Hampstead has one of the best concentrations of historic and characterful pubs in London, from 16th-century coaching inns on the edge of the Heath to tucked-away village locals that most visitors never find. This is the locals' guide to drinking in Hampstead: where the regulars actually go, what each pub does best, and how to find the ones hidden down the village's alleys.
- The Spaniards Inn and the Holly Bush are Hampstead's two essential historic pubs
- The Flask on Flask Walk is the village local at the heart of Flask Walk
- For Heath walkers, the Spaniards (north) and the Garden Gate (south) bookend the Heath
- Most Hampstead pubs serve good food; several are full gastropubs
- Booking advisable for weekend lunch and Sunday roasts
The Historic Heavyweights
The Spaniards Inn
The Spaniards Inn on Spaniards Road is the most famous pub in Hampstead and one of the oldest in London, dating to around 1585. It has genuine literary and historical credentials: Keats, Byron, and Dickens all drank here (Dickens mentions it in The Pickwick Papers), and the highwayman Dick Turpin is associated with the inn by legend.
Beyond the history, it is simply an excellent pub: low-beamed rooms, log fires in winter, a large and beautiful garden for summer, and a kitchen that does genuinely good food. It sits at the northern edge of the Heath, making it the natural end point for a Heath walk. Book ahead for weekend meals.
The Holly Bush
Tucked up Holly Mount, a steep alley off Heath Street, the Holly Bush is the quintessential Hampstead village pub: an early 19th-century building with a warren of small panelled rooms, open fires, and an atmosphere that has barely changed in a century. It is harder to find than the Spaniards, which is part of its appeal, and rewards the search.
The Holly Bush is a proper food pub as well as a drinking pub; the Sunday roast is among the best in the area. The intimate rooms make it ideal for a winter afternoon. Arrive early at weekends; it fills quickly with those in the know.
Geoff Marsden has lived in Hampstead for over thirty years and drinks at the Holly Bush "more nights than I'd admit to my doctor." "The thing about the Holly Bush," he said, "is that it hasn't tried to become anything. No big screens, no music, no gimmicks. Just good beer, good fires, and rooms small enough that you end up talking to whoever's next to you. It's the last proper village pub in a village that's mostly forgotten it is one."
The Village Locals
The Flask
The Flask on Flask Walk is the heart of village social life, a Young's pub that takes its name from the flasks of Hampstead spa water once sold here. It has a traditional front bar and a more food-focused rear, and a loyal local following. Its position on Flask Walk, one of Hampstead's prettiest streets, makes it a perfect stop on a village wander.
The Wells Tavern
On Well Walk, the Wells Tavern is a smarter, more gastropub-oriented operation in a Georgian building. The food is the draw, a serious kitchen producing modern British dishes, making it the choice for a proper dinner rather than a casual pint. Booking essential at weekends.
The Duke of Hamilton
A genuine backstreet local on New End, the Duke of Hamilton is a no-frills, well-kept ale pub favoured by those who want a quiet pint away from the food-focused crowds. One of the best spots in Hampstead for cask ale.
Pubs for Heath Walkers
The Heath's size means different pubs suit different walks:
- North side (Kenwood, Spaniards Road): The Spaniards Inn is unbeatable, walk off the Heath and straight into a 440-year-old pub garden.
- South side (Parliament Hill, Gospel Oak): The pubs of South End Green and Gospel Oak serve walkers finishing on the Heath's southern edge.
- Village end: The Holly Bush, the Flask, and the Wells are all within five minutes of the village Heath entrances.
Food in Hampstead Pubs
Hampstead's pubs have largely embraced good food without losing their pub character. The standouts for eating:
- Sunday roast: The Holly Bush and the Wells Tavern compete for the best in the village; the Spaniards does an excellent version in a more historic setting. See the Sunday lunch guide.
- Gastropub dining: The Wells Tavern is the most serious food pub; the Spaniards is close behind.
- Casual pub food: The Flask and the Spaniards both do reliable, generous pub classics.
A Hampstead Pub Crawl
For those wanting to experience the best of Hampstead's pubs in a single outing, a logical route:
1. Start at the Holly Bush (up Holly Mount) for an afternoon pint by the fire.
2. Down to the Flask on Flask Walk for the second.
3. Along to the Wells Tavern on Well Walk, perhaps for dinner.
4. If energy and daylight allow, a walk across the Heath to the Spaniards Inn to finish (allow 25 minutes' walk; check closing times).
This route covers four of Hampstead's best pubs, takes in the village's prettiest streets and the Heath itself, and constitutes one of the better pub walks in London.
Practical Information
- Booking: Essential for weekend lunch, Sunday roasts, and dinner at the food-focused pubs (Wells Tavern, Spaniards). Casual drinking rarely requires booking except at peak summer weekends.
- Gardens: The Spaniards has the best pub garden in Hampstead by some distance. The Holly Bush and Flask have limited outdoor space.
- Dogs: Most Hampstead pubs are dog-friendly, fitting for an area defined by Heath dog-walking. The Spaniards and Flask both welcome dogs.
- Opening times: Standard pub hours; some kitchens stop food service mid-afternoon before resuming for dinner. Check ahead if eating outside standard meal times.
Hampstead's pubs are among the village's greatest assets, a collection of genuinely historic, characterful drinking houses that have survived where so many London pubs have closed or been gentrified beyond recognition. From the 440-year-old Spaniards to the hidden Holly Bush, they offer the visitor and the local alike exactly what a good pub should: warmth, history, decent beer, and the particular pleasure of a fire on a cold day after a walk on the Heath.
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