The Horseshoe, Hampstead, London

This really is rather depressing. Surrounded by noisy loud mouthed estate agents and pints poured bt private school waiters who think they’re too good to be working there. WHen it opened it promised to be a micro brewery but I havent seen any of it since then. All there is are Heineken etc, it’s pretty boring. The two times I’ve been there to eat the service was so slow I walked out. Go somewhere else would be my advice.

I came here on the back of the other Qype reviews, and largely agree. I really liked the real ales, and the huge tables, so I could really spread the paper out with ease. I wasn’t so keen on the weird snorting man behind us. What is it about Hampsted?!

Didn’t actually try the food as had just had a roast in The Hollybush up the road, but it looked nice, and the kitchen in the pub is a nice touch.

I quite like the Horseshoe. When I lived in Hampstead it was a regular, non-descript chain pub, but a couple of years back it underwent the gastropub evolution, and it seems to have been doing well since.

I’ve been here at least four times and the food - from starter to main to pudding - has always been excellent for me. There’s casual seating - soft chairs and benches - at the front part of the place, with large windows, and it’s a good place to have a drink. For dining, there are about 7 or 8 tables in the back, placed in a relatively small area that feels more cozy than cramped. It’s all got a pretty modern feel.

They have some good ales (usually Adnam’s) on tap, and they also brew some of their own ales next door, a big bonus.

It is very pricey, however, which is probably to be expected for Hampstead. There may be a vegetarian main for less than a tenner, but all the rest are between £12 and £18. The portions are big, but that is a bit steep. Puddings, too, are at least £6 each; their bread and butter pudding, however, is worth every penny.

I have had occasional problems with the service being a bit slow, and I like taking my time. Last night it took ages for dessert to come, for instance. The servers themselves are very good, though.

My rating for the place bounces between 3 and 4 stars depending on the day.

This is a really lovely gastropub, the food is really delicious. its quite pricey, but im a big fan of a good pub lunch and im willing to pay quite a lot for a really hearty one. the horseshoe seems to love the meat and two veg idea, and it is all really tasty. the drinks are normally cheap, the beer is good, not a very extensive menu but it’ll do! also has a really nice local crowd coming in, very friendly atmosphere, you may feel a little snubbed though if you are not a hamstead local!

Just along from Hampstead tube station, what was formerly the 'Three Horseshoes' has been thoroughly scrubbed up and re-opened as a gastro-pub, with its own micro-brewery.

The decor is minimalist, with a long bar, pale cream walls, wooden floors and bench-style tables, and is quite spacious. As well as their own brews, they have occasional guest real-ales, alongside a good range of bottled beers and an extensive wine list. It's fine as a venue for a drink.

The food generally has a good reputation, and I suspect the main meat dishes might impress (although at up to £18, they're quite pricey). But my experience is that it's all a bit too pretentious; the vegetarian items were OK, but over-priced; and I had the worst cheese-board I have ever had here: two tiny, miserable-looking pieces of slightly stale Stilton, with some fancy biscuits, decorated with red berries and a sort of rough fruit marmalade, all served on an oblong wooden platter, at a cost of £6.50. A decent piece of cheese, and a nice hunk of crusty bread with butter would have been far preferable. (It just confirms my prejudices about the dreaded gastro-pub label).

So for food, I'd recommend the Hollybush nearby - see separate review. As a venue, it can get very busy indeed, and seems to attract tourists and the gastro-pub crowd.