We had dinner tonight in a local pub in Hampstead: The Hollybush. We were invited by some friends who were celebrating a birthday. Everything about the pub was great except the food, which was pretty mediocre. Not bad, but not worth the prices they were charging. It’s a nice, old fashioned local pub, with a bar area out front and a warren of small rooms with tables in the back. Their selection of beers was excellent, with a range of bitters from smaller breweries, and plenty of lagers, ciders and stouts as alternatives. The wine list, while pretty short, had a nicely varied selection. They had enough servers behind the bar to cope with the crowd, so you didn’t have to wait too long for your pint. The servers were all friendly and helpful. We ordered a few beers to start while we decided on food, then put in our dinner order.
There were about 12 of us, so it wasn’t surprising that the food took a while to come out, but the wait started to seem excessive after about an hour… We ordered a burger for the kids, which was probably the best of the meals (even if they didn’t eat it), and chicken two ways for ourselves: a goat cheese stuffed breast quarter and a chicken and mushroom pie. The food was OK. The burger was nicely prepared, with shreds of horseradish mixed in with the meat and, while a little rare for the kids, was nicely cooked. The roast chicken and pie were both pretty tasteless, as were the mashed potatoes served with them.
Overall, we had a nice night out with our friends, and really enjoyed the pub. I’d just suggest you start off there for a pint or two, then move on if you want a meal.
