This place is in the Convent Garden area. We popped in because it's a Dutch bar and they serve bitterballen. The place is a typical English pub, wood and dark brown. There are two floors and we went into the bottom one. The pub is a nice size with a huge bar and seating area at the bar and on the floor. Staff was friendly and approachable. We ordered a Pepsi Max with ice, and a large order of bitter balls. These are similar to croquettes and made with beef. They are a Dutch delicacy that was created to enjoy with bitter beer, hence the name, bitter-ball, or plural bitterballen in Dutch. There are restrooms, located downstairs, which is the other reason why we popped in. The restrooms are clean, and they have several stalls, which means there was no waiting. While we were there, the premier league soccer game was starting, it was Arsenal against Manchester city, and the pub quickly got crowded with fans of both teams . We finished our snack and beverage and left when the second half was starting. Will definitely go back to that pub if I'm in the area in the future. I would like to try the other food items on the menu and hang out a little bit longer during the game. Enjoy! read more

See all

Sadly De Hems as we knew it is gone. Most of the draught continental beers are gone. Went in there last week and it was barely more than the usual row of taps you see everywhere. As pubs do this (and I include those locals who used to keep a good continental or two on tap) it will be little wonder as they close one after another. read more

A fantastic authentic Dutch pub located in the theatre district of London. Wonderful atmosphere, great beers and food. I had the classic fish and chips. My fiend had the sausage in a garlic mash. Cool crowd and vibe. read more

See all

My brother and I were on vacation from the U.S. and were staying across the street from De Hems. It was our last stop on the London Ale Trail, and we loved the place. I think its proximity to our hotel helped, and since we are both Dutch, and it was right next door, we loved it. The service was good, and the orange decoration didn't hurt either. read more

See all

Oh my goodness, thank you Yelp for your existence. Without you, I would never have known that the pub literally a 10 second walk from my office served my favourite Belgian beer, Fruli!!!! I have been working here for 4 years now.....and never walked into this pub. Leffe, another good Belgian beer, is also there! Woo!! So I asked a few fellow lawyers and lawyers in training to attend this amazing place and we loved it. There were quite some space to stand around, the barmaid was quite attentive (I am so sorry that our group took a while to decide what we were ordering) and she remained patient. The other patrons are all well dressed and noone was drunk, this is a good sign. Sometimes you could smell tantalising food being delivered to patrons, the smell of jacket potatoes were so good. Next time I will definitely order food here if I had no other plans. No wonder, that time after doing some filming as an extra in China Town, I saw Jason Statham walk straight into this pub. That's a thumbs up from celebrity yo! read more

De Hems Dutch Cafe Bar - Selection of beers on tap, also a tag telling you the alcoholic % - Pubs Near Me - London, XGL

WoW! What a selection of Quality beers. I must be honest and say I have always avoided this place, as I got the impression it was a bit up it's own bottom and full of media luvies. Wwell, 1 out of 2 isn't bad. If you don't mind rubbing shoulders with the movers and shakers from Soho, then this place is well worth checking out. The fruit beers are great, but a bit sickly if you're on a session. The snacks on offer also changed my conception of the low countries serving up bland food. read more

De Hems Dutch Cafe Bar - Pubs Near Me - London, XGL

Met with some friends for a few drinks and was pleasantly surprised. In a central spot in Soho but not too busy at all. As to be expected, great selection of Belgian beers so my husband was in heaven. The menu gave me instant stomach ache so skipped the food and just downed a few pints. Lovely pub and I hope to visit it again :) read more

Great pub near Chinatown and Soho. They have an amazing range of unique Dutch beers and food. I especially enjoyed their sourcing of fruit beers- namely the passion fruit and Mango which were my favourites. Ample seating inside and good service. A solid pub to enjoy on a day out. read more

De Hems Dutch Cafe Bar - Beers and the rosemary Camembert sharing plate - Pubs Near Me - London, XGL

I had only walked past this bar before tonight - I had worked out that it's a Dutch bar by its name and by the sea of orange shirts spilling out of here on the day of the World Cup Final! Tonight, Eamon led a few of us here for a quick drink after the YEE at Bincho Yakitori. Even though it was after 10pm, the balmy London evening meant that there were still lots of patrons outside as well as inside the bar. We stayed indoors to chat. Service at the bar was swift. It was amusing to see Eamon and Tirthankar have to give up a shoe each (literally!) to get a special glass for their beer - they were given a croc to wear until they returned the glass! Also nice to welcome visiting SF Elite Vivian C to London - hope the quintessentially English Pimms & lemonade went down well! All in all, a nice place to chill out for a post YEE drink. Nice that they catered well for teetotallers like me too with a good range of non alcoholic drinks read more

If you enjoy a really good beer this is the place for you! I hate lager with a passion so never thought I would like beer, oh how wrong I was! De Hems has a wide choice of Dutch beer, from the lovely sweet cherry beers to the rich semi dark Kwak (but without the great glasses unfortunately). I won't go into the beer as I see other reviewers have and they're right, a good range of trappist beers. I particularly enjoy going upstairs to the Oyster bar with it's comfy couches (which are rarely free but I manage to grab one every I go) and low light I find it very relaxing and a great place to chat with the fella over a lovely lovely beer - oh and don't forget their amazing peanut sauce covered chips!!! AMAZING!!! Not sure about the other as it's a bit meaty and not being a huge meat fan I opt for the peanut chips every time. It's not even that pricey for a central London pub, costs about £5 - 6 for 2 of the trappist beers and trust me you only need 2 before you're feeling it, definitely a beer to be sipped and slowly enjoyed with a good gossip! So, if you're looking for a place in the centre of town with a good choice of good beers this is the place to come! read more

Imagine this: you're Dutch, and you know the whole of Holland is turned upside down and inside out on this one particular day we all dress in orange. That's right, I'm talking about queens day; the day we celebrate our queens birthday. And imagine this too: instead of being in Amsterdam enjoying the live music, beer and boats on the canals, you are in London, desperately looking for some place that feels like home... Well, no need to search any further. The Hems is THE Dutch pub in London. Go here to eat your 'bitterballen' and drink your Dutch lager. Come too if you're not Dutch, because this is a friendly place with a great vibe (and some occasional bad Dutch music, sorry about that...) Not just on queens day, any day really. Queens day felt like home. I didn't look like a twat all dressed up in orange, because everybody was dressed in orange. And I'm sure the party continued for much longer than it did in Holland, well after I passed out on the couch at home... read more

I came here last night for a drink after a Yelp event, and I really liked it! Awesome things to note: + I had a Pimm's and lemonade (thank you, Yee Gan O.!), and it was delicious! + The neighborhood is alive and happening! + Service is VERY quick! A weird thing to note: - So, two of the guys in our group ordered these beers that come in a special glass. The bartender made each guy TAKE OFF ONE OF THEIR SHOES AND GIVE IT TO THE BARTENDER as COLLATERAL! For the special glass! And in place of the missing shoe, they give you a bright green Croc to wear! WHAT?! Is this a normal thing they do in bars over here?? One of the guys in our group wondered why they didn't just hold onto your credit card, or...I don't know...ask for a cash deposit? WEIRD! Well, I guess the shoe thing works too. And it succeeded in cracking us up, so hey I guess that's a WIN too! Anyway, other than the shoe thing, this place is fun, the ambiance is great, and it looked like everyone else there was having a good time. Recommended! read more

If you llike Belgian beer - this is your spot. De Hems is a solid Dutch pub located oddly in Chinatown. Great selection of Belgian beers and a warm, cozy atmosphere. In my opinion, it is one of the best spots for Belgian beer in London - along with Lowlanders in Covent Garden of course. Tip: Try the Kwak and they'll replace your shoe with a green Croc. I won't tell you why... :) This is also a great location to visit before a night out in Leicester Square. Alternatively, you could probably use it as a nightcap. read more

Totally solid, outstanding beer selection (almost all Belgian, so how can you go wrong?) "Only" four stars due to no fault of their own-- it's a good bet, right in the middle of everything so is often kind of mobbed and mad and with a definitely questionable music selection... Order the Kwak with the special glass and they'll take your shoe giving you a lime green Croc as a replacement. It keeps you from walking off with them, and you're more likely to pay for it. Awesome. Just watch the 9% beers. read more

Ahh good old De Hems. Loyal, dependable, honest just how a good pub should be. When you arrive you first notice how a pub like this wound up in Chinatown. On a Friday night its packed to the rafters and can get rowdy. The street outside is much the same and is great fun. You can quickly make a new friend here chatting about football, life, snowboarding and of course beer. A good selection of Belgian and Dutch beers with a reasonable selection on tap. My favorite being Maredsous Blond. The bottle selection is great with many Trappists, Abbey and specialist beers. The food is reasonable with typical Dutch and British favourites. It's a great place to spend an afternoon watching the world go by outside, or pre-party or even a good old night with the Friday resident DJ. read more

Decent pub in Chinatown, serving Dutch beers. Can get very crowded from time to time but given it's situation that's hardly surprising. You can drink outside in a smallish roped off area. read more

De Hems Dutch Cafe Bar - Pubs Near Me - London, XGL

A traditional Dutch pub tucked away in the heart of London's Chinatown district. My first impression on the pub before entering was "old man's pub". However upon entering I was pleasantly surprised at the open yet limited sitting space available inside. The staff were pleasant and very apologetic once I pointed out that there was no sitting available. There is a huge selection of beers, wine and food. I would say it is an all round good pub for those who want to indulge in different variation of beers. read more

FancyAPint.com awarded this place the Best Pub in London for 2010. Really!? The bar is nice enough - good range of seats, stools, tables and sofas - but it didn't exactly sing out with originality. There are a decent range of beers, well decent-enough if you're a fan of Dutch beers. I've been debating between giving the place three or four stars, and I think my temptation to give it three stars probably just comes from the back that I think the beers are dull. Now, I am all into speciality beers and bars, so it would be little hypocritical of me to mark them down for this. I will just have to admit that it's not for me. I tried a lot of lagers (which tasted of, you know, lager) and fruit beers before eventually settling on a wheat beer. Getting served was a bit of a challenge (and we were there early - I dread to think how long it would take when the place is crowded) but once I did get served, the barmen were great. I always like a place where people offer to let you taste stuff without you needing to ask. Four stars seems a bit high, but three stars would be harsh. I'm going to give them the benefit of the doubt until I next go back - the bar snacks did sound pretty amazing so, in the interests of a thorough review, I think I had better go try them. read more

What idiot seeks out a Dutch flavoured bar in a city full of wonderful English pubs? This guy. I just can't help myself. Upon getting a rec on this place from my soon to be bro-in-law, my heart beat a little faster at the thought of Maredsous on tap and bottles of Vedett for the taking. I went to the doctor for my ticker condition and he said drink lots of fluids. Done, annnnd, done. After a rainy walk through throngs of P.Circus freaks, popping inside here was a fantastic respite from the world outside. We were here on a weekday, so the crowd was healthy but we had no trouble finding seats downstairs. Candles, warm wood, and only hearing the bass lines of today's top UK hits set the stage for a few fabulous hours nestled in the arms of De Hems. The beer selection was very nice and heavy on the Belgians, though getting an order in may take some time at the bar as they can really get in the weeds at times. They have lots of interesting looking food on the menu, but we just went for some unadventurous chips, which were served piping hot and perfect. Wavering on the 4 or 5 stars here, will have to go with the former until I can return. (WILL.) read more

With Nicholson's pubs you either win some or lose some. De hems you definitely win, a lot. #2 on the Theatreland Ale Trail just off a side street towards the beginning of Chinatown and the West Ends houses a wonderful Dutch pub. It used to be known as an oyster joint, with proof of something like over 100,000+ oyster shells covering one of the walls. Sadly, either to due to heath reasons or Nicholson's the trophies are no longer there. (this really bummed me out, especially as they were removed only a few years ago I think, I'm big on history or old factor) However, unlike the other pubs within the chain this one has a slight variety with their menu and drinks they offer. They have THE best side of chips with this amazing sweet onion sauce glaze thing. Sounds a little weird but trust me, share or order just for yourself and you will not be sorry! As it's also a Dutch pub you can get delicious ranges of Belgian beer, including strawberry and chocolate. (tastes like a tootsie pop! But don't have more than one glass or you'll get sick from all the sugar) It's wheelchair accessible to the main bar only. I've also been carded every single time I entered. There is ok seating, a little tightly packed, it's really made for groups standings around. The upstairs dinning room is large, open and slightly gothic darkish. I haven't had a chance to eat there, but it looked very elegant with a medium amount of space seating space. The staff are very friendly, it's defo in the top three of Nicholson's I absolutely love to go and bring people too. (1-The Black Friar. 2 is a tie between The Walrus & the Carpenter & Hoop & Grapes) Just be aware that due to its location it is usually packed after work hours or shows, with loud music and louder conversation. Oh how I crave a pint of strawberry Fruli and a side of those glorious sweet onion chips! read more

This dutch bar definitely has a nice feel and atmosphere. However, was disappointed in the Dutch beer on tap. I can buy bottles easily in a store. When at a pub, I only want to drink draft off the tap, otherwise why bother? Instead had some local English beer which was on draft. Cannot comment on the food as I did not have any. read more

I've been drinking at De Hems for over 10 years and its how a really good pub should be. A good selection of beers to suit all palates and very friendly staff. I would recommend this bar to any visitor to London. read more

If you are Dutch and yearning for home, then De Hems will see you right for a night. They serve Dutch as well as English pub food. Try the sharing platter of bitterballen (savoury meat balls), vlammetjes (chilli bites), kaasoufflees (fried cheese balls) and samballetjes for the Dutch experience. The beers are good, with a large selection of the Belgian Trappist beers - you know those ones that boast 8 - 11% alcohol content. There are nights when the crowd is particularly exuberant so if you are looking for something a little quieter then this may not be your thing. read more

After 4 years living and working in London, De Hems Dutch Bar is bar far the best proper bar in London. It is centrally located and near lots of shops and china town for some damn good dim sum. Also, check out their food as it is cheap and will keep you warm on those cold London nights. I like the Danish Meat balls and Sausage. And remember order Leffe Brown as it is the drink of the gods! read more

Oh De Hems, how I miss you. I used to walk down all of the way from Hampstead past the watering holes in Camden to taste the fine ales of De Hems. De Hems is right on the edge of Chinatown and just off Shaftesbury Avenue's theatre district and worth a visit if you are a beer connoisseur visiting London - but these beers have a kick being between anywhere between 1.5 to 3 times more alcoholic than you're typical English lager. As other reviews have already mentioned, De Hems sells a selection of Dutch bar snacks - the sort of things you may buy from a FEBO Automat in The Netherlands. They do a Dutch platter for around a tenner that will let two of you try a mixture of traditional snacks such as bitterballen, vlammetjes and kaasoufflees. This is all served with frittes mayonnaise imported directly from The Netherlands. I also recommend trying their Uitsmijter, a Dutch dish of eggs, ham and bread traditionally eaten for breakfast or a light lunch. The main reason for visiting De Hems is the beer. From rarities such as Rodenbach Grand Cru with its almost vinegar flavour (it is surprisingly nice) to teeth-scrapingly sweet beers such as Frulli. They still have authentic Oranjeboom on tap and ask about the history of Kwak, which is traditionally served in glasses that resemble small 'yard glasses' with bulbous ends. It was designed for coachmen to use and the Dutch tradition is to give in a shoe as a deposit on the glass, which is commonly hung over a lamp behind the bar. They used to do this in De Hems but alas, the glasses would get broken or stolen anyway and now the only place to see the Kwak glasses and wooden stands are in a display cabinet behind the bar. As with all Dutch and Belgian ales, they need the right kind of glass to suit each drink, De Hems excels in trying to get this right. Space can be tight, especially if the upstairs bar is closed (it can be hired for functions) but you can normally seat groups downstairs if you get in early enough. In the summer they open the half windows and often even have a beer tap outside. For a proper Dutch atmosphere try and visit De Hems during an international football game when The Netherlands are playing, or even better buy a ticket for Koninginnedag. Koninginnedag or 'Queens Day' (30 April or on 29 April if the 30th is a Sunday) it is a national holiday in The Netherlands and De Hems put on a good party. When I am in London for work I take every opportunity to pop into what I class as my old local. After covering BeNeLux (Belgium/Netherlands/Luxemburg) for several years for work, De Hems is a welcome bit of The Netherlands in London. I've always met interesting people in there, some of them very strange indeed, but every night was always memorable. read more

I've been thinking of putting together an "round-the-world" pub crawl for a while and have been heavily researching places (the things I force myself to do!) in order to work out a plan. The premise is that we'd hit a number or bars/pubs in Zone 1 with the restriction being they had to fully represent a country. For example, the Maple Leaf is a pretty solid Canadian choice, and likewise for the Dutch we have Des Hems. In order to judge authenticity, I had to make sure to go with Sharon S, my token Dutch friend. Along with two other experts in drinking and crawling, we stopped by here for a refreshing pint of Dutch lager and an assortment of fried snacks. The Dutch lager (Oranjeboom I think) was light with a hoppiness that leaned towards Hoegaarden but not quite so intense. Very refreshing, it is a versatile beer that is equally at home with food or one its lonesome. The variety of food (basically we ordered the sharing platter) was adequate as bar snacks and the bitterballen was definitely the highlight. In retrospect, I think I'd have stuck with ordering just bitterballen and more of it rather than the variety but it was interesting to try. These items are served with "fritessauce" which is basically ketchup and some brown sauce, both of which are good accompaniments. The staff here are very friendly although sadly none were Dutch. One of the bartenders was practicing juggling bottles given that it was a slow Sunday afternoon and treated us to a demonstration of cursing when he dropped one which proceeded to shatter all over the floor. Who knew you'd get dinner a show here?! It's a good place to keep in mind at the edge of Chinatown and tends to get quite busy on Friday and Saturday nights. It's on the list for the Round the World crawl coming to you in 2013! read more

Popped in for a quick lunchtime pint because I was encouraged to by all the Dutch fans in passing. Friendly bunch as they were all in town for England vs Holland. Nice pub. Not my favourite central though as a tourist place and quite expensive but good screens inside and good to stand outside if during day. read more

De Hems Dutch Cafe Bar - Pubs Near Me - London, XGL

Brilliant. Cheap Oranjeboom on tap, cosy outside space overlooking Chinatown, totally fit barmaid. And unlike other pubs that purport to be of certain national flavour, it actually pulls it off and feels a bit dutch. Tons better than most of the drossy watering holes that litter Soho and Shaftesbury. read more

I wasn't sure what to expect with this pub. It's dangerously close to Leicester Square, which while easy to get to never fills me with joy. Usually, this means busy tourist trap. De Hems very nearly falls into that description. But instead, it sidesteps into the 'nice little boozer in Central' category. It's busy, without you having trouble to get to the bar. The Dutch beers are tasty and extensive and STRONG. I tried not to get drunk and realised I'd upgraded from 5.2% to 6.5% very quickly. At the time, I didn't seem to mind one little bit. My head wasn't best pleased the next morning. There's outside standing space so if it's sunny or you're a smoker, you're pretty much set. And you're right by Chinatown for drunken munchies afterwards. Late opening too (which meant I very nearly missed my last train). They do Leifmanns' which is a cherry beer that actually tastes of cherries (rather than sugar) and still tastes of beer. Impressive. Why only four stars? Well it's not cheap. Once you're in Dutch beer territory, don't expect much change from a fiver for your drink. I like it, but it's a payday pub rather than a regular haunt. Worth it for a bottle of that beer though. But Qype are not responsible for your hangover. read more

If there's one thing the Dutch do best, it's beer, and De Hems is the best place in London to enjoy it. Just off Shaftsbury Avenue, next to Chinatown, it's popular (you'll find a lot of Dutch people here!) but never too busy to get a drink. And if you want a place for daytime pints, De Hems is perfect as it's usually quite quiet. The beer options are wonderful - you have an entire menu to select from - including fruit beer, Orangjeboom, and three types of Leffe! Another bonus is that the bar snacks (including a lot of traditional Dutch food) are delicious. Every time I come here I end up chatting to people from all over the world, all of whom seem to agree that the beer at De Hems is some of the best in London. read more

A marvellous and welcoming Dutch pub with China Town - and all it's myriad of amazing places to eat - on the door step. They serve fruity beers, including Fruli which is always a bonus, the barstaff are lovely (some very pretty ladies work here chaps!) and the music's actually not half-bad. During the day it can be really chilled and there's a nice area upstairs with lazy sofas. Evenings can be busy but during summer you can spill onto the street in true continental style. The only detractor are the truly horrendous-smelling (gents) toilets but really if you have to drink in Central London, this is a pretty safe bet. read more

This is a gem of a pub in an area not exactly renowned for classy establishments. The beer is excellent and it's rare I get the chance to say that. Normal West End prices! but that's to be expected. Try one of the fruity beers or two! read more

See all

Bit small, bit expensive, focused too much on lager. Spent the evening stood up. Won't be rushing back. read more

De Hems Dutch Bar has a nice patio area to enjoy your drink. On a busy night, you can expect to wait a bit to order a drink at the bar -- but, that is to be expected at any decent London pub on a busy night. Nevertheless, the barkeeps were efficient and attended to everyone. Not once was I overlooked by the barkeep when it was my turn to order. Back to the all important patio, it is a good location for people watching and for groups to gather without any concern for being too noisy, or spilling out on to the sidewalk. Don't worry if it is too cold outside -- the patio is equipped with heat lamps. read more

This is about as close as I like to get the Leicester Square without wanting to go crazy due the endless masses of tourists! So if forced to meet friends in this area, this is where we come, the best Dutch bar in London! Despite the recent loss of Orangjeboom from the bar there are still a great selection of room spinning beers to sample, from traditional to fruit to mass produced. I tend to find upstairs and better atmosphere than down especially when they thump out the Dutch tunes and half the bar start singing along, to the non Dutch speaking total bemusement. Nice crowd mixed up with city workers, friends out for drinks, regulars (yes regulars!) and tourists (well you cant have everything). Food is traditional Dutch fair although im pretty sure no one in the kitchen is Dutch but i could be wrong..Speed of service is the only element that needs to be better, have come close to walking out on occasion... Get more bar support in on busy nights and there going to continue to be a great bar to visit... read more

Decent bar with few tourists and good selection of Dutch beers. Reasonable prices. Fairly friendly staff, good atmosphere. read more

I went here today with my pet ferret and they had no issue with me eating here at all. Unfortunately some other people tried to have lunch with their dog and were (quite rightly) ejected from the premises. When will people learn. The beer is very good here as well. read more

A few of us went around looking for a drink after a Yelp event recently and ended up at this Dutch bar off Shaftesbury avenue. The bar itself was quite pleasant. It wasn't too crowded and had a decent collection of Belgian beers. So i went for my favourite ... Kwak. But wait ... she just gave me the bottle and a normal glass and not the special kwak glass (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pauwel_Kwak). When i asked for one i got a bigger shock. They needed one of my shoes as collateral. So in order to get the glass i had to give up my right sneaker (the bar provided me with a replacement slipper for those few minutes). I checked the prices later ... a kwak glass costs less than £10. Even if it were much more valuable, why couldn't they just ask for my credit card as other bars do. This was absolutely ridiculous. The others in the group were amused and enjoyed the experience but being the subject i did not find it very funny. I surely won't be returning any time soon. read more

Came here to watch a football game. The atmosphere was very lively and chill. The bitterballen here was delicious! Would recommend going

It looks like this pub is pretty much the unofficial Headquarters for the Dutch expat community in London, with Sinterklaas parties and the like. Even if you're not Dutch, this pub is probably still your best bet in Chinatown. Good beer selection and good Dutch bar food. read more