Gertie Brownes at the Coach & Horses, Hampstead, NW3

Something of a dreary old codgers' pub this, which is probably why it sadly failed, though Heath Street is a graveyard of failed business ventures. The crummy moniker of 'Gertie Brown's' - which us locals rejected out of hand - didn't help.

This pub used to just be called The Coach and Horses which was run by an Irish guy and his wife. It was then taken over by the owners of Gertie Browns in East Finchley (which is still alive and kicking) and the name was changed to Gertie Browns at the Coach and Horses, although we locals just referred to it as Gerties. The layout was a little odd as the pub wasn’t that big so the seating around the central bar always felt like one was sitting in a corridor. There was one booth at the rear of the pub and there was always a mad dash to get seated in it. There was also a room in the rear that had a pool table and dartboard, but over time someone in their great wisdom decided to decorate it and put some sofas in there. The small courtyard out the back had a few picnic tables in it and was ok in the summer, but it was usually only used by smokers. There was a plasma screen in each corner of the main bar area and this was the place to go in Hampstead to watch the match, especially on a Saturday. Sam behind the bar was an encyclopaedia of knowledge on football and to be honest a whole host of topics. It amazes me the amount of people that think it is ok to walk into a pub and watch the match without buying a drink, well not in here as Sam would have none of it which made it much more comfortable for the paying guests. No food other than nuts and crisps were ever sold, but every Sunday free trays of sandwiches would suddenly appear at half time during the afternoon football. The only other times I ever saw any food was during the quiz which had quite a big following and the jackpot prize often reached ridiculous levels. There was never any real ale that I can remember, but the Guinness went down a treat and I never had cause to complain as I was drinking Strongbow at the time. This was one of those pubs where the blinds went down at 23:00 and the last man left in the earlier hours, almost everyday of the week. It was a shame to see it go as it was a real Hampstead gem which is now just another bland Hampstead dwelling and all signs it ever existed have long gone.

CLOSED AND GUTTED (27/06/07)