118 Tavern Names

by Wimwick (Neil Ellis) on May 5, 2010

How many campaigns have you played where the DM started the campaign by stating “The party is in a
tavern and an old man walks up to you with a job offer.”

Now my normal response is “What’s the name of the tavern?”

To which most DMs respond it doesn’t matter.

The problem is it does. Call me a stickler, but I like names for locations and I really like tavern names.
They are amongst the most interesting locations in D&D to name and the very name can mean any
number of things. A good tavern name adds atmosphere to the game and can become a place of fond
memories for the players.
On the way home today I passed a van advertising a local restaurant, The Mermaid and the Oyster. My
immediate thought was that I need to have a pint there.

So in the spirit of providing every DM with the name for a tavern to start a campaign in, here’s a
monster of a list.

1. The Bull and the Bear

2. The Lost Shepherd
3. The Three Arrows
4. The Three Bucks
5. The Three Castles
6. The Three Crowns
7. The Three Cups
8. The Three Hammers
9. The Three Swords
10. The Kings Key
11. The Silver Lion
12. The Silver Dragon
13. The Golden Serpent
14. The Lonely Shepherd
15. The Lost Key
16. The Hermit
17. The Prancing Pony
18. The Masons Arms
19. The Kings Own
20. The Kings Arms
21. Rose and Crown
22. The Royal Oak
23. The Serpent
24. The Siren
25. The Cyclopses Second Eye
26. The Medussa’s Head
27. The Queen’s Arms
28. The Queen’s Head
29. The Nuttery
30. The Crooked Inn
31. The Drovers
32. Jinty McGuinties
33. Cock and Bull
34. The Cat and Fiddle
35. The Serpents Den
36. The Phoenix
37. The Nag’s Head
38. The Hydra
39. Lion & Lamb
40. The Cross Keys
41. The White Lion
42. The Fountain
43. The Straggler
44. The Den
45. The Bullseye
46. The Coach and Four
47. The Judge and Jury
48. The Dirty Sack
49. Last Call Tavern
50. The Mandolin
51. The Flying Nymph
52. The Last Wish
53. The Cauldron
54. The Wizards Staff
55. The Wench
56. The Donkey’s Goose
57. The Devil’s Bridge
58. The Devil’s Brigade
59. Graves Tavern
60. Vecna’s Folly
61. The Armoured Duck
62. The Unicorn
63. The First Arms and Unicorn
64. The Duke of (insert town name)
65. The Hound
66. The Dirty Goat
67. The White Key
68. The Fox
69. The Cooper
70. The Angel and the Dragon
71. The Royal Eagle
72. The Brazen Hare
73. The Firkin
74. The Rose
 75. The Hound and Stag
76. The Bloody Fist
77. The Bloody Sword
78. The Blue Cup
79. The Broken Prayer
80. The Centaur’s Hoof
81. The Destitute Priest
82. The Excited Fish
83. A Potion and a Prayer
84. The Immortal
85. The Butcher
86. The Vulgar Dutchess
87. The Quiet Harpy
88. The Laughing Fox
89. The Angelic Imp
90. The Staggering Paladin
91. The Angry Orc
92. The Dragon’s Breath
93. The Dancing Wanderer
94. The Watering House
95. The Rogue Archer
96. The Broken Sword
97. The House of Shattered Dreams
98. The Nine Knights
99. The Toothless Orc
100. The House of Lost Memories
101. The Scribe
102. The Gargoyle’s Perch
103. The Dirty Vixen
104. The Maiden Head
105. The Pearl
106. The Lonely Gazebo
107. The Weary Wanderer
108. Lands End Inn
109. The Black Dog
110. The King’s Stag
111. The Devious Dog
112. The Troll’s Toll
113. The Empty Cup
114. The Weeping Minotaur
115. The Highwayman
116. The Bawdy Boar
117. The Alchemist’s Brew
118. Ye Olde Tavern

What tavern names have you used or been exposed to during your campaigns? What stories have
resulted from those names?