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Image posted by paulof horsham
Submitted on Sunday, 11th December 2022
With picture contributions to 4530 other pubs
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Detail Pages
The Old White Bear, Hampstead, NW3
NW3
NW3 1LJ
Served areas
Reviews of The Old White Bear (Average Rating: 6 of 10) see review guidelines
Bucking Fastard left this review about The Old White Bear
I warmed to this pub in a very attractive corner of Hampstead village.The exterior is traditional in brick and the two doors are marked Public Bar and Lounge,although the Lounge door is kept bolted. The bar is central with high tables opposite,there is parquet flooring throughout while to the right of the entrance is a relaxed area with some fitted bench seating and some comfy chairs around a fireplace.On the left side the traditional furniture has more dining style tables but also a flatscreen for terrestrial sport and lots of board games.
There is a community vibe with all real ale all day Monday at £4 per pint,Tuesday open mic,Wednesday quiz and occasional gentle live music.The food is from a short menu with mediam mains £18.
At the bar 4 handpumps offering on my trip Allsops Pale,Leeds Pale,Harvey Sussex Best and Five Points XPA (barman sampled it before serving,very good nick NBSS 4 and £2.65 the half).It fully deserves it's GBG 2024 listing on this evidence.There were also some interesting craft keg options besides mainstream kegs.
A friendly proper pub and if the ale range had a bit more variety with less focus on pales,this pub could easily be a real ale destination worthy of even higher marks.I would certainly use it if in the area again.
On 16th March 2024
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2709 recommendations about 2709 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Will Larter left this review about The Old White Bear
I picked up a copy of London Drinker, which had a half page article on the reopening of this pub in December 2021, so decided to call in. It had closed in 2014 and was looking likely to remain so, but a campaign by locals kept it from being converted to residential use, and it is now owned by Northern Union Pubs (in the same ownership as Leeds Brewery). It's looking good, with dark Wedgwood blue paint on the walls and traditional pub tables and chairs of the better sort, along with leather upholstered bench seating. Four hand pumps on the bar, with one Leeds beer (Midnight Bell - very good) alongside two from Fullers and the strangely named Wild Beer Bibble. The manager was welcoming and enthusiastic, and when I mentioned how good the pub was looking, he said that some locals had commented that it reminded them of how it was 40 years ago.
On 11th February 2022
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3699 recommendations about 3440 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Tris C left this review about The Old White Bear
As Ye Olde White Bear I spent more time in this pub than just about any other from the mid-1980s onwards. Yes it was a bit ramshackle and tatty (nice fire) but it served an unpretentious purpose. Then the food (greasy food) arrived along with crusty sauce bottles at each table and the stench of the deep fat frier; time to leave.
Finally converted and all is forgiven. This is now a restaurant serving today's culinary fashion de nos jour - 'tapas'. Drinkers are marginalised to just one solitary table in the pub's centre (the left and right sides are dedicated to tapas-munchers). The bar has been dramatically shortened and beer choice is pretty much non-existent.
In my opinion this is a restaurant and not a pub and even if you can bag a seat at the aforementioned single table, it's not worth the bother.
Hasta la vista, baby.
On 20th March 2011
- rating: 3
[User has posted 1955 recommendations about 1922 pubs]
View more reviews of The Old White Bear (10)
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- Official site of The Old White Bear - www.theoldwhitebearhampstead.co.uk
- Randomness Guide to London - Old White Bear entry
- CAMRA WhatPub :: The Old White Bear - 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 11 December 2022 by paulof horsham
- Beer Garden : No last updated 15 January 2023 by Tris C
- Car Park : No last updated 15 January 2023 by Tris C
- Dog Friendly : Yes last updated 15 January 2023 by Tris C
- Hot Food : Yes last updated 11 December 2022 by paulof horsham
- Live Music : Yes - Alternating Sundays. - last updated 15 January 2023 by Tris C
- Micropub : No last updated 15 January 2023 by Tris C
- Quiz Night : Yes - Wednesdays. - last updated 15 January 2023 by Tris C
- Real Ale : Yes last updated 18 December 2021 by Steve C
- Real Cider : No last updated 18 December 2021 by Steve C
- Wheelchair Access : Yes last updated 11 February 2022 by Will Larter