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    The Wells

    4.1 (36 reviews)
    ModerateWine Bars, Pubs, British
    Closed 12:00 pm - 11:00 PM

    The Wells Photos

    THE WELLS ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Classy
    Moderate noise
    Good for groups
    Good for kids

    Recommended Reviews - The Wells

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    Reviews With Photos

    Jill A.

    When in search of a proper British pie venture to The Wells. After their rib eye steak 16.00, I will never be! the same again. This Alfresco style gastro pub also boasts a good selection of beers and wine. For desert I highly recommend the Creme Brulee which comes with Blueberries 5.00, delicious. There is a decent walk up from the Hampstead Heath British Rail Station to get to the Wells, but the houses in that area are really nice to look at and the streets are quiet so it is definitely worth the trip.

    The Wells Tavern
    Sophie M.

    It was at the Wells Tavern in 2007 that I was first introduced to bangers and mash. I was smitten at first bite. In a nostalgic moment two weeks ago I made my way back to the Wells for the second time, a strong sense of nostalgia and a hungry belly driving me to the outer regions of London in the direction of Hampstead heath. I was delighted to find the restaurant was still in tact, and positively radiant for that matter, with neighboring cherry blossoms in full bloom. My friends and I shared plates of bangers & mash and "chips" dipped in mayonnaise, all washed down with refreshing Kopparbergs pear cider. If I lived in Hampstead this would be my local, where I'd hole up for hours eating bangers, drinking cider, thumbing through Thomas Hardy novels, and watching the locals "pop-in" with their lookalike, stately setters and springer spaniels. It's the epitome of quaint.

    Kedgeree
    Stefan P.

    This is another one of those pubs that I haven't been to for 30 years and which I now find a tad gentrified. The pub is now largely given over to food though you can still order a drink only. I recall their ploughman's lunch which had gone down in my memory as the best I had tasted. However, sadly branston pickle is now nowhere to be seen. Instead the menu is sort of modern British, but certainly enticing. For the location many dishes are very reasonably priced. I plumped for the kedgeree which was frankly delicious. Service was good and I welcomed being asked if I preferred a starter portion. Beers are well kept and I'm pretty sure they have a decent wine list. I will return assuming I return to Hampstead.

    April sunny day

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    7 months ago

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    11 years ago

    Great everything. Service, food, ambiance location, beer and wine list. Staff is very friendly and helpful. Always a good time.

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    18 years ago

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    11 years ago

    Excellent meal. Roasted beet salad with mint as the highlight. Bangers and mash was delicious. Bangers tasted like home made sausage.

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    The Wells Reviews in Other Languages

    Review Highlights - The Wells

    I can't believe I haven't written about The Wells Tavern in Hampstead yet - although I've been here at least a dozen times!

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    The Highgate Inn

    The Highgate Inn

    3.8(4 reviews)
    1.7 miHighgate, Muswell Hill

    I think the Highgate Inn is best described by what you can find inside. You get all the necessities…read morefor both casual and committed drinker alike, fruit machines, heavy oak tables and even the unbalanced bar stools but that is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg. This pub seems to have all the little extras that make a great pub. For a start the Juke Box (something which you really don't find in enough pubs) has an amazing array of songs, from the popular to the obscure allowing you to adjust the backing tracks to your night accordingly (although I did get some dirty looks when I put on 5 James bond themes in a row). The sofas (found to the rear of the bar) are incredibly comfortable and very easy to get enveloped by, I would recommend heading to the Highgate inn for these alone, the beer access is a plus. If that isn't for you there are plenty of normal seats and even the option to stand if you would like. In terms of drinks the array on offer is diverse (not ground breaking but certainly not dull). On occasion you may see the odd alcohol dispensing nick knack behind the bar (I once witnessed a bottle holster that caused a desperado bottle to float in mid air). Little props like a frog fountain that spews fog, 4-5 ft tall wooden horses and the occasional seal teddy hanging from the many abstract paintings create a hint of a quirky atmosphere without making that the theme of the pub. Should you feel the need to smoke you will be forced into the street but before you hit the pavement you can take refuge in the outside chairs complete with matching tables, not the best in the winter but better than having to dodge pedestrians. All in all this is a very under attended pub. The staff are helpful and polite, the locals and newcomers seem to get along well and the atmosphere is on par with most of the other pubs in Highgate (better than some).

    A decent 'old school' pub on Archway road a bit further on from the Woodman as you head up the hill…read morefrom the station. Inside you find lots of beams and dark wood, fruit machines, TV's for sport and plenty of seating dotted around including some sofas. It's all a bit mismatched and thrown together the way a pub should be. It reminded me of being in a little out of the way place in some village somewhere where the pretentiousness of London had passed by unnoticed. The beer on offer was ok, my London pride was pretty good although nothing special but for me the appeal of this place is the ease of getting a seat compared to the Woodman, the fact inside it's like pubs used to be before they all became identikit carbon copies of one another selling overpriced dismal food and trying too hard to be the next big foodie destination.

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    The Highgate Inn
    The Highgate Inn

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    Old White Lion

    Old White Lion

    3.4(27 reviews)
    2.0 miEast Finchley
    ££

    Fish & chips, one of the better ones. Good fry surface, good chips, fresh white fish, no grey bits,…read moreI like the sea salt on top. Was supposed to be minted peas, but was plain regular. Salmon on gnocchi was also good. Bit of a Gastro style pub. Not a cheap menu kind of pub. Nice patio. Handsanitizer was very sticky, like they had mixed it with honey. This is on the corner of Billionair's Avenue, where dictators do their real estate money laundering. I wonder if the House of Saud ever come here to eat fish & chips, because apparently they own 10 houses on the nearby exclusive avenue. The only thing I didn't like was that to use the bathroom you have to touch a rusty old dungeon lock key attached to a century old metal mug to open the door, because I guess we can't be trusted with an unlocked door that is locked from the inside. My Diet Coke wasn't very cold. But I had a nice time here and the service was friendly.

    The style of the Old White Lion is not really my taste. It has old fashioned furniture and art deco…read morelamps sort of 50's style. In fact it reminds me very much of an antique furniture shop. They have 3 ales on tap, no surprises though (fullers). Food is nothing special, the portions are abit skimpy but they do have a lot to choose from. You can get all the usual pub food here. They have a really nice beer garden though but again smokers ruin it when the pub is busy. All in all this place is not really my taste.

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    Old White Lion
    Old White Lion
    Old White Lion

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    The Wells - wine_bars - Updated May 2026

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