British Pub Etiquette

Round It Out 

Those travelling to the United Kingdom for the first time will discover that pubs are a central aspect of British culture. So if you plan to board a plane to the UK in the coming months, you should go to a pub at least once, but make sure to follow the rules of pub etiquette in order to enjoy your time there.

 The first thing you have to know is that pubs do not provide table service: orders and payments are made at the bar. So you have to go up to the bar to buy your drinks, and carry them back to your table. If you are part of a large group, then it is common to ask someone to help you bring back the drinks without spilling them. But you’ll have to find out what everyone wants before you approach the bar to purchase drinks for the group. Tipping bartenders at pubs is not expected and is quite unusual.

 When asking for a draught beer it will be assumed you want a pint unless you say otherwise - you can also ask for a half pint. But you have to specify exactly the type of beer you want. If you’re not sure what to ask for, a lager is a safe, middle-of-the-road choice. Or, you can ask for a ‘soft drink’ if you don’t drink alcohol.

 One un-British aspect of pub etiquette is the lack of queuing. To get served, you must attract the attention of the bartender without yelling or making any too-obvious gesticulation like waving wildly. You can simply make eye contact and smile to catch the barman’s eye. That’s all that is necessary to ensure that you have been noticed and will be served in your turn. Because, although there is no visible queue at the bar, there is a virtual queue in the head of the bartender seeing who arrived in what order.

 If you’re drinking with British people this is very important: Buying a round of drinks. It is common practice, for groups of friends or work colleagues to take turns buying rounds of drinks for everyone at the table. If someone has bought a round for the group, including a drink for you, you’ll be expected to reciprocate the gesture by buying at least one round for the people you’re drinking with. This is an unspoken rule that should ever be broken.

 If you keep these points in mind, you’ll have a more enjoyable visit to pubs in Britain, and, even if you don’t drink alcohol, you may come to like them and go again. Cheers!