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Classic pub food or “pub grub” is comfort food at its finest that you’d find at a pub or bar, but can easily make and enjoy in the comfort of your own home!
Dark, heavy wooden tables, soft lights glowing, a stone fireplace with a crackling fire, the happy sound of chatter, and the smell of a slow-cooked roast dinner. Step into a pub and this is the cozy atmosphere you’re likely to encounter.
I’ve been to pubs in a variety of countries around the world and I have to say, personally, I find pubs in England are by far the coziest and most inviting. Heading into a pub from a back alley anywhere in London somehow always feels to me like I’m stepping into a scene from The Hobbit or Harry Potter.
This area of the world has a long history of pub culture, and it really shows! The origin of the pub is traceable back to taverns in Roman Britain, and pubs have been described as “the heart of England”. (You can read more about the history of pubs on Wikipedia.)
Because of the British history of the pub, I wanted to do classic pub food justice, so a lot of the recipes included in this collection are dishes that are traditional English pub grub. But with that being said, a pub meal has changed a lot since the time of its inception, and so I also wanted to include items that you’d find on a modern pub menu as well.
If you’re a fan of down-home comfort food, bookmark this post!
What is a Pub?
Short for a “public house”, a pub is an establishment with a license to serve alcoholic drinks that people can consume on the premises.
On the other hand, a gastropub also offers high-quality food in addition to beer. Gastropubs are essentially restaurants with a pub inside, or pubs with a restaurant inside.
What is Pub Food?
Pub style foods are the type of things that feed body and soul.
They include hearty home-style meals like slow-cooked meat stews and savory pies.
Snacky finger foods, such as beer battered onion rings, Scotch eggs, and golden crispy chips.
Satisfying lunches like Welsh rarebit and coronation chicken.
And let’s not forget pub desserts! Sticky puddings, fruit crisps and crumbles, and decadent milkshakes, to name a few.
Traditional Pub Food
These are the types of classic English pub foods that will keep you coming back for more. They range from snacks and appetizers to a full pub meal. The vegetable beef Guinness casserole topped with champ (a wink and a nod to shepherd’s pie) is a favorite at my house!
Beef Pasty Recipe
Inspired by Cornish Pasties, this savory herbed beef pasty recipe features meat and vegetables in a flaky, buttery crust. It's the perfect hand-held portable meal, and is surprisingly easy to make!
Beer Batter Fish Fry Recipe (For Pub Style Fish and Chips at Home)
Fish and chips is easier to make at home than you might think! This recipe yields a crunchy, golden beer batter coating and flaky, tender white fish that rivals your favorite restaurant’s fish fry.
Vegetable Beef Guinness Casserole Topped with Champ
This easy recipe for Vegetable Beef Guinness Casserole Topped with Champ features a hearty and rich stew-like filling with a buttery mashed potato topping. It’s perfect for St. Paddy’s Day or any day you want real-food comfort food, and the leftovers are even better!
Bangers and mash is such a fabulous comfort food meal. Take a virtual trip to the British Isles with this authentic recipe, which includes the recipe for homemade sausages, if you choose to make them!
You'll be hard-pushed to find a pub in Britain that does not have some form of gammon egg and chips on the menu, and for good reason, it is simple and delicious. Cooking this at home is really easy all you need to do is plan the timings to make sure everything is perfect all at the same time!
Sweet potato cottage pie has a savory vegetable beef filling with a rich, creamy sweet potato topping, and is finished off with a bit of sharp cheddar. It's the perfect cozy casserole when you want a meal that's as healthy as it is hearty.
If you’re a fan of bar food or bar appetizers, pub snacks are right up your alley! Think along the lines of crunchy, salty finger foods like onion rings, steak-cut French fries (which are called “chips” in England), and a variety of cheesy items, such as dips and spreads, many of which involve a good sharp English cheddar. In addition to UK classics, here I’m also including a few popular pub snacks from around the world!
Beer Battered Onion Ring Recipe
Make the crispiest onion rings at home with this easy beer battered onion ring recipe! Perfectly golden, crunchy, and packed with flavor, they're ideal for parties, BBQs, or a fun snack.
Scotch eggs are so often found on pub menus, even if “real food” isn't served! They're much easier to make than you might think, and are perfect when served hot, warm, or cold!
These easy-to-make air fryer chicken wings are crispy outside, juicy inside, and super flavorful tossed in a quick two-ingredient Buffalo wing sauce! They're perfect for game day gatherings or pizza night at home.
With rich, savory flavor and spreadable texture, this easy homemade cheese ball recipe is sure to be a favorite appetizer at your next party. If you've never made a cheese ball, you might be surprised at how easy this recipe is!
Obatzda is a flavorful easy German cheese dip or spread that combines rich camembert with cream cheese, butter, a few spices, savory onion, and a splash of German beer.
Crispy loaded potato skins with cheese and bacon are easy to make in the air fryer (with oven instructions too). This easy appetizer recipe is always a crowd-pleaser!
In this recipe for Czech pickled cheese (aka Nakládaný Hermelín), a creamy cheese with a bloomy rind that’s similar to Camembert is sliced, stuffed with a savory filling, and cured in oil. It’s the ultimate pub food in Prague! And bonus, it's the perfect low carb and keto appetizer.
This easy recipe for Sheet Pan Irish Nachos consists of thinly sliced, crispy baked potatoes topped with gobs of melted Irish cheddar cheese, shredded corned beef, scallions and sour cream. It's the perfect pub food to enjoy with a pint of Guinness on St. Patrick's Day!
These Bavarian pretzels are done the authentic and traditional way, dipped in food safe lye. The entire project requires sometime to let the pre-ferment develop, as well as the dough to cool and chill in the refrigerator so keep that in mind. The effort is absolutely worth it for authentic tasting Bavarian pretzels that taste like they’re from an actual German pub.
Beer Cheese Dip is smooth, creamy, cheesy and packed full of flavor. While it pairs perfectly with soft pretzels, this easy beer and cheese dip is also great with fresh bread, crackers, broccoli or cauliflower, and even apples.
I am of the belief that some of the best pub foods are side dishes! They round out a hearty meal perfectly. A few of them (like Yorkshire pudding and Irish soda bread) are delicious vessels for mopping up every delicious drop of a good pub stew.
Cauliflower Gratin Recipe with Buttery Ritz Topping
Inspired by the classic British comfort food dish Cauliflower Cheese, this Cauliflower Gratin recipe features cauliflower in a rich, creamy savory cheese sauce with a buttery crunchy Ritz cracker topping.
You'll be surprised at how easy this Yorkshire pudding recipe is to make, and it comes out perfect every time: deliciously crisp and golden outside and light and fluffy inside. It's a wonderful accompaniment to a roast dinner or just about any fall or winter meal!
Hearty, rustic, and ready in less than 1 hour, this simple Irish brown soda bread recipe is a must-try. No yeast, no kneading, just delicious homemade bread—perfect for beginner bakers! This wholesome, hearty bread pairs perfectly with soups, stews, or just butter.
This smoked gouda mac and cheese is the ultimate comfort food! It’s smoky, creamy, and outrageously cheesy. It’s made using a homemade smoky cheese sauce that is bound to please crowds.
This sourdough light rye bread recipe has a fluffy, chewy crumb with a crispy, golden crust. If you keep sourdough starter on hand this one is a must-try!
This roasted duck fat potatoes recipe makes crispy, golden roast potatoes with an intensely rich, savory flavor that's impossible to replicate with other oils. Give this side dish a try and it'll become a new favorite!
With a decadent creamy, flavorful cheese sauce and a crispy, buttery cracker topping, this easy-to-make Instant Pot Mac and Cheese recipe stands out from the crowd!
When you’re in the mood for a satisfying lunch, pub style food is the perfect choice. Open-faced Welsh rarebit is classic! So is curried coronation chicken salad, either served as a sandwich or on a bed of greens.
10-Minute Welsh Rarebit Recipe (aka Welsh Rabbit)
Welsh Rarebit, a classic British recipe, consists of thick, creamy, flavorful cheese sauce on toast that's broiled to bubbly golden perfection. It's quick and easy 10-minute comfort food!
This curried chicken salad recipe (aka coronation chicken) features tender chicken in a creamy mayonnaise-based dressing with curry, sweet and spicy mango chutney, fruity dried apricots, and nutty almonds. It has a complex, well-balanced flavor profile, and whips up in just 10 minutes, which means it's perfect for weekday lunches!
A great British classic, Coronation Chicken Sandwich, is made with curried chicken breast filling, and further flavoured with mango chutney, apricots and coriander! The creamy textures of the filling contrast well with crunchy lettuce and soft bread, making it one of the best British recipes out there.
Rich and velvety, this Creamy Tomato Soup uses canned tomatoes and other pantry staples like olive oil and dried Italian herbs combined with onion and garlic for deep flavor. It comes together in 20 minutes, and is comfort food at its finest!
Craving a juicy hamburger without firing up the grill? Discover how to cook perfect burgers in a cast iron skillet on the stovetop: crispy outside, juicy in the center, and full of flavor.
Craving a brat but don't feel like firing up the grill? These beer bratwurst in the air fryer are just as flavorful and juicy, and are super simple to make!
Caramelized onion burgers are juicy and flavorful, smothered with Swiss cheese and rich balsamic caramelized onions. You can whip them up on the grill or the stovetop!
A Buffalo, New York tradition, Beef on Weck sandwiches contain thinly sliced roast beef piled high on Kaiser buns topped with coarse salt and caraway seeds known as Kimmelweck rolls. I'm sharing my best easy method to make these sandwiches at home anywhere in the world when you're craving a taste of Buffalo!
This Canned Chicken Salad recipe is easy to make in less than 10 minutes! It's creamy like tuna salad and seasoned simply with seasoned salt, black pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder. This version is healthier than most and replaces most of the mayo with Greek yogurt!
I can’t imagine a cozier evening than heading to your local pub for a drink and a chat with friends and a hearty home-style meal. Savory pies are common, and so are slow-cooked comfort foods like beef or lamb stew.
Easy Skillet Ground Beef Pot Pie Recipe
This warming, comfort food skillet pot pie recipe features a savory vegetable and ground beef filling, rich gravy, and flaky, buttery crust.
This easy Dutch oven pot roast recipe results in fork-tender, flavorful meat every time. We take it one step further and make it into a Yankee pot roast – a full meal with potatoes, carrots, and gravy!
This healthy, satisfying Instant Pot beef and barley soup recipe is packed with flavor as well as nutrition. It’s full of tender pieces of beef, a variety of vegetables, and hearty pearl barley in a robust tomato broth. With directions to make it on the stovetop if you prefer!
This Homemade Chicken Pot Pie is flavorful, comforting, and so easy to make! This roux-less chicken pot pie casserole is made with frozen veggies, leftover chicken, and store-bought pie crust for an easy chicken pot pie that tastes great too.
Dutch Oven Whole Roast Chicken Recipe with Vegetables
This whole roast chicken recipe puts your Dutch oven to good use! We cook the chicken covered part of the time to keep the meat tender and juicy, and then uncover it so the skin can get crispy and brown. And a quick and easy garlic herb butter rub adds a ton of flavor and helps keep the meat moist!
Made with a ton of vegetables and a hefty dose of Guinness stout, this Guinness Beef Stew recipe is a cold-weather classic that's sure to warm you up! Serve it with Irish Brown Soda Bread to complete the meal.
A creamy mixture of leeks and mushrooms topped with a crispy, golden handmade pie crust. This vegetarian Mushroom and Leek Pie recipe is great when you need a meatless main meal that even the most meat-lovers will enjoy. It is the perfect winter comfort food to serve for an easy Sunday lunch, Thanksgiving dinner, or any special celebration.
This steak and ale pie recipe is classic comfort food: flaky butter crust and a savory vegetable beef stew filling served up in individual portions. Hearty dishes like this British meat pie are traditional pub fare, and for good reason: they help take the chill off winter!
This vegan lentil shepherd's pie has the best fluffy potatoes on top of hearty lentils cooked to perfection with fresh-cut vegetables, all with a subtle hint of rosemary.
Inspired by a traditional English steak and ale stew that I ate at a pub in London, this simplified recipe for quick and easy beef stew on the stovetop is full of tender beef and vegetables in a rich, hearty gravy. And it only takes 1 hour to make!
Put leftover turkey or rotisserie chicken to good use with these delicious little pot pies! This mini chicken pot pies recipe features tender chicken and flavorful vegetables in a creamy, well-seasoned gravy with a flaky butter crust.
This spinach and mushroom pie is vegetarian food at its best: buttery fried mushrooms and wilted spinach, bathing in a garlic, thyme, and white wine gravy, topped with crispy and flaky puff pastry.
After some pub grub and a drink with friends, who’s to say you won’t be in the mood for a little something sweet? Pub desserts range from light and fruity to decadent and chocolaty, so there’s something for everyone!
Indulge in the ultimate chocolate Guinness cake—rich, moist, and infused with deep chocolate flavor. Topped with silky cream cheese frosting, this foolproof recipe is the perfect dessert for St. Patrick’s Day or any occasion!
Homemade butterscotch sauce is rich, smooth, and velvety with a buttery brown sugar flavor, hint of vanilla, and touch of salt for balance. This no-fail recipe only takes 10 minutes to whip up from start-to-finish!
This Blackberry Crumble pairs sweet, juicy blackberries with a crisp, buttery brown sugar and oat topping. And using frozen blackberries means you can make this delicious dessert year-round!
This sticky toffee pudding is a dark and moist sponge cake made with dates and sweetened with brown sugar and molasses. It’s served with a warm, rich buttery toffee sauce. This recipe is easy to make and can be prepared in advance.
Fudgy Guinness Stout Brownies with Dark Chocolate Ganache Recipe
This recipe for fudgy Guinness stout brownies with dark chocolate ganache features rich, honey-sweetened chocolate brownies to balance out the flavor of stout. They’re topped with a velvety layer of dark chocolate ganache to make them extra decadent!
A classic “snug” is a small private area in a pub or bar meant to give patrons more privacy. It’s typically set higher than head-level, and has frosted windows. Because of the additional privacy, drinks in the snug cost more money. Historically, the purpose of a snug was so people could avoid being seen drinking in public. You can read more about a snug on Wikipedia.
Can you get the same food in a pub as in a bar?
Yes and no. Traditionally, pubs and bars didn’t serve the same foods.
In the past, pubs have leaned more towards homemade slow-cooked foods, like stews and savory pies. While bars typically served predominantly snacky fried finger foods and appetizers. However, these days there’s a lot more crossover, and you’re likely to find many of the same food items available at pubs and bars.
But that isn’t necessarily the case when it comes to drinks. Pubs mainly serve beer (think lagers, ales, and bitter beers) and spirits (such as whiskey, gin, and vodka). Pub drinks are unpretentious, as pubs were historically community gathering places where people could talk while having a drink after work. They’re the type of establishments where you’re likely to find a bunch of locals. On the other hand, in addition to beer and spirits, bars also commonly serve cocktails, and sometimes they can be quite fancy. And of course, both pubs and bars serve non-alcoholic beverages as well, such as soft drinks, coffee, and tea.
I’m the writer, recipe developer, photographer, and food stylist behind this blog. I love finding the human connection through something we all do every day: eat! Food is a common ground that we can all relate to, and our tables tell a story. It’s my goal to inspire you to get in the kitchen, try something new, and find a favorite you didn’t know you had.
Faith spent a significant amount of time living in Syria, Jordan, and Kuwait where she immersed herself in Middle Eastern culture and cuisine. Her first cookbook is a celebration of authentic Middle Eastern recipes made approachable for home cooks.
Oh yes please to pub food!