Top Gun: Nelson’s pub wins food title

An obscure pub in a quiet residential street in Docklands has been named London's best.

The Gun was awarded the best dining pub title by the Good Pub Guide 2010 editor, beating about 6,000 venues.

The 250-year-old riverside pub beat other historic places such as Fleet Street's Olde Cheshire Cheese — a 17th-century venue popular with Dr Johnson and James Boswell — and the Jerusalem Tavern in Clerkenwell, an 18th-century pub where actor David Garrick was a regular.

The Gun, in a cobbled street called Coldharbour, can fit 200 customers in several cabin rooms, restaurants and a riverside terrace that overlooks the O2 Arena.

One of its regulars was Lord Nelson, and according to tradition, he used one of the pub's upstairs rooms for secret trysts with lover Emma Hamilton. In more recent times, Baywatch star David Hasselhoff has frequented the pub several times.

"It took a lot of hard work and dedication to build this place. Now the vast majority of our customers think we've got it spot on," said Tom Martin, 38, who co-owns The Gun with his brother Ed, 30. They bought it five years ago, after it was closed by a fire.

Mr Martin says one of The Gun's greatest strengths is its British cuisine, which the guide describes as "exquisite".

Often, lobsters are on the menu bought from Billingsgate market. As a result, they are usually £10 cheaper than most London restaurants.

The Good Pub Guide also says that Surrey has become the most expensive area in the country for a pint of beer, costing on average £3.01. London is second at £2.90, while the West Midlands remains one of the cheapest, at £2.40.

The British Beer and Pub Association said the guidebook helped to lure tourists into pubs. "Pubs are one of the most unique things Britain offers," said a spokesman. But the association warned that 52 UK pubs are closing each week.