shop Cuvée offer mix-your-own cocktail kits—ace for a DIY Bloody Mary challenge.
• Go local: A lot of London corner pubs are now selling bottled cocktails or small-batch ales online—call your favourite to see what’s on offer and support local.

If you want snacks, places like London-based SnackNation and BoroughBox throw in pork scratchings, handmade scotch eggs, and British cheese boards alongside your drinks. Bringing the full pub grub experience home definitely helps when the night goes on.

Drinks delivery is now an essential part of the London virtual pub crawl. It’s not just about convenience—it keeps the city’s independent drinks scene alive, lets you try something new, and brings a proper sense of occasion to a Friday night in your flat.

Best Tips for Hosting an Epic London-Style Online Crawl

Keen to throw a proper virtual pub crawl your friends will actually remember? Here’s how Londoners do it right, whether you’re scattered in Shoreditch or stuck in a Croydon flatshare. Forget just turning on Zoom—let’s break it down to what works in the city.

• Curate a London-themed route: Pick a handful of classic old-school pubs to feature, like The Ten Bells in Spitalfields or The Spaniards Inn up in Hampstead. Share fun trivia about each spot as you "visit" online. You can even grab Google Street View images to make it feel legit.
• Sort your drinks: Don’t wait for people to scrounge up a dusty can. Local London drinks delivery services (think HonestBrew, London Beer Factory, or DrinkDrop) will drop craft ales, G&Ts, or even non-alcoholic samples straight to everyone’s door. Ordering the same set for all makes it feel way more pub-like.
• Get the tech right: Use breakout rooms or Messenger groups to mimic pub-hopping. Rotate people every 15 minutes so you get that classic crawl vibe—never getting stuck with the same crowd all night.
• Add a pub quiz, but keep it local: Build a quiz about London’s hidden boozers, Tube station names, or Soho street art. Free sites like Kahoot or even built-in Zoom polls keep things lively. Don’t forget the bragging rights for the winner.
• Bar snacks, obviously: Email everyone a simple shopping list—Scampi Fries, pork scratchings, or those mini sausage rolls from Greggs. Munchies aren’t just tradition; they keep the mood up when the rounds kick in.
• Dress up and set the scene: Swap loungewear for London punk, West End glitz or Fulham football shirts—theme it for a laugh. Bonus points for someone who nails that old man-with-a-flat-cap look.

Want proof this works? A 2024 survey by Dipsticks Research found that 60% of Londoners who tried an online crawl ended up meeting those new friends in real life within six months. So, it’s not just screen time—these digital crawls actually help make new connections when you can’t get outside.

If you want it to really click, set a simple start and end time—a good crawl doesn’t go on until sunrise. And most importantly, look after the crew: some folks might want a break from drinking, so include an alcohol-free option or a ‘best mocktail’ round to keep everyone onboard. That’s the heart of London pub culture—making sure nobody’s left behind, even online.