The Hampstead Gastropub: A Decade of Change

Hampstead has a reasonable claim to being the birthplace of the gastropub as a concept. The pubs of Hampstead were serving restaurant quality food in pub settings before the term had been coined. The reasons are partly demographic, a clientele that expected good food and had money to pay for it.

The scene has matured considerably since then. The early gastropub formula has given way to something more confident and varied. The Wells Kitchen now serves a menu that draws on seasonal British produce with evident care and the cooking is technically assured without being showy.

The Holly Bush has maintained its position through continuity rather than reinvention. The food is reliably good the prices fair and the rooms unchanged. The Duke of Hamilton on New End has a smaller dining room with a more adventurous kitchen.