The Hampstead Heritage Pub Crawl: The Old Bull & Bush

Being entirely selfless, I decided to spend my Sunday afternoon scouting out a pub crawl for those who might wish to visit our fair village in future, and who might be inclined to enjoy such activities (by which I mean, of course, anyone over the age of majority with the intent of spending one or more nights under my roof).

There are, of course, innumerable pubs in London, and innumerable pub crawls published in guidebooks or on the web.  But I have exacting criteria for the pubs I want in my crawl.

First, all of the pubs have to be within walking distance of my house, or at least within walking distance of two other pubs on the crawl that are within walking distance of my house (so that we have refuelling stations on both the outbound and return journeys).  I’m sure I’ll eventually get around to creating a pub crawl that makes use of London’s excellent transport network, but as this is my first, I want clear constraints. Plus, walking is free, and the money you save on transport you can spend on beer.

Second, the pub has to serve real ale, from a cask, on a hand pump.  As far as I’m concerned, serving cask ale is one major distinguishing feature between a real pub and a mere bar.  Now that, thanks to CAMRA, pubs serving traditional cask ale are so common, I see no point in patronizing an establishment that only pours a few macrobrew Eurolagers (usually Peroni, Stella and/or Heineken) plus, maybe, Guinness.

Third, the pub has to have some historic significance—perhaps a connection to an historical or literary personage, or perhaps an historical building.  In Hampstead, it turns out, a lot of pubs have both.

The afternoon was clear and pleasantly cool, so I identified several pubs that I thought might fit the bill and headed off across the Heath!

The Old Bull & Bush

My first stop was the Old Bull & Bush, which is a surprisingly short, straight shot across the Heath from the nearest entrance to our house.  (I got there so fast, in fact, that I felt cheated out of a nice walk.)

The Old Bull & Bush

The pub certainly has the historical pedigree I was looking for—there has been a pub on the site since 1721; the current building is a Grade II listed historical building; English artists William Hogarth (1697-1764), Thomas Gainsborough (1727-1788) and Joshua Reynolds (1723-1792) all drank there; and the pub was the subject of a hit song called “Down at the Old Bull & Bush” before The Great War.  (That would be, of course, the first War to End All Wars.)

Yet I rejected the place immediately.  In 2006, the interior of the pub was renovated to turn it into a modern gastropub.  There’s nothing wrong with that, of course—a lot of pubs have gone that route; in fact, in August of this year, food sales generated more revenue than drink sales at British pubs for the first time.  Indeed, a good gastropub is like Disneyland to me: a truly magical kingdom.

But the Bull & Bush did it badly—it doesn’t feel like a gastropub; it feels and looks like a restaurant with a bar. As if to emphasize that fact, the cask selection was limited to two tap handles, both pouring Fuller’s London Pride.  Nothing wrong with London Pride—it’s a good beer, brewed locally—but Fuller’s global presence means it’s not a particularly special beer (especially when other pubs on my list are Fuller’s pubs).  And I can’t even credit the Bull & Bush for having its heart in the right place—its website touts Bloody Marys rather than cask ales; it has a wine list, but no beer menu.

The Old Bull & Bush seems a nice little restaurant, and I can imagine enjoying a Sunday roast here with Heidi, Jack and Jazz.  But this place simply is not pub enough to make my pub crawl.

In fact, I didn’t even stay long enough to order a pint. Strike one!

Up Next: The Spaniards Inn

UPDATE: 26-Nov-10

Heidi, Jack and I returned to The Old Bull & Bush for dinner tonight.  The results were mixed. We liked the ambiance of the dining room: the black wooden tables were well spaced and provided a nice color contrast to the light floor and walls, and the indirect lighting provided a soft, comforting glow.  We sat in a cushioned banquette built into a bay window that was particularly nice.  They had three cask ales on draft: London Pride (of course), Adnam's Broadside and Sharp's Doom Bar.  I had a pint each of the latter. Both were in very good condition.  I had a side dish of wild mushrooms sauteed in garlic, and they were fresh and meaty and delicious.  And, somewhat surprisingly, the espresso drinks we had to finish the meal were excellent.

On the other hand, the service was spotty -- the waitress seemed only sporadically to remember that we were there, and getting her attention (particularly when she was on the telephone) was a challenge.  The scallops in our appetizer, set on a delicious bed of cold mango and mixed vegetables, were sweet and flavorful, but needed a better sear.  The biggest disapointments, though were the mains.  Heidi's mussels were overcooked and had the texture of a kitched sponge.  My pan-seared duck breast was chewy and flavorless.

The verdict:  Overall, disappointing at this price point.  Given its convenient location, though, we might give The Old Bull & Bush another shot for a pizza and beer in the "bar" area.