The Magdala, NW3

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.