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The Hillgate, W8

24 Hillgate Street
W8
W8 7SR
Phone: 02077278566

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Reviews (Current Rating Average: 6 of 10) Add Review see review guidelines


Moby Duck left this review about The Hillgate

A food led pub, quite nice looking but no real ale was available on my visit and not sure if this is now the norm, there was nothing of great interest keg wise so I didn't linger long.

On 24th March 2024 - rating: 5
[User has posted 1868 recommendations about 1841 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Graham Coombs left this review about The Hillgate

Update March 2023
The brightly-painted terraced houses and bijoux eateries demonstrate the nature of the area so this pub is no surprise. It is tastefully furnished, with potted palms, and at least they have left the woodwork varnished rather than painted grey. There were some hideous plastic rain-coverings over the outside tables, which spoilt the look of the place though. Harvey's Best and Otter Amber were the ales on offer: a little cold but otherwise in good order. A bit on the posh side but nice enough to visit.

Original Dec 2014 review
Modernised back street pub with some gastro tendencies, but still a reasonable place for a drink. One large room, with a quieter narrow area tucked away behind, mostly in usual modern drab colours but with a few traces of some splendid woodwork hinting at what used to be. Draught beers at time of visit were 6X and a couple of guest (Christmas) ales, in very drinkable form. On the whole, not a bad place to escape to.

On 9th March 2023 - rating: 7
[User has posted 3322 recommendations about 3259 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Hillgate

Staple-shaped bar with a further seating area beyond the left hand corner. Gastro-pub furniture and decor, frequented by a lively (and probably well heeled) young crowd. Three handpumps, offering the regular 6X (£4.60) plus Truman's Swift and a reversed Ghost Ship clip as the guests on this visit.

On 28th January 2018 - rating: 6
[User has posted 8066 recommendations about 8066 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Tris C left this review about The Hillgate

Once The Johnsons Arms, this is a mid-Victorian corner pub situated in the super-affluent Campden Hill area of Kensington.

The walls are covered with old 33 rpm album covers, paint is typical 'gastro grey/blue', the floor is bare boarded. Tables are large and solid which means that sharing is an undesirable likelihood. The crowd here were young and exuberant; poor acoustics meant that the pub was very noisy and despite being moderately full, service was poor.

The ale choice was either Robinson's Brewery's Trooper or my Adnam's Topaz Gold which was a good pint though at £4.50 was high, even for the area.

This pub is light years away from the Uxbridge Arms around the corner and to be honest, I rather prefer it to this place. I can't see any compelling reason to return here as there are better pubs in the area.

On 21st August 2015 - rating: 4
[User has posted 1956 recommendations about 1923 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Steve C left this review about The Hillgate

I really liked it in here and found the barman that served me to be very friendly. Deuchars IPA, Pride and Cornish Coaster were all available along with San Miguel and some standard lagers. There are a couple of plasma screens that show Sky Sports and there is also a dartboard in a little room around the side of the bar. There is some seating along the path on the side of the back streets outside the pub, but I didn't stay out there as I happened to visit during the local school's playtime and they were making quite a racket – bless them.

There was a mix of other customers from some old posh blokes to builders on their lunch break and the staff seemed very sociable getting involved with the banter of some of the regulars creating a very convivial atmosphere.

I was a little annoyed at being charged about £8 for a burger and then discovering that it didn't come with chips, so it ended up costing about £10 and it was nothing better than what you'd get for £4 in a Spoons. Maybe I should stick to my usual formula of eating in a restaurant and drinking at the pub as I normally end up disappointed if I veer from this.

If in the area, I'd definitely go back here for a drink and maybe a game of darts.

On 10th March 2009 - rating: 7
[User has posted 5179 recommendations about 5148 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Rex Rattus left this review about The Hillgate

It's changed a bit since my last visit a couple of years or so ago. Not sure if it's for the better, as it seems to have lost a bit of its character. But it's still OK though – a fairly unpretentious backstreet pub in a fairly pretentious part of the world. There were a couple of large TVs showing the cricket, but muted presumably in order for the punters to endure the inane pop music. But maybe others like it. There were national flags of the “six nations” draped from the ceiling, something that I think detracts from the positive ambience of any pub – but again that's just my personal opinion and it may be that those who do come in to watch the rugby have their drinking and sport watching experience enhanced by the presence of the flags.
They had Sharp's Cornish Coaster (which was pretty good) and Pride on. There was a sign advertising Skinner's Betty Stogs' Bitter, but didn't see it on - shame that, as it's an excellent ale. This is not my favourite pub in the area, but it's OK. Nothing special, but another “OK” pub.

On 6th March 2009 - rating: 7
[User has posted 2606 recommendations about 2520 pubs]