Garden Gate, Hampstead  rated2 pints - click for an explanation of our ratings

location:

Hampstead

address:

14 South End Road, NW3 2QE

phone:

0871 984 1785*
* calls cost 10p/minute, click here for more about 0871 numbers.

nearest stations:

Hampstead Heath
(80m) - zone 2

Belsize Park London Underground station
(470m) - zone 2

Hampstead London Underground station
(880m) - zones 2/3

Gospel Oak Railway station
(980m)

Finchley Road London Underground station
(1.3Km) - zone 2

bus routes:

24, 46, 168, C11 bus info

how to find it:

Hampstead Heath: Come out of the station, turn left and the pub is about 40 yards on the near side of South End Green. Belsize Park: come out of the tube, turn right, after about 6 minutes and at a traffic-light crossroads, turn right downhill, when you get to South End Green, look across to the far side of the Green and you will see the pub on the far side of the road system.

click here for a larger map

picture of Garden GateFormerly an old-fashioned, slightly rough pub, this was done up a few years ago now - with mixed results. On the plus side, the beer garden is wonderful, large and always good humoured; the selection of beers is always interesting and they rotate unusual continental beers on tap (most of which are rare for London); the food is good enough and not too pricey (£8 mains) for the area. In theory, the main pub itself should be good: the lighting is subdued, there is a good mix of dark tables and sofas and the red lanterns give a slightly different oriental flavour to the place. In practice, the room is a bit cold, soulless, echoey (despite the low ceilings) and the atmosphere is "passing through" rather than "settling down". It's hard to put our finger on why, but we never really feel like lingering here and we think few people plan a night out round this place.

reviewed:
15/09/2007
reviewed by columbo

Eating at the Garden Gate ... we last ate here on 15/09/2007

One of several pubs around the Green that do posh pub grub (Sausage sandwich in Ciabatta, with English Salad smeared with pesto, you know the routine): cheaper than the Magdala; not as good as the Roebuck. Perfectly serviceable food on our last visit, once we could find (early on a Saturday lunchtime) which dishes on the menu were actually available. Service was pitifully slow, too- we waited a good half-hour for our fairly basic orders to arrive. We would recommend nearby alternatives more heavily than here.
food rating 2 - quality
value rating 2 - value
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