The Stag, NW3

Old bar & old style gantry give it some character but overall it feels a bit to foodie for me. 1 real ale & various keg.

In early May, The Stag was persisting with a wait to be seated policy, so you'll be forming a queue on the way in, waiting for one of the staff to direct you to the obviously empty table right there (unless you fancy the garden, which seems extremely popular, so a booking is advisable). Table service is the order of the day once the administrative formalities have been completed, so it inevitably takes a while longer to get served. You can use the time to peruse the drink options on the blackboard, perhaps checking your eyesight to confirm that they definitely are selling TT Boltmaker for £5.60 a pint. It must be the lower transport costs for Hammerton N1 which mean that it can be had for a relatively reasonable £4.80. A third handpump offered Flat Tyre cider, while the 4th went unused. The beer list extends to a wide range of keg money-spinners. A sheet of A4 at your table has all of this listed as well, with brief descriptions. Once ordered, it has to be said that my Hammerton did arrive fairly promptly, albeit with 50p of head on it - a good job that it was in reasonable shape. I took advantage of the menu to grab a small bite to eat, prior to heading onwards. Perhaps that was what led to a "discretionary" service charge of 12.5% being added to the bill which, unlike the food and drink, left a bad taste (and relief at not opting for the Timothy Taylor). I do reckon there's a good pub in here, but it clearly likes to think it's better than your ordinary boozer, which really detracts from the experience. The locals don't seem to mind though, as there was a brisk trade, which isn't likely to include me for the foreseeable.

Yes I agree not the most attractive of pubs from the outside and the interior bar room is more functional than attractive and clearly at some point some employed interior designer thought that black was the new white. But the KSP of this one is the very good enclosed garden to the back with its central bench seating and covered alcove areas along the edges (which look like they can hold up to 8 and 10 people and can be reserved), so I tend to visit here when the sun is high in the sky as it was last Thursday. Being close to Hampstead Heath station and the Royal Free, no surprise that this is another food led pub and most tables carry the menu, which is above your normal pub food level but not so much so as to fall in the overly gastro category. You can still get a homemade scotch egg for £4.50 for example. But this is another pub where the available beer selection has been improved by the growth of Craft beer and as well as four ale pumps it has 24 keg taps and a fridge with over 100 bottles and cans and there was a fair selection of London craft brewers on the draft taps, including Meantime, Camden, Five Points and Bevertown from what I could see from the chalk board. Of the four hand pumps two were given over to Ciders in the form of Orchard Pig Dark Cider and Rosie's Pig Flat Tyre Cloudy Cider with Rhubarb leaving only Timothy Taylor Boltmaker and Dark Star Hop Head as the available ales. Fortunately the Hop Head was on fine form and enjoyed in the spacious garden area. And in keeping with the modern debate two well kept ales is probably sufficient for this food led pub, whilst Craft pulls in the younger demographic as mentioned below. It fits a purpose but is not one of my favourites, but I will continue to visit for the garden, which is one of the best in this part of London.

I really think that this has to be the ugliest exterior I have seen on a pub, being painted black from top to bottom. And inside it's been knocked about a bit as well. The bar back is a relatively modern bit of woodwork, although to be fair the design is classic Victorian and honesty is preserved by it being made of light wood, that the Victorians would never have used. The bar counter is old however, but has been seriously and hideously distressed, or else suffered the most inept effort to restore it to its original state; the former I suspect. There's also black painted walls inside as well, and while on the theme of blackness, there is a blackboard on one of the walls showing the beers available. But most were keg beers, of which there are loads. The real ales available were Flat Tyre, Timothy Taylor Landlord, and Five Points Pale, with a fourth handpump unused. I didn't see a menu on my Saturday evening visit. It's not really my favourite type of pub, but my Five Points Pale was fine, and it was clearly doing something right judging by the fact that it was doing a roaring trade with a generally youthful crowd in.