The Holly Bush, Hampstead, NW3

Utterly charming pub,almost mews like in a very upmarket area high above the busy shopping area that is Hampstead village.Fullers tied house and they have preserved the heritage,features abound and there is great wood panelling,etched glass and a traditional multi room layout.On entry there is a wait to be seated lecturn,ignore this and go right into the tap room with traditional furniture,notr large so expect to make room for incoming punters.This is the place to sup and there is an alcove area beyond a small skylight. The left hand side,back rooms and first floor are all dedicated dining areas,also with features but difficult to clock if you are just drinking. There is an external long old seating bench but outside drinking elsewhere is discouraged as local residents don't want punters drinking in their doorways. Ale options on my trip were London Pride,Hophead and ESB (NBSS 3.5,£3.40 the half).CAMRA rate it 2* for heritage ,my feeling is that it is borderline 3* so very well worth the steep climb to enjoy when in the area.I will most certainly return .

A decent pub not far from the tube station. A Fullers pub with the full range on but I had a Dark Star Hophead which was fine. Seemed to be popular as it filled up during my short visit. Glad to have called in.

Tucked away in one of the most beautiful Queen Anne and Georgian enclaves and serving the community since 1643, is one of London's most famous and historic pubs: The Holly Bush. As a former local, born and bred, this has been one of my all-time favourite pubs which I've been visiting for the best part of 35 years, over which time I've seen changes major and minor. The room to the rear wasn't originally part of the pub. In the '80s it was curtained off and used for poetry reading. It had t 'n' g panelling and an upright piano. Now it's pretty much used solely as a dining room which reduces much-needed drinking space. An anteroom is now home to an ancillary till for the dining area. A second and central anteroom now houses a stainless-steel sink with cleaning products; visible to all, it's a terrible eye sore. The snug still has a real fire but it, along with the rest of the pub, has been painted magnolia. Where once there were original gas lights until around 1990 (which hissed!), there were hideous Japanned lamps which looked like they came from a dungeon, though at least the ugly wicker colonial-style ceiling fans have gone. Happily, the lamps have gone, replaced with ones which are altogether more fitting, looking like blown glass. The floor is new, untreated and bare boarded but is aging well. Furniture is fairly conventional, the pretentious oxblood armchairs which looked like the property of Sherlock Holmes have gone, as have most of the fake Victorian sitting room décor. As an added plus, the log fire in the main bar is now active for the first time in my memory, though the pub doesn’t benefit from the stupid names now applied to the various rooms: ‘Whitestone Room’? Clients are a mix of locals, celebrities and many tourists/incomers. The bar staff seem to change on a weekly basis which doesn't make for good continuity and can be a bit clueless but they seem decent enough, though they are hardly burdened by working in a challenging environment. Ales: the standard Fuller's line-up with a few guests (more likely Fuller's acquisitions such as Gale’s) with a pint of the hilariously named Castle Rock’s Crafty Flanker Pale Ale weighing in at a hefty £4.80 for a beer that’s around the 4.0% ABV mark. I haven't painted a brilliant picture of the pub, but nothing's perfect - it can get rammed at peak times too. This place though is probably about as good as an urban pub is ever going to get, hence the high mark.

One of my favourites in London. This visit was the first time I have eaten here. £25 for a steak. To be fair, it was delicious. £12.50 for the cheesboard - but alas, my expense policy was blown on the steak. ESB served in the proper chalice. Love the feel of this pub. Photos at my blog - http://bit.ly/2cRaZHD

A pleasant and attractive looking pub located slightly off the beaten track but only a short stroll from Hampstead’s High Street, it’s worth taking the trouble to track down as it’s one of the more traditional pubs in the area and seems to cater for drinkers just as much as diners based on a recent Saturday evening visit, although it was getting a little late when we visited so may perhaps be different earlier in the evening. It’s a multi-roomed layout, probably four in total although we only investigated the front two. The right hand bar at the front is where the bar counter is. There was much wood panelling on the walls and a small snug off of here with just a couple of seats. The left hand bar is given over to seating with red button back banquettes around much of the perimeter and small tables and chairs elsewhere. The colour scheme was a mixture of brown and pale yellow and there were dark wooden boards on the floor and etched glass windows to the front. An old fire-place was off to one side with a couple of shelves of old books up above. The menu looked to be a step or two up from your usual “pub grub” with most of the dishes being priced at £15 or more, and even fish & chips coming in at £14.50. Other options included beef pie, roast partridge, grouse leg, cod with squid & tapenade or a sea trout salad. We didn’t eat ourselves, so can’t say whether these prices are justified. Beers on this occasion were Oliver’s Island, Lancaster Red, ESB, London Pride and Butcombe. The solitary cider was a rather pleasant Mortimer’s Orchard, which makes a pleasant change from the usual dross around these parts.

Official site of Holly Bush - hollybushhampstead.co.uk

Official site of Holly Bush - hollybushhampstead.co.uk