The Hoop & Toy

Probably the oldest established tavern in Kensington, dating to around 1515 when it was called the Grapes. The name changed to Hoop & Grapes, then Hoop & Toy in 1784 — the “toy” being a rum-soaked leather peg used to stop horses grinding their teeth, which is the kind of fact you can't make up. The pub sits opposite the V&A, and its history includes a connection to London's first congestion charge in 1796: the owner built a second pub up the road to dodge the toll at Brompton Gate. Rebuilt in 1844, front redone in red brick in 1927.