The Holly Bush is located in Hampstead which has developed and grown to become one of the most fashionable areas in London. This building was originally a stable block and became a tavern in the early 1800s. It has managed to retain its old fashioned qualities; worn oak flooring, wood panelling and original gas lamps hanging from the ceiling. The poetry society meet here once a week. Private parties of up to 50 guests can be catered for upon request.
Maybe I’m being influenced by having watched Superbad very recently, but the superlatives are justified in this case. The Holly Bush is one of those ‘they don’t make them like they used to’ kind of places you rarely encounter in London anymore (says I, the old-Londoner who grew up on the cobbled streets of Whitechapel!). It’s a pub in the proper sense on the word. No music. No fruit machines. No shiny, ‘Slug & Lettuce’-type surfaces and silly prints on the wall. Solid selection of beers and ales (unfortunately no Bombardier). No-nonsense, friendly staff. Unique ability to distort time and keep you there until closing. It really is one of those places you can go with friends and spend hours getting merrier as the time passes by, setting the world to rights, recounting old stories and generally doing what friends do. The pies that are mentioned in the title deserve a special mention. They are the specialty of the house and I’m confident the Organic Beef and Harvey’s served with Cheddar mash is one the best you’ve ever tried. At £9.50 it’s reasonably priced as well. The rest of the menu is excellent too, with the burger and roast chicken being a couple of my favourites and the bread and butter pudding an amazing dessert. The menu seems to have been set in stone there, but why mess with something that works so well? I’ve probably eaten or sampled every item in it and nothing was short of really good, going all the way to the superb. There is a cosy, beautiful dining room on the first floor and I recommend you book if you’d like to eat as the pub floor gets very busy. You’ve probably worked out that this is probably my favourite pub in London. It’s also tucked away from public view so you really have to look for it to find it, but trust me it’s worth a detour or even a special trip.
classic pub; cosy, great food, great beer, tucked away behind the hampstead village and steeped in history. Lovely diningroom upstairs, quality produce and excellent cooking.
A mild autumn Sunday saw us venturing out of our comfort zone and heading to Hampstead for the first time. A visit to a new area would not be complete without a beer and a meal at one of the local establishments. We opted for the Holly Bush after reading that it dated back to 1807 (in a building that was built in the 1640's!) - I do love those old, character-filled pubs.
I figured it had to be good before we'd even got there, as it is a little tricky to find, hidden a couple of streets back from the main drag, in a quiet cobbled lane. Enter through two sets of old wooden doors and you are in a cosy, friendly-feeling pub, which is a lot bigger than it first appears. The front bar area is the place to be, but if there is no seating there, head out the back, or upstairs for plenty more tables.
As we hadn't booked, we arrived early and were lucky (by the looks of all the 'reserved' signs) to get a small table in the front bar area. A refreshing beer whet our appetite for a tasty lunch. We shared a starter - the Smoked Duck and Fig Salad - it was a generous serving and pretty good. For main course we both opted for the Organic Beef & Harvey's Pie, with cheddar mash and salad. The pies were big and meaty, the pastry was delicious, but I found the filling a bit bland.
We didn't stick around for dessert...people were queuing for our table…and we wanted to head to Hampstead Heath and walk off the stodge so we could fit in some afternoon tea ; )
This pub is exactly what a British pub should be. This does make it a bit of a tourist trap in the high summer - full of people on Hampstead walking tours - but if you time it right it's an old school drinking hole.
In the winter the open fires are lit and the booths are cosy. There is a healthy choice of beers and the food is real comfort food - pies a house special. This pub is the kind of place you will want to come with the Sunday papers and stay all day. Equally it's full of dark corners for a romantic pint (is that possible?!) after a walk on the heath.
Plus, best of all in my book, its extremely dog friendly.
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