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Cambridge PuG Crawl, Friday 5th April 2024 with Gann on the Pub Forum

The Wells Tavern, Hampstead, NW3

30 Well Walk
NW3
NW3 1BX
Phone: 02077943785

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Reviews (Current Rating Average: 5 of 10) Add Review see review guidelines


Bucking Fastard left this review about The Wells Tavern

The best part of this pub is the exterior,with an attractive front terrace extending down the sides of the building.Inside it's a bit of a jumble,pine flloring,worn dining tables everywhere , many with reserved signs but no indication of booking time leading to a huge number of vacant tables and an unbalanced feel inside.
The interior is L shaped but dominated by diners,there is also a first floor restaurant and a small sofa arrangement beyond the bar en route to the loos which was about the only place to settle just for a beer on a Saturday lunchtime.
The two handpumps were offering Gorgeous Glow Fly and Geek Hunter (warm,badly out of condition,NBSS 1.5,£2.40 the half).There were limited craft keg options which may have been more sensible than the poor cask ale.
It's popular with families and maybe the slightly lower price point might indicate why,but from my point of view this was a one off experience not to be repeated.

On 17th March 2024 - rating: 5
[User has posted 2709 recommendations about 2709 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Rex Rattus left this review about The Wells Tavern

This pub must have picked up a bit since previous reviewers' visits, or else I'm getting more tolerant of pub deficiencies in my old age. Anyway, they had two real ales on - the Truman's pair of Lazarus and Runner. I steeled myself to getting very little change from £3 for my half of Runner, but was surprised to be charged "only" £2.05, which believe me is surpisingly cheap for this part of the world. It was in decent condition as well, and I enjoyed sitting outside in the sun on one of the chairs on the payment watching upmarket Hampstead life passing by. The barman topped up my half without being asked to do so, and this is always a plus in my book when they do their job to ensure you get the full measure that you are paying for. This pub still majors on food of course, with a fair number of tables donnstairs in the main pub area laid for diners - linen tablecloths, wine glasses, the full works - but with plenty of tables for those just wanting a drink. I didn't get to see a menu, and nor did I see a sign to an upstairs restaurant as mentioned by Tris.

There are some picnic benches on a narrow terrace at the front of the pub, as well as some chairs on the payment on the warm and sunny May day I visited. It was apparently patronised by well-heeled Hampstead residents, a good number having their dogs with them. All very middle class.

I didn't get the feeling that this was a restaurant that tolerated drinkers, or a pub that did food. I thought it was somewhere between the two; a pub and restarant combined. It's nothing like your traditional backstreet boozer now of course, but for me it's still enough of a pub to warrant a visit. But there again, I do quite like Truman's beers.

On 25th May 2019 - rating: 6
[User has posted 2606 recommendations about 2520 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Tris C left this review about The Wells Tavern

In the 1980s and indeed until relatively recently this pub was a bit rough and grungy - a hang-out for Hampstead's young; it was fun back then - we'd line Well Walk on summer nights, drinks in hand, and get told by the locals that we were a nuisance at which juncture we'd point out that we too were locals - happy days!
Close to the iron-rich Chalybeate fountain and situated in a beautiful enclave with a very mixed architectural heritage from the early 18th century Burgh House through to the housing estate built in 1949, this is Hampstead's only gastropub that's worthy of the word, dining generally held in the upstairs restaurant, presided over by Beth Coventry (née Maschler and sister of the Evening Standard's restaurant critic Fay) who in the early '90s took over at Keat's Restaurant in nearby Downshire Hill, renamed as the short-lived Beth's, later the equally short-lived Byrons, later Bombay Bicycle Club and now a stockbroker's office.
Thus said, this certainly isn't a boozer anymore looking more like a hotel bar with an utterly otiose TV - why? Ale choice is limited too, a couple at any one time typically from Truman's or Hackney Brewery though served well and priced according to the postcode and location within.
This is still quite a pleasant spot for a drink if on a warm summer night you can bag one of the outside tables, but otherwise it's a bit lacking in character - as Blackthorn says, a bit like a wine bar.

On 12th December 2017 - rating: 5
[User has posted 1955 recommendations about 1922 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Blackthorn _ left this review about The Wells Tavern

A prominent street-corner pub located in a residential area half way between the High Street and the Heath, it consists of a single L-shape room along with picnic benches outside on two sides which is a pleasant enough spot to sit and watch the world go by.

Inside it’s all quite contemporary with a wood strip floor and chocolate brown paintwork on the walls. A number of arty photographs were hung on the walls such as people stood on the corners of buildings, as well as a few black and white portrait photographs. A disused fire-place was at one end with some low chocolate brown sofas in front of it. Service at the bar was a bit haphazard where I was ignored for some time, although it was friendly enough when they did get around to serving me.

Beers on this occasion were Hackney’s H Red Ale and Doom Bar. The solitary cider was Cote Cidre Brut from Normandy which is a new one on me, and whilst I initially thought it was ok it soon got rather too sweet. There’s nothing really wrong with this pub, but for me it felt a bit too wine bar like rather than your traditional boozer and I preferred some of the others in the vicinity.

On 15th September 2015 - rating: 5
[User has posted 1937 recommendations about 1850 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Steve C left this review about Wells Tavern

The Wells used to be my local before the brewery put in some relief managers to run the place into the ground so that local opposition wouldn't stop them making a tidy penny.

I've been in since the refurbishment and it isn't falling apart anymore, but it is nothing like it used to be. The barman was very friendly and I sunk a few bottles of Magners, but it's not a real boozer. These places are all over the place now and it is very depressing.

I will wait until the summer months before I go again so that I can at least sit outside and reminisce about the good old days!

On 22nd March 2007 - rating: 4
[User has posted 5179 recommendations about 5148 pubs]