Highwaymen, poets, a mob that nearly burned it down — the Spaniards Inn has seen it all. Here's the full story, and why it's still worth the pilgrimage.
The Spaniards Inn sits at the top of Spaniards Road where Hampstead Heath meets Highgate, and it has been doing exactly that since 1585. That is not a typo. The pub predates the English Civil War, the Great Fire of London, the Enlightenment, and every single thing you have ever read about in a history book set in Britain. It was old when Keats walked past it on his way to compose Ode to a Nightingale. It was old when Dickens set a scene from The Pickwick Papers here. At 440 years, the Spaniards Inn is not just one of London's great pubs — it is one of London's great survivors.
And yet it does not lean on its age. The food is genuinely good. The beer selection would satisfy a serious drinker. The garden — a rambling, uneven space shaded by ancient plane trees — is among the finest pub gardens in the capital. The Spaniards earns its reputation every day, not just by existing.
How It Got Its Name
The origin of the name is disputed, which is appropriate for a pub this old. The most romantic theory holds that the inn was built by a Spanish ambassador to the court of James I, who used it as a retreat from the city. A competing account suggests it was named after two Spanish brothers who once ran it. A third theory — the least satisfying but possibly the most plausible — is that the name derives from a local resident of Spanish descent whose identity has been lost to time.
Whatever the truth, the building you see today is largely 16th and 17th century in structure, with extensions added over the centuries. The low ceilings, blackened beams, and cramped bar area of the original section feel genuinely old — not as a designed aesthetic, but because they are.
Dick Turpin Slept Here (Probably)
Every great English pub claims a highwayman connection, and the Spaniards has the most plausible one. Dick Turpin — the real Dick Turpin, not the romanticised fictional version — operated on the roads around Hampstead Heath in the early 18th century. The Heath was notoriously dangerous for travellers at night, and the inn at its edge would have been a natural stopping point. A stable, supposedly used by Turpin, was attached to the building until the 19th century. Whether he actually slept here is impossible to verify; that he passed through the area is not in doubt.
The Mob, the Tollgate, and the Beer
The Spaniards' most dramatic historical moment came in June 1780, during the Gordon Riots — a week of anti-Catholic violence that saw parts of London burned and hundreds killed. A mob heading to destroy Kenwood House (home of the Catholic-sympathising Lord Mansfield) was intercepted at the Spaniards by the landlord, who offered them free beer while secretly alerting the militia. Whether this was civic heroism or an astute business decision — free beer in exchange for saving a great house — is a matter of perspective. Either way, Kenwood survived.
The narrow tollgate booth that still stands between the pub and the road opposite is a remnant of the turnpike era. The toll road ran through here until the 19th century, and coaches had to slow to pass through the gap — which meant travellers stopped, which meant they drank, which meant the inn thrived. The tollgate is now a listed structure and one of the few surviving examples of its type in London.
Literary Connections
The Spaniards' guest list reads like a survey of English literature. Keats walked here regularly during his time in Hampstead and mentioned the inn in letters. Dickens used it for a scene in The Pickwick Papers (1836) and knew the area well. Byron, Shelley, and Stoker (who set a scene from Dracula nearby) are all linked to the Heath and its surrounding pubs. Whether they all drank here specifically or simply walked past is less certain than the tourist signs suggest — but the literary atmosphere of the area is real and enduring.
If you want to trace the full literary geography of Hampstead, our guide to Fenton House and NW3's hidden historic properties covers several other landmarks connected to the area's artistic legacy.
The Food and Beer
The kitchen produces solid gastropub food — proper roasts on Sundays, reliable fish and chips, seasonal specials that change monthly. Nothing is outrageous or experimental; the Spaniards is not trying to be a destination restaurant. It is trying to be a very good pub that happens to serve food worth eating, and it succeeds. The Sunday roast is particularly well-executed, and the kitchen handles dietary requirements without the usual note of resentment.
Beer-wise, the selection covers the bases: good rotating cask ales, a manageable draught lager selection, and a wine list that has improved steadily over the past decade. The pub is managed by the same group as several other historic London venues, and the quality is consistent.
The Garden
In good weather, the garden is where you want to be. It is large by London standards — genuinely spacious, with multiple seating areas at different levels, good shade from mature trees, and the kind of unmanicured quality that makes it feel like a private space rather than a corporate beer garden. Dogs are welcome, which on a summer weekend means the garden is full of them. Children are also welcome until the early evening.
The garden connects, via a gate, to the footpath along the edge of the Heath. After a long walk across from Parliament Hill, arriving at the Spaniards for a pint in the garden is one of those north London pleasures that locals guard possessively.
Getting There and Practical Notes
Address: Spaniards Road, Hampstead, London NW3 7JJ. The pub sits at the junction of Spaniards Road and Hampstead Lane, on the northern boundary of the Heath.
Transport: Bus routes 210 and N20 stop outside. From Hampstead Underground (Northern line), it is a 30-minute walk across the Heath via the Viaduct Pond path. From Highgate station, it is a 20-minute walk downhill through the woods.
Parking: There is a small car park attached to the pub, but it fills quickly at weekends. Street parking on Spaniards Road is limited. Public transport is strongly recommended — if you are combining the Spaniards with a Heath walk, the question of parking becomes irrelevant anyway.
Booking: Tables for food can be booked online. The bar area and garden are walk-in only. On sunny summer weekends, the garden fills by early afternoon; arriving before 1pm gives you the best chance of a table in the sun.
Why It Endures
Four hundred and forty years is a long time to stay relevant. The Spaniards Inn has survived plague, fire, riot, two world wars, and the slow collapse of the English pub trade. It survives because it is genuinely good — good beer, good food, a remarkable setting — and because it sits at the edge of one of London's greatest open spaces. The Heath sends people to it. They arrive thirsty and muddy and satisfied from a long walk, and the Spaniards meets them exactly where they are. That equation has been working since 1585 and shows no sign of changing.
