The Wells Tavern, Hampstead, NW3

The best part of this pub is the exterior,with an attractive front terrace extending down the sides of the building.Inside it's a bit of a jumble,pine flloring,worn dining tables everywhere , many with reserved signs but no indication of booking time leading to a huge number of vacant tables and an unbalanced feel inside. The interior is L shaped but dominated by diners,there is also a first floor restaurant and a small sofa arrangement beyond the bar en route to the loos which was about the only place to settle just for a beer on a Saturday lunchtime. The two handpumps were offering Gorgeous Glow Fly and Geek Hunter (warm,badly out of condition,NBSS 1.5,£2.40 the half).There were limited craft keg options which may have been more sensible than the poor cask ale. It's popular with families and maybe the slightly lower price point might indicate why,but from my point of view this was a one off experience not to be repeated.

This pub must have picked up a bit since previous reviewers' visits, or else I'm getting more tolerant of pub deficiencies in my old age. Anyway, they had two real ales on - the Truman's pair of Lazarus and Runner. I steeled myself to getting very little change from £3 for my half of Runner, but was surprised to be charged "only" £2.05, which believe me is surpisingly cheap for this part of the world. It was in decent condition as well, and I enjoyed sitting outside in the sun on one of the chairs on the payment watching upmarket Hampstead life passing by. The barman topped up my half without being asked to do so, and this is always a plus in my book when they do their job to ensure you get the full measure that you are paying for. This pub still majors on food of course, with a fair number of tables donnstairs in the main pub area laid for diners - linen tablecloths, wine glasses, the full works - but with plenty of tables for those just wanting a drink. I didn't get to see a menu, and nor did I see a sign to an upstairs restaurant as mentioned by Tris. There are some picnic benches on a narrow terrace at the front of the pub, as well as some chairs on the payment on the warm and sunny May day I visited. It was apparently patronised by well-heeled Hampstead residents, a good number having their dogs with them. All very middle class. I didn't get the feeling that this was a restaurant that tolerated drinkers, or a pub that did food. I thought it was somewhere between the two; a pub and restarant combined. It's nothing like your traditional backstreet boozer now of course, but for me it's still enough of a pub to warrant a visit. But there again, I do quite like Truman's beers.

A prominent street-corner pub located in a residential area half way between the High Street and the Heath, it consists of a single L-shape room along with picnic benches outside on two sides which is a pleasant enough spot to sit and watch the world go by. Inside it’s all quite contemporary with a wood strip floor and chocolate brown paintwork on the walls. A number of arty photographs were hung on the walls such as people stood on the corners of buildings, as well as a few black and white portrait photographs. A disused fire-place was at one end with some low chocolate brown sofas in front of it. Service at the bar was a bit haphazard where I was ignored for some time, although it was friendly enough when they did get around to serving me. Beers on this occasion were Hackney’s H Red Ale and Doom Bar. The solitary cider was Cote Cidre Brut from Normandy which is a new one on me, and whilst I initially thought it was ok it soon got rather too sweet. There’s nothing really wrong with this pub, but for me it felt a bit too wine bar like rather than your traditional boozer and I preferred some of the others in the vicinity.