The Flask, Hampstead, NW3

Facebook page of The Flask - www.facebook.com

Facebook page of The Flask - www.facebook.com

Well known venerable pub, formerly a Youngs tied house and still selling their much diminished beers but fortunately a Five Points Pale was on one of five pulls in the right hand bar, there’s a snug with a separate exterior door on the left which I didn’t visit having failed to read Bucking Fastard’s review. The Youngs beers were two with Original and one of Special plus one blank pump. Eight low brass keg taps that need a polish serve some more unusual mid market macro craft kegs. Nice old traditional furnishings and floors, there’s a superb etched glass and Victorian painting screen wall between the two front bars. To the back is an extensive dining area and toilet access. Child and idiot friendly. Most tables were reserved on a Saturday lunchtime visit.

Dating back to at least 1700 and rebuilt in 1874 on the site of a former plaque pit, The Flask is situated in a lovely scenic Hampstead idyll. As a former local boy, I've been coming to the Flask since the mid/late-1980s and, rear bar aside, it's changed little and all the better for that too as this boasts a Regionally Important Historic Interior. Externally, the building features some very fine polychromatic glazed tiles with two entrances to a building which abuts the residential and very quaint pedestrianised parade of little shops. Internally, the left-hand bar seems unchanged and quite basic since my first visit all those years ago. The right-hand bar has some remaining etched glass windows, fine marble fireplace, more polychromatic tiles and a spectacular screen with etched and cut glass along with rare painted glass cameos that separates the public and small saloon bars. Seating here is essentially an oxblood leather studded banquette running around the periphery. The rear bar and dining room however, is more traditional/modern with conventional furniture, bare boards and a typical grey/blue colour scheme with prints to the walls. Out back there's a small drinking/smoking patio and there are tables and chairs out front. Friendly staff were serving up Bitter, Special, Truman's Lazarus and St. Austell's Proper Job on excellent form. Catch it at the right time and this is a very good pub indeed, one of the best in the borough and a must-visit if on the NW3 trail.

This is a nice traditional two bar pub down a quiet side street just around the corner from Hampstead tube station. There are two separate entrances, each with etched glass doors, taking you into either the Public Bar to the left or Saloon Bar to the right. The Public Bar is a reasonable sized square shaped room with a curved dark wood bar counter in the rear right corner. Bench seating serves the tables at the front of the room, with standard tables and chairs through the rest of the space. The right hand wall partitions the room from the Saloon Bar and has some decent panelling with large images of local scenes printed onto them and some smart etched glass panes above. To the left is a smart fireplace with a 'wines and spirits' mirror above and some limited glimpses of glazed tiling to one side. Similarly, a broken glazed tile dado runs around parts of the room, hinting at a rather more impressive interior in days gone by. The walls have been decorated with a few nice retro posters including one for Hampstead tube station and there are some large barrels on top of both the porch and the bar back. The Saloon Bar cannot be reached without exiting the pub and re-entering through the right hand door. It has similar bits of tilework to the Public Bar, large mirrors down one side and lots more chair and bench seating plus button backed banquettes to the rear. Some more fine etched glasswork can be seen high up on the right hand wall and there is a symmetrical curved bar counter to the left forming part of the same servery as in the other bar. Beyond is a rather bland conservatory with seating set up for diners, under pastel shaded walls with bookcases and a few small pictures on show. Music was playing in the Saloon Bar and this was just about audible from the Public side. This has been a Young's pub for over 110 years and their Ordinary, Special and Hummingbird were available alongside a guest ale which was Twickenham Naked Ladies. A pint of the latter set me back a rather upsetting £4.75, although this is far from the priciest pint in Hampstead. Thankfully it was in good nick and I was able to savour every last drop whilst propping up the bar and thumbing through the day's papers which were left out for customers to browse. This is a very nice pub in a quaint location which, unlike most Youngs pubs, has been refitted in a relatively restrained manner and thereby retains the feel of a traditional pub, especially in the Public Bar. The pricing certainly precludes this place from any sort of extended session, but it's well worth a look in passing and is probably your best bet for a traditional pub in Hampstead.

Hidden away up Flask Walk this pub is well worth searching out. There are two sides to the pub with a public bar and a saloon bar. The public bar is quite small and fills up quickly when the after work crowd get in. I often visit here when I'm staying at the Marriott at Swiss Cottage and most Hampstead pubs are better than the ones around there. The public bar has retained lots of original features, less so the saloon bar which has a dining area to the rear, but it's still a pleasant place to call in for a pint. Youngs Ordinary & Special on the pumps along with Winter Warmer from about November to March, all well kept which is no surprise as this pub is a regular in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide. A good, solid pub.