The Prospect of Whitby claims to be the oldest surviving riverside pub in London, on the north bank of the Thames at Wapping since around 1520. Samuel Pepys was a regular. Turner painted from its terrace. Judge Jeffreys — the Hanging Judge — used it to watch criminals executed at the gallows visible from the riverside balcony.
The interior is genuinely historic: flagstone floor, pewter bar top, bare beams. The location, off the tourist circuit in a part of London most visitors never reach, means it retains something of its character. The riverside terrace is particularly good in summer.