Freemasons Arms, Hampstead  

The Freemasons Arms' location next to the southern end of Hampstead Heath ensures a steady stream of custom, but it's a million miles from the 'country pub' it claims to be. A cornucopia of contemporary furniture, beige and brown are the overriding colours here. Service veers from slow to stroppy and now half the space is dedicated to eating, so terse signs inform you how to get to the garden without interrupting their diners. Happily they've still retained Britain's oldest skittle alley and despite their unwitting efforts to make this an incredibly uninteresting drinking venue, The Freemasons is still a grand affair and handy for that post-prandial drink. Unsurprisingly, the impressive beer garden - which happens to be the only real reason to come here - takes the strain on the warmer days. At a practical level there's a couple of token ales, the lager choice is pretty good and the food veers between £10 and £20 for main courses. As a pub, however, this one leaves us cold; leave it to the tourists.

reviewed:
21/03/2008

pub features:(click on an icon to see an explanation)

real ales

rear beer garden and seats out the front

separate dining area

skittles

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