The Sir Richard Steele, NW3

Quirky stunning old style interior with brewery memorabilia and nick nacks on the walls and a picture painted on the ceiling. 4 real ales and food served. Didn't visit upstairs.

This large Victorian street corner pub is located on Haverstock Hill, roughly halfway between Chalk Farm and Belsize Park tube stations. The pub, which is part of the Faucet Inn group, has retained a feel of Victorian splendor through its interesting layout, with a succession of different rooms and areas wrapping around a central servery, However, it is even more notable for the eccentric décor throughout, which seems to have been gathered over time and creates a bit of a treasure trove well worth rummaging through. There are bare floorboards throughout the pub, which combines with plenty of dark wood paneling and fixtures to create a typically traditional look. To the left of the front entrance there is a nice, comfortable seating area with a mix of bench, sofa and low stool seating around a large fireplace with a huge Bass mirror above. This section also incorporates a large set of bookshelves, a small wooden cart suspended high on one wall, a mounted deer head and a large portrait of the eponymous Richard Steele. The servery, which carries on through an archway to the main, corner section of the pub, has a big etched pub mirror above it. In the main bar area there are some nice padded benches and low stools around the perimeter of the room and loads more items to distract the eye including lots of brewerania, barrels, pots, jugs, old radios, antlers, a lawnmower, a drum, road signs, shoes, stuffed seagulls and a stuffed vulture. The centerpiece is a large stained glass feature in the corner of the room which again depicts the dramatist who gives the pub his name and this compliments the spectacular Sistine Chapel style painted ceiling. At the rear there is an open area with high stools, a drinking ledge, several clocks, a large Bass lantern and a set of traffic lights. Further exploration can be undertaken behind the servery, where a couple more areas can be accessed, including one with an old stove in the fireplace. There is also a decent sized garden to one side, which I didn’t take a proper look at. Music played quietly throughout my stay and a decent band of locals slowly started to fill the place up. I was a little surprised to see prominent signs warning against drug use on the premises, which may be off-putting to some. There were just two ales on the bar – Adnams Southwold Bitter and Westerham 1965 Special Bitter. I tried a pint of the latter and it was in good condition and served to me by a friendly barmaid. Another off-putting feature was that the staff had seemingly been trained to ask customers if they want any crisps or peanuts after ordering – an unnecessary corporate touch in an otherwise charming pub. I like pubs that are full of clutter and really enjoyed browsing through it all and would gladly pop back again to see what I might have missed. A couple more ales wouldn’t go amiss, but on balance this is a very good pub and well worth making the journey out for.