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Image posted by paulof horsham
Submitted on Tuesday, 10th May 2022
With picture contributions to 5694 other pubs
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Detail Pages
The Magdala, NW3
NW3
NW3 2SB
Served areas
Reviews of The Magdala (Average Rating: 6½ of 10) see review guidelines
Moby Duck left this review about The Magdala
A two roomed pub that is quite heavily food led, with a wait to be seated sign at the entrance to the left hand room, which I ignored unchallenged, the food coming out of the semi open kitchen looked top notch. However the pub saves itself with a good beer ethos with eight handpumps in the left hand bar and a further three in the right hand, beers noted were Brockley Spring IPA, Gipsey Hill Bandit, Harveys Sussex Best and Kent Black Gold plus two Ciders, in addition there are twelve craft taps with top end beers.
The pub still trades fairly heavily on it's notorious past with abundant photos of Ruth Ellis dotted about the place. It's a good pub, I just found the food aspect a little off putting but not enough to make a return visit sometime.
On 13th April 2025
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2151 recommendations about 2118 pubs]
Danny O'Revey left this review about The Magdala
Right next to the railway station and down the road from the heath, still has 2 bar areas and very good beer choice. Nice pub
On 5th April 2025
- rating: 8
[User has posted 1542 recommendations about 1519 pubs]
Pub SignMan left this review about The Magdala
Blessed with an ideal location next to Hampstead Heath and its eponymous station, this is an atrractive, two bar pub with a growing reputation for good beer. The porch entrance has scuffed bare boarded rooms off to either side, each with their own servery. Entering through the left door, you find yourself in a notional dining room space with plenty of standard tables and chairs and a couple of padded benches, all somewhat broken up by a couple of attractive, stained glass partitioning screens with 'Gin' and 'Wine' panes, whilst the windows also have impressive leaded panes with green banding. The bar is to the right and has a nice curved, tongue and groove paneled counter and modern shelf unit bar back topped with statuettes and a stuffed cockatoo. Framed photos of black and white era actresses have been put on display and there is an open kitchen to the rear of the room. Lots of potted plants add a splash of colour around the window sills and a door to the far left takes you out to a small patio garden. The main bar is accessed by turning right from the front porch. It has near full height wall panels, bench and low stool seating and various old paintings and the like on display, and feels more like a drinkers space, although I was perfectly comfortable drinking in the left-hand bar.
The cask range was pretty decent, with boards listing Three Acre Mighty Mosaic Pale, Harvey's Sussex Best, Fauna Tree Planter, Kent Prohibition and Oakham & Ossett Wanted. I plumped for a pint of the latter and was shocked to be charged just £3.50 - apparently taking advantage of their "Monday Cask" offer. One real cider occupied the final handpull and although the staff were a bit slow, I found them friendly enough and they were very helpful with some fussy customers who turned up a bit later.
Although this place has been given a modern makeover, I really liked the fact that they'd kept a traditional two bar layout and retained one room predominantly for drinkers. The fine cask range, kept in good condition, was a boon too in a city where cask options seem to be vanishing at a rapid rate. This place really surpassed my expectations and I hope to make it back again some time soon.
Date of visit - 27th May 2024
On 29th September 2024
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3350 recommendations about 3350 pubs]
View more reviews of The Magdala (12)
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- Official site of The Magdala - www.themagdala.co.uk
- Twitter - Magdala Pub
- CAMRA WhatPub :: The Magdala - whatpub.com
- Historic Pub Interiors - pubheritage.camra.org.uk
Gospel Oak, 0.8 miles, 15 min walk (show)
Finchley Road & Frognal, 1.06 miles, 20 min walk (show)
Pub Details
Pub details supplied by members of this site to the best of their knowledge. Please check with pub directly before making a special trip.
- Accommodation : No last updated 08 November 2013 by Tris C
- Bar Billiards : No last updated 22 July 2013 by Tris C
- Beer Festivals : No last updated 22 July 2013 by Tris C
- Beer Garden : Yes - Much reduced side 'micro patio'. - last updated 29 September 2024 by Pub SignMan
- CAMRA Discount : Yes - 10% - last updated 29 September 2024 by Pub SignMan
- Car Park : No last updated 22 July 2013 by Tris C
- Darts : No last updated 22 July 2013 by Tris C
- Dog Friendly : Yes - Loud barking dogs welcome. - last updated 24 June 2023 by Blue Scrumpy
- Function Room : No last updated 29 September 2024 by Pub SignMan
- Hot Food : Yes last updated 24 June 2023 by Blue Scrumpy
- Jukebox : No last updated 22 July 2013 by Tris C
- Karaoke : No last updated 22 July 2013 by Tris C
- Live Music : No last updated 22 July 2013 by Tris C
- Live TV Sports : Yes last updated 29 September 2024 by Pub SignMan
- Micropub : No last updated 13 June 2015 by Tris C
- Pinball : No last updated 22 July 2013 by Tris C
- Pool Table : No last updated 22 July 2013 by Tris C
- Quiz Night : Yes last updated 29 September 2024 by Pub SignMan
- Real Ale : Yes last updated 21 June 2021 by Tris C
- Real Cider : Yes last updated 29 September 2024 by Pub SignMan
- Wheelchair Access : No - WCs downstairs. - last updated 28 August 2015 by Tris C
- WiFi : Yes last updated 22 July 2013 by Tris C
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