The Magdala, NW3

Quite a traditional looking establishment - although apparently it was converted from a shop not that long ago - and one which I guess is supposed to have a nautical theme (but this doesn't really extend much past the pub sign and a ship's wheel propped up by the front door). Rustic wooden furniture at the front part of the bar, with dining tables further back. Three real ales on - Pride, Adnams and Batemans XB (not cheap at £3.40) - plus a selection of Belgian bottled beers (also steeply priced). Unusually, upstairs is now an art gallery (Charlie Smith). Overall, one of the better places in the area for a pint.

This place still has a two bar format although the left hand side is more of a restaurant with an open kitchen and diners aplenty. The right hand side is much smaller and it can be hard to find a seat, but it retains a pleasant old boozer feel. Until last night (Saturday) I hadn’t visited for three years and I have to report that it hasn’t really changed much except that I was surprised to find it to be the quietest pub in the area with only about ten people in the whole establishment. This was fine by me as it was the first time I had been in and had a comfortable pint. The American barman was very friendly and the Hampstead locals in attendance were polite and harmless as ever. There is a plasma screen which was off and there is no sport or music aired in here. There is some outside seating at the side of the pub which is fenced off from the path and road. There was a very limited standard draught selection available, but there are three hand pumps adorning the bar which were serving up Greene King IPA, Pride and Davenport’s Busy Fool. It is ok in here if a seat can be found in the bar area, but I would probably leave if the only space available was in the restaurant area as it is not very comfortable as one feels one has to whisper. On a historical note, it was outside this pub where Ruth Ellis, who was the last woman in the country to be hanged, shot and killed her lover David Blakely on Easter Sunday 1955.

This seemed to me to very much a pub of two halves. It still retains its original two-bar format, hence its inclusion in CAMRA's inventory of London's heritage pubs. The bar on the left has been stripped out and appears to be the sort of minimalist bar that you might find in a Young's pub; the much smaller bar on the right, however, retains its inter-war feel, with dark wood panelling, carpeted floor, and the original bar counter – thus giving it a more traditional pub feel. All the windows seem to still have the original leaded lights round the edges. No prizes for guessing which bar I preferred, and where I spent my visit. The clientele seemed to be polite, well-spoken, probably well-heeled, locals. The real ales on were GKIPA; London Pride; and Leeds Brewery's Samba, the latter advertised as a fruity summer blonde. I went for the Samba of course, which I found to be pretty lifeless for a blonde, but maybe it usually performs better. Blondes usually do. Anyway, this is a reasonable pub. Not great, and certainly not as good as some other Hampstead pubs, but OK for a swift sojourn.