The Holly Bush, Hampstead, NW3

Another of London’s most famous pubs located in Hampstead, and famous for its interior which gets it in the CAMRA’s National Inventory, and also for the long line of historical figures who have supped Ale here, including James Boswell, Samuel Johnson, Oliver Goldsmith, Charles Lamb and the famous painters George Romney and John Constable who lived nearby, and in the case of Romney, lived next door. Sadly , as reported below, this is primarily a food oriented pub during the day time and with the exception of the small front bar section , all the wonderful small rooms are laid for dining. And the pricing strategy employed for both the food and the beer is, “if your local populous are some of the richest in the country, milk them for all they are worth.” So as others have reported, you should search it out for the experience but then move on if you want a proper drinking session. Again the five handpumps were dispensing four Fullers ales and the Butcombe Bitter as a guest ale, and the Butcombe and Seafarers were kept well enough… So on the drinking front an OK pint in a fine pub interior. But the Holly Bush immediately accelerated itself to the very top of one of my particular pub lists, namely the most expensive locations for a Scotch Egg. Yes they are freshly made from real sausage meat and are cooked to order and possibly to perfection so that the egg yoke is still runny when you cut into it.. BUT £5 for a Scotch Egg !!!. Yes folks, the £5 barrier for a scotch egg has been breached, which is no mean achievement considering I personally hadn’t broken the £4 barrier yet..

A cracking little pub almost at the top of Hampstead hill. You have to go up a flight of steps to get to the pub. Once inside there are several different rooms on three levels, many wood panelled and in all the rooms almost every table is candle powered. The building itself is Grade II listed and apparently used to be a stable block. The beer range isn't that impressive really with Harveys Best and a couple of Adnams beer usually featuring. I've never had a bad pint in here though and I've had quite a few over the years as I often stay at the Marriott at Swiss Cottage just down the road. I call in here every time I'm in Hampstead. It's a great little pub and is regularly featured in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide..

Another hidden Hampstead pub, I made a point of trying this one due to its internal architecture (a characterful warren of wood-panelled rooms and partitioning) which has it listed in CAMRA’s National Inventory. It’s a Fuller’s pub with a crisp whitewashed exterior. Four Fullers ales plus Butcombe Bitter at the bar; my Brithop (A Fuller’s seasonal) was below-par and for the price paid (considerable!) very disappointing. Food is pushed quite heavily here to the extent that we were curtly asked at if we were eating. The other barman was probably one of the most pretentious, self-absorbed numpties I’ve ever seen working in a pub. So the actual pub is great but the naff beer, irritating staff and high prices killed off a lot of the goodwill I was willing to bestow. Worth going once to admire, then move on.

Up a short, but steep, flight of steps, virtually opposite the former Horse and Groom on Heath Street, is The Holly Bush, one of the best known of all Hampstead’s pubs. It’s situated in an attractive part of Hampstead which is a conservation area Until recently a free house, it’s now succumbed to the Fullers juggernaut. The old Benskins branding outside has sadly disappeared, but internally the pub appears unchanged A traditional interior features matchboard panelling, bare boards and some original partitions and glasswork. It’s a warren of corridors and adjoining rooms and, although the large room at the back is not original ( formerly private living quarters ), the solid looking wooden furniture and decoration is largely in keeping with the overall look and feel of the front bar. It’s a Grade 2 listed building and has been a pub for over 200 years. The small curved original bar counter is in the front room where there’s an impressive large Benskins mirror and an unusual tiny alcove with one table called The Tavern Bar. A larger room on the left has window glass revealing that this was once a Coffee Room. Several Ind Coope mirrors remain, reflecting the demise of Benskins long ago. Principally a food pub, even on my recent Saturday lunchtime visit, a good number of tables in all areas were reserved for named pre-booked groups. The ubiquitous A4 size clipboarded menu reflects the aspirational, upmarket leanings of the pub and the area’s affluence – eg Hampshire lamb rump, slow braised shank, kidneys, carrots, kale - £ 16.95p. The usual clueless non English speaking waitresses hover round trying to look helpful and efficient in the usual unconvincing fashion. On the real ale front, perhaps predictably, the range has reduced and Fullers beers now dominate the pumps. On my visit, 5 beers were available, of which only Harveys Best was a non Fullers beer ( the other beers being Pride, Bengal Lancer, HSB and Seafarers ). Reflecting the strong food emphasis probably, the Harveys Best was a wallet busting £ 3.90p. The pub is, however, in the 2012 CAMRA Good Beer Guide. This is quite a well known Hampstead pub and, with a traditional characterful interior, it’s still worth a look in, out of curiosity if nothing else. However, even disregarding the high beer prices, it’s not the place for a long boozy session

Randomness Guide to London - Holly Bush entry

Randomness Guide to London - Holly Bush entry