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Disappointment of the week with Gann
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The Horseshoe, Hampstead, NW3
NW3
NW3 6TE
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 5 of 10) see review guidelines
Bucking Fastard left this review about The Horseshoe
Modern looking street corner pub in the shopping area of Hampstead.The interior is L shaped with substantial high tables along the Heath Street windows,some high tables opposite the bar and then lower level dining type tables elsewhere,including two raised sections at the far end.
The fittings are modern and the muzak was a little too loud.It was proving popular with diners on my Saturday lunchtime visit,including family groups.The food is not cheap ,Sunday roasts £22 but the quality did look good for a mediam main of £20 but the small plate options were more reasonable.The terrestrial TV was on mute and sensibly reserved table signs indicated the time of arrival and allowed me seating options inside.
Two handpumps serving Twickenham Grandstand and Naked Ladies (NBSS 3.5) but not much craft keg.There was some outrageous bar blocking by a couple with two buggies,but once the manager came back on duty they were dispatched to the rear seats with their bawling offspring.
A function stop for an ale but not much to tempt another visit,unless food is your aim.
On 17th March 2024
- rating: 6
[User has posted 2727 recommendations about 2727 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about The Horseshoe
Just a short walk over the road from Hampstead tube station, the Horseshoe is a large, open plan pub underneath the Pentameters Theatre. The pub was previously operated by Wetherspoons, before converting to a food-led venue with an onsite brewing operation which eventually became the Camden Brewery before moving to a larger premises. Today, the pub has the kind of super-bland interior that high end gastro pubs seem to specialise in. A corner entrance leads into a brick floored room with a long servery down the left hand side. The bar has a stone topped counter and the keg fonts positioned in the centre of the bar back with large beer boards above listing the full range. Large arched windows along two sides of the pub allow plenty of light in which acts only to highlight the drab grey and cream colour scheme, broken up only by a couple of blackboards here and there plus a few quite appealing Camden Brewery art prints. Small backless bench 'booths' have been formed along the front wall and there is a long and rather uncomfortable looking wooden bench down the right hand side with standard tables and chairs through the centre of the room. Heading further back you find a large cabinet full of various bottles and cans, in front of which a long table and benches can be found. Perhaps the only cosy spot in the entire pub can be found in a screened off area to the rear where a few more tables have been squeezed in under whitewashed walls. Music was playing at a fairly loud volume throughout my stay, made worse by the high ceiling and lack of soft furnishings which created an echoey environment.
The beer boards suggest that the pub's allegiance is still very much towards Camden Brewery, with seven of their beers available in keg format along with a cider option. Camden no longer produce cask ales, so the two handpulls offered guest options in the shape of Reunion Talwar and Haresfoot Lock Keeper. The latter was a staggering £5.50 for a pint of 4.0% ale and the Talwar was an unbelievable £6.00 a pint (4.5% abv). The keg beers for once represented the cheaper option but I didn't really fancy any of them, so I took a deep breath and ordered a pint of the Lock Keeper. The barman showed great professionalism by keeping a straight face whilst charging me £5.50 for what turned out to be a very mediocre pint that was clearly suffering from a lack of throughput.
I was quite looking forward to visiting a pub that has played an important role in the renaissance of brewing in the capital, but any enthusiasm was soon sapped when I saw the prices. I think that most drinkers accept that London is an expensive place to drink and that neighbourhoods like Hampstead are going to be at the top end of the price spectrum, but this is just blatant profiteering, more so when the beer is sub-standard and the pub is irredeemably dull. A massive disappointment all round and one I will not be repeating.
On 13th May 2017
- rating: 4
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
john gray left this review about The Horseshoe
Used to be the home of a micro brewery but now a gastro-style pub.good selection of beers with Camden Town keg always on.Busy on my friday night visit.Expensive beer but its Hampstead so not unexpected.
On 11th May 2013
- rating: 6
[User has posted 1023 recommendations about 1009 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Tris C left this review about The Horseshoe
This pub apparently has a micro-brewery on site. Stripped of its interior décor, the inside is now rather stark and minimalist with some furniture looking like it has come from a canteen. The problem here is that the pub now has rather unpleasant acoustics which makes conversation a little difficult.
On 13th January 2011
- rating: 4
[User has posted 1983 recommendations about 1949 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve C left this review about The Horseshoe
This place used to be The Three Horseshoes and it must be one of the few Wetherspoons pubs that were sold as the JDW Empire expanded. The name was changed to the Horseshoe in 2005 when it was refurbished almost beyond recognition and to be honest it was in serious need of some money being spent on it. The drinkers of questionable legal age from the dance hostel over the road have been replaced by a more affluent older demographic who are more likely to visit the Pentameters Theatre, which is located above the pub, than the McDonalds around the corner.
The bar has some interesting foreign beers and the A-board outside was advertising Meantime’s Pale Ale, but I didn’t spot it. I think that a few of the draught taps were unused as there were no clips on them, but in this modern gastro age there is a penchant for making the pump unreadable so that the barman has to be asked what is on offer. I was able to see that Purity Gold was available on hand pump along with Camden Town Brewery’s Best and Summer Ale. I know that there is a micro brewery in this pub, but I didn’t spot any of their wares unless they go under the Camden Town name which I doubt.
This pub has had the guts ripped out of it leaving a single room with minimalist décor and an open kitchen which is located at the end of the bar which runs along the left hand side wall. The windows open up in the summer to give a nice airy breeze, which is probably handy with the inclusion of the open kitchen. There are some picnic tables along the side wall in Oriel place and there are a couple of wall benches along the Heath Street side of the pub. It can be difficult to get a seat though as passers by seem to plot themselves down whilst eating bagels or slurping on a Starbucks coffee from the shop off the High Street.
One other point of note for this pub is that there are extended opening hours until midnight on Friday and Saturday, which seems to be the norm this end of the High Street.
I’m more of a traditionalist when it comes to pubs and I generally tend to eat at home before I come out, but this place is much better than some bland chain bar churning out Fosters and Courage Best. It’s also great to see a pub sourcing its beers locally so good luck to them.
On 18th May 2010
- rating: 6
[User has posted 5233 recommendations about 5201 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Rex Rattus left this review about The Horseshoe
There is apparently now a micro-brewery here. Their house ales seem to be branded “Camden”, with two of their ales on handpump – Camden Best Bitter and Camden Summer. The Best Bitter was just fine, if served a little too cold, and reasonably priced at £3 a pint. There was a third handpump on the bar, dispensing Purity Gold. It’s now just a single horseshoe, although I didn’t notice any exterior signage to make that clear – indeed, the sign on the outside wall at the back in Oriel Place still declares it to be the Three Horseshoes. Inside it’s very minimalist; bare-boarded floor of course; some brown leather or leather effect narrow banquettes; and some school type benches/tables/small wooden chairs. It looks to food centric. There were no menus on tables, but a young lady did come up to me to ask whether I wanted a lunch menu. I did spot a lunch special advertised on a chalkboard, of lamb, pepper and potato pie, and veg, plus a glass of house wine or fruit juice, for £7 which doesn’t seem excessive as long as you want to drink wine or fruit juice. It’s not the sort of warm and comfortable place in which I like to spend my time, but OK to pop in for a swift one and to sample one of their own brews.
On 12th March 2010
- rating: 4
[User has posted 2606 recommendations about 2520 pubs]