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Autumn 2019 Shrewsbury Crawl Dates and Venues with Aqualung
on the Pub Forum
Image posted by Tris C
Submitted on Sunday, 16th January 2011
With picture contributions to 2134 other pubs
View all this pub's pictures (11 more images)
Detail Pages
The Stag, NW3
NW3
NW3 2QU
Served areas
The Stag | Belsize Park
Here are our Christmas Party menus! Lots tasty food on offer at great prices. All of our food is made from scratch,… https://t.co/akYiTnQa6i
11:55 AM Oct 12th from TweetDeck
Reviews of The Stag (Average Rating: 6 of 10) see review guidelines
Steve of N21 left this review about The Stag
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.
On 24th June 2019
- rating: 6
[User has posted 1673 recommendations about 1622 pubs]
Rex Rattus left this review about The Stag
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.
On 26th October 2018
- rating: 5
[User has posted 2522 recommendations about 2440 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Tris C left this review about The Stag
Until the early 2000s this was a pub you crossed the road to avoid; a rough estate boozer. I ventured in for the first time to watch the 2006 World Cup (during the day) and could see that benefits had been reaped from a minor refurbishment. Shortly afterwards the pub closed and underwent a serious Grand Designs conversion.
Okay, the black exterior looks awful - threatening even - and the fascia plates look 'Harvester' cheap but this is now an upmarket pub catering for affluent and beautiful locals. A stylish yet sensitively retained interior and bar back are very fine as is the beer garden which is one of London's best: individual booths, individually heated and with speakers, benches at centre.
In terms of food it started well (at a price), though the current menu has slid markedly in terms of quality and class: it's now a bit more 'upmarket burger' than it was a couple of years ago, though prices haven't dropped to match the fall in quality; in summer BBQs are hosted in the garden.
Real ale is limited (Landlord and Black Sheep) though there's an eclectic mix of esoteric foreign bottled beers with Aspall's on tap. Service could be more swift and a smile wouldn't go amiss either. In winter, the proliferation of candles tends to sap the oxygen but overall this is now something of a destination pub away from the West End - certainly worth a visit if you are in the area, but don't get your hopes up in the food department.
On 2nd April 2011
- rating: 6
[User has posted 917 recommendations about 903 pubs]
View more reviews of The Stag (4)
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- Randomness Guide to London - Stag entry
- Official site of the Stag, contains menu, drinks list and event details - www.thestaghampstead.com
- Facebook - The Stag Hampstead
- Twitter - The Stag | Belsize Park
- CAMRA WhatPub :: The Stag - whatpub.com
Pub Details
Pub details supplied by members of this site to the best of their knowledge. Please check with pub directly before making a special trip.
- Accommodation : No last updated 08 November 2013 by Tris C
- Bar Billiards : No last updated 22 July 2013 by Tris C
- Beer Garden : Yes last updated 22 July 2013 by Tris C
- Car Park : No last updated 22 July 2013 by Tris C
- Darts : No last updated 22 July 2013 by Tris C
- Dog Friendly : Yes last updated 22 July 2013 by Tris C
- Hot Food : Yes last updated 22 July 2013 by Tris C
- Jukebox : No last updated 22 July 2013 by Tris C
- Karaoke : No last updated 22 July 2013 by Tris C
- Live Music : Yes last updated 25 March 2014 by Tris C
- Live TV Sports : No last updated 22 July 2013 by Tris C
- Micropub : No last updated 13 June 2015 by Tris C
- Pinball : No last updated 22 July 2013 by Tris C
- Pool Table : No last updated 22 July 2013 by Tris C
- Quiz Night : Yes last updated 22 July 2013 by Tris C
- Real Ale : Yes last updated 22 July 2013 by Tris C
- WiFi : Yes last updated 22 July 2013 by Tris C
