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Submitted on Sunday, 11th December 2022
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Detail Pages
The Wells Tavern, Hampstead, NW3
NW3
NW3 1BX
Served areas
TheWellsHampstead
Bookings are now open for 12th April - 16th May https://t.co/4Mggor9o2h
9:09 AM Mar 8th 2021 from Twitter for iPhone
Reviews of The Wells Tavern (Average Rating: 5 of 10) 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 2727 recommendations about 2727 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 1985 recommendations about 1951 pubs]
View more reviews of The Wells Tavern (5)
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- Official site of The Wells - www.thewellshampstead.co.uk
- Twitter - TheWellsHampstead
- CAMRA WhatPub :: The Wells Tavern - whatpub.com
Finchley Road & Frognal, 0.83 miles, 16 min walk (show)
Gospel Oak, 1.28 miles, 24 min walk (show)
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 Festivals : No last updated 22 July 2013 by Tris C
- Beer Garden : Yes - Front and side patios. - last updated 12 December 2017 by Tris C
- Car Park : No last updated 22 July 2013 by Tris C
- Child Friendly : Yes last updated 08 November 2013 by Tris C
- Darts : No last updated 22 July 2013 by Tris C
- Dog Friendly : Yes - Special dog menu. - last updated 19 March 2016 by Tris C
- Function Room : Yes last updated 08 August 2015 by Tris C
- Hot Food : Yes last updated 25 May 2019 by Rex Rattus
- Jukebox : No last updated 22 July 2013 by Tris C
- Karaoke : No last updated 22 July 2013 by Tris C
- Live Music : 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 : No last updated 22 July 2013 by Tris C
- Real Ale : Yes last updated 25 May 2019 by Rex Rattus
- Real Cider : No last updated 08 November 2013 by Tris C
- Wheelchair Access : No last updated 08 August 2015 by Tris C
