Time Out has teamed up with tastelondon to offer you a fantastic one month free trial
-
Horseshoe
-
A carefully crafted look is the first thing you notice at this elegant gastropub: gleaming woodwork, a bit of bare brick, lofty windows letting in floods of light on to tastefully muted colours. Australian owner Jasper Cuppaidge has given plenty of attention to other details too. A microbrewery in the basement produces distinctive ales. Staff are among the best we’ve found in any gastropub – quick, aware and attentive, as well as brightly friendly. The refined (but decently priced) wine list is put together with the same care, and ingredients are diligently sourced from farm producers. So it’s a pity the cooking doesn’t have more flair. A salad of pumpkin, chicory, stilton and spiced walnuts was lovely, but in goat’s cheese with Blythburgh ham, beetroot and french beans, the vegetables all lacked flavour. Sunday roast beef (with fabulous yorkshires and horseradish) was fine, but the roast spuds and other veg were lacklustre, while a venison and red wine pie was ordinary. After all the build-up, we expected something more exciting.
Time Out Eating & Drinking Guide 2009
Time Out reviews restaurants anonymously and pays for meals. Of course, we cannot guarantee the accuracy or independence of user reviews.
|
|
Advertisement
Details
- 28 Heath Street, Hampstead, NW3 6TE
- Area: Hampstead
- Tel: 020 7431 7206
- Category: Gastropubs
- Travel: Hampstead tube
- Times: Open 10am-11pm Mon-Thur; 10-1am Fri, Sat; 10am-10.30pm Sun. Lunch served noon-3.30pm Mon-Sat; noon-4.30pm Sun. Dinner served 6.30-10pm Mon-Thur; 6.30-10.30pm Fri, Sat; 6.30-9.30pm Sun
- Price: Main courses £8-£15. Set lunch £7 1 course incl glass of wine
- Credit cards: MC, V
Map
Most viewed bars & pubs
Date of the day
gingerlillie
I'm an out going and fun loving individual looking to meet someone to share experiences with and have fun. My work is something I am very...
|
|
More ways to enjoy Time Out
-
Weekly London newsletter
The best of London in your inbox
-
Time Out Widgets
|
|
My experience of The Horseshoe's cooking is a good deal more favourable than your reviewer. I live in the area and have sampled many of the local eateries. Yet, it's to The Horseshoe that I keep returning. In my opinion it consistently serves up some of the very best food in Hampstead. Prices are reasonable, and its weekday lunch one-course + glass-of-wine deal is particularly good value.
This would be our local boozer if only the staff were friendly and they showed some understanding of how to look after beer. They have too many beers on the tap for the amount of regular patrons they have and as a result more often than not I find that there ales are off.
That said the food is some of the best in the area, second only to The Wells and it has a good atmosphere in spite of the staff. The owners obviously do know about wine so maybe they should give up the idea of a gastropub and open a simple restaurant instead.
The Horseshoe is my eating boozer of choice nowadays. The food here is normally very accomplished - the Sunday lunch is textbook perfect and the 7quid lunch is the best value in NW3.
The 'labour of love' microbrews alone are worth a detour.
Highly recommended.
I agree with Anne. We always go there because it is walking distance from our place. Their food has a clean taste to it & good value. I have been there so many times for pork belly, calves liver, sunday roast, lamb stew, weekday lunch etc etc - never disappoint me and my friends. Their smoked salmon is amazing! Best Ever!!!! They said it was locally cured. Must try!!!!
In fact, we are going there this weekend over 10 of us. Look forward to it.
You must have been having a bad day. The food at the Horseshoe usually knocks the socks off any of the other pub/restaurants in the area - it's much more imaginative and well cooked than the competition. And the £7 fixed price lunch of a glass of wine and a plat du jour is usually great value.