London REAL

While I would rely on the recommendations from UK/London BA's, I'll also suggest this for a few excellent pints and comfortable, friendly atmosphere:

http://www.harpcoventgarden.com/

 

The Harp is a great little boozer. Definitely worth a visit. No food though, so bear that in mind with regards to family friendliness. But you're in a good location so there's the Craft Beer Co Covent Garden just up the street, which does pretty much everything from interesting new style stuff to proper cask pints.

Which area of London are you looking for though, OP?

 

The Harp is pretty much a no-brainer, then!

Also within reasonable walking distance, maybe the Princess Louise (for the decor more than the beer, tbh), the Seven Stars on Carey Street, the Holborn Whippet, the Waterloo Tap...

Loads of other options if you're willing to walk a bit further or get the tube, too.

 

Short answer - the Tap is free, the Harp is Fullers but has a free hand with guests. The Holborn Whippet is free with a smallish but generally respectable range, likewise, in a different sort of way, the Seven Stars. Princess Louise is Sam Smiths, so deeply average cask beer but it's worth sticking your nose in for the amazing victorian-style interior.

Long answer - depends what you're after IMO.

For traditional style British ales you could do a lot worse than respected tied houses belonging to the better family / regional brewers. As far as I'm aware, there isn't really a rich seam of bleeding edge micros producing twiggy brown bitter that knocks the socks off of Adnams, Fullers and Harveys, say, so you might as well stick with them.

For new-wave stuff - ie stuff more inspired by US craft - yeah, avoid tied houses. The good stuff is almost exclusively free trade (apart from tap rooms). That's where places like the Waterloo Tap or (further afield) the Craft Beer Co or Cask come into their own.

Also beware of tap counting - places with too many ales on at once can sometimes end up serving pretty grim pints if they haven't got the turnover to reliably sell stuff before it oxidizes.

 

I'd say The Harp and Craft Beer Co Covent Garden then. CBC has 15 cask lines and 30 keg. Friendly and generally knowledgeable staff too.

 

For cask beer look here https://whatpub.com/

 

Had a pretty satisfying Adnams at Lamb and Flag in Covent Garden, picturesque little alleyway, historic (but so they all seem around there), fine shepherd's pie as well. Certainly worth a visit.

 

The Harp doesn't have a huge selection but still more than enough, and they're always choice.

 

Also love the location. Last time I was there I had a relaxed walk around the national gallery, before popping in and enjoying a Five Points takeover. Brilliant porter and brown ale.

 

Yeah, great location. I have a company awards bash on in the vacinity next week so I shall be popping in and out to cleanse my pallete of the free Stella.

 

These would be my top to easy picks in that area as well. Also, here is the handy-dandy London beer guide thread that is close enough to being up-to-date except for Kernel being take-away bottles only now:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/london-beer-recommendations-for-visitors.96473/