The Holly Bush in Camden

Terrible! I was extremely disappointed with the service at this pub. My companion and I were sitting at the bar around noon on a quiet Wednesday—there were only 4 people in the entire place. At some point, we asked to move to the table near the fireplace, but were told it wasn’t allowed because those tables were reserved for food orders. We clarified that we were happy to order snacks, yet they still refused. After consulting the manager, they suggested we could move to a table near the radiator, which honestly felt like a bad joke. The attitude was appalling, and I’ll never return to this place.

What a delightful discovery! We saw this pub mentioned on TikTok and decided to give it a try and we were not disappointed! As soon as you’re seated you’re served an adorable plate of fluffy brioche buns with salted butter with parsley. The food was fantastic, delicious and varied. Service attentive and friendly. The pub itself has retained a lot of original structure, rooms and design but clearly really well maintained. My only small feedback would be the fish and chips where the fish tasted a bit too fried as the batter was very dark and crusty. The fish was fresh and tasty though.

Beautiful pub. Only had time for one beer but loved every minute there.

In Hampstead, a welcoming and very pleasant environment, professional and kind service, excellent food with attention to detail. A fantastic evening. The upper room and the room with the glass ceiling are beautiful.

I was a little skeptical of my reservation after reading some reviews the day before, I am so glad I did not cancel my reservation! I was there for lunch celebrating my birthday and I can honestly say it was an amazing experience! the food was great and very tasty, the portions were great, not small at all and the service was lovely!  this pub is beautiful, has a great vibe and I cannot wait to visit again! Thank you!

Finally made it here on Saturday. It's been on the radar for many years, and it didn't disappoint 🙌

Perfect winter stop. Drinks, Food and Service.

Poor service, tasteless beef, a sunday roast served w/o a yorkshire pudding

Went for the “Sunday roast”. Our group had the lamb shoulder, beef, and turkey and everyone loved their meal. Highly recommended! Booking for Sunday roast is a must

Superb dining setting on the 1st, but 1h40 to be served, it's a shame...

The ambiance, beer and staff were good but I was a bit underwhelmed with my meal

Visited The Holly Bush as had seen it a lot on social media and had looked at the menu before booking. Whilst the food was very good taste wise, (I had the venison) it was just very expensive for the tiny portion you get. I would advise to go at a quieter time as we visited in the evening and it was very loud due to how many tables are packed into a small space.

Historical and beautiful Hampstead pub. Food was average at best on our latest visit...

I’ve been there for dinner. The atmosphere was cozy and nice. However, the stuff was super slow. It took me nearly 2 hours to finish dinner. There was a huge gap between starters and main. I ordered an onion soup which wasn’t the traditional French onion soup and it wasn’t tasty. The soup arrived cold, not even warm, cold. The portion of the soup was extremely small (3-4 spoons and over). I had to get a second starter. The cevice was tasty but again extremely tiny portion, it felt like the chef is afraid to put food in to people plates and he spends time only to garnish. Then my main arrived. I got the most expensive individual dish in the menu, the fillet steak. Oh dear, I asked for medium and arrived well done, the portion of the meat was a joke. It was like 150g - 170g max. The fillet steak is nearly £40 but for such price, you expect more meat. When the bill arrived it felt like I was in a  expensive restaurant in central London. Overall the place looks ok but extremely super overpriced for what you get. I left Holly Bush with a bitter feeling. The feeling was I don’t feel full, these people wanted only my money without doubt. If I was paying this money but the portions were double, I would be super happy. But you can’t serve to adults portions made for kids and charge customers that ridiculously high. I wouldn’t recommend this place for food to anyone, unless if you want to throw away your money and then end up in a kebab shop to curb your hunger.

Super lovely pub! The Sunday roast wasn’t what it was a few years ago, and they don’t let you choose a temp on the burger. Well done only. Flavors were lacking but it’s an idyllic pub. Best sticky toffee pudding I’ve ever had though

The whole experience was rather underwhelming. The food was bland and two of my party of four sent the loin of pork dishes back, the pork being tough and rather tasteless. I suspect it had been sitting on the pass for too long which would also explain the large gap between our first and second courses. One of my party had the hake which was served up as a ridiculously small portion. When I pointed this out to the manager he responded with " well Hake is an expensive fish"! By that reckoning I'm glad Turbot wasn't on the menu!! I think if a restaurant is going to charge these prices they must expect to be judged accordingly. Sadly it failed to deliver and neither myself nor any of my party will be returning .

One of our favourite pubs in the area, we love going for a pint or the excellent gastropub food. Cozy vibe. Very popular so often full.

Helpful busy host and great area to have a Sunday roast. Service is very slow, zero communication and attentiveness, both beef and porchetta roasts were flavoursome but tiny portions (1 slice each really?) when questioned, we’ve been told this is the regular roast they normally have. Took ages to have our bill (2 hours and 10 mins in total for a bottle of red and 2 roasts) 6!? Staff members eating in the clearing room during busy dinner service and 1 person running back and forth like headless chicken. Normally I’m very understanding but situations like this must be addressed. Oh very quick to take the bill’s payment!

Lovely setting and top class service. However-when you pay a fortune for a cut of lamb-it should be worth the money.There was so much fat on the serving that me and my daughter had and you could maybe forgive it if it was one poor serving.It was more fatty than lean and very very disappointing after a good previous experience recommendation. Certainly NOT worth the nearly £200 paid I won’t be coming back

Yesterday I returned to the Holly Bush, where I had already been several times, the last time last September. I have to say I was a little disappointed and I don't think I will be returning anytime soon. We took the Sunday roast, which I found less refined than usual both in terms of raw materials and service. The dish cannot arrive at the table already barely warm. Even the room where we were (on the ground floor at the back right) I found less welcoming than the one at the entrance or on the first floor (my favorite). The waitress was nice, but for the quality of the food, I felt it had gone down a lot. Sin!

I got the roast porchetta and the meat was very dry. They also forgot to get the pudding on my dish but the waitress was very friendly and resolved the issue.

Great pub, food smelt great shame there’s not a great deal of seating at the bar. Great reclusive location.

Quite average as far as pubs go, but you wouldn’t think it looking at the price. I really would not recommend a visit as I’d probably not want to go back if i’m being honest. So much better quality and value around the area. Lets start with the menu: quite limited. The kitchen has attempted to be fancy but the plates come out being rather basic in terms of how flavours go. All our food came out cold sadly, including the food, so that was rather dissatisfying. Also portions as you can see are tiny. The service is great, but there is 0 atmosphere. Quite loud, no music, and the whole place is rather drafty.

Went for Sunday roast, everything was excellent and even the desserts weren't bad. Kind service

Nice pub up the slope, away from the station a bit. Didn't get to eat here unfortunately. Enjoyed a couple of drinks - good selection of beers and ales on tap; selection of whiskies too. RECOMMEND.

Honey cake was delicious and the soup starter…fish cake didn’t enjoy so much. Lovely pub in excellent location.

Such a beautiful restaurant pub. Bookings are highly recommended as it gets busy for Sunday roast. We went for our doggies birthday on remembrance Sunday and enjoyed a beef and hog roast. The staff are very attentive and even prepared a birthday plate for our doggo. 🎂🐶🍖🐩

Went back here again. I just have to give a big shout out to the Host! She is amazingly helpful and always smiling even though she is so busy. Has to be the best pub for a Sunday roast lunch. A friend had to book the table a few weeks in advance but boy was it worth it. Amazing super friendly and inviting staff. From the host to the waitress I have never felt more welcome in a place. Obviously the roasts are great, but I must say to also leave space for the desserts. They are not your standard pub desserts. Next level in taste, and quality.

Perfect for a drink, but avoid the food at all cost.

Had a great meal here recently and catch up with friends for a pint.

Wonderful, quintessentially English pub for a good drink or bite to eat. Staff are v friendly and professional. Served by Joseph, who's a credit to the pub. Will definitely return when next in area.

Our first visit to the renowned Holly Bush. We were staying in Hampstead for the weekend, had been on a lovely long walk around the lanes, etc., and popped in for some well deserved refreshments. We were really impressed, what a great pub. So busy. We didn't have food but one quick pint quickly turned into four and could quite easily have lasted long into the evening. Staff were great, really good selection of beers and a fantastic atmosphere. Would definitely recommend and revisit.

Worst Sunday roast in Hampstead/Highgate/Gospal Oak area. The chicken roast consists one tiny breast, the lamb was mostly fat and bone, some of the veg was cold. Service inattentive, they got two drinks wrong

Very cute, but kinda weird that it is in the midst of a residential neighborhood and there’s a security guard to keep people away from the homes. They had a gluten free Peroni beer for me, so that was nice.

Best pub in london. End of discussion.

Nice surroundings and food was pretty good although overpriced compared to other pubs around.

Great food and vibes! Good veg options as well

Precioso restaurante en la planta alta - gran servicio con un menú cuidadoso, delicioso pan, grandes ostras y excelente pescado con verduras Interesante carta de vinos - excelente Sancerre

A very charming place. It's worth going in and seeing it.

Perfect time with family. The food was great and affordable. Great service from friendly staff.

We booked a table for 4 on Saturday evening. We were immediately told there was no lamb or potatoes, (at 7.30 on a Saturday night??) We waited over an hour and a half for our dinner so by the time our dinner arrived we were hungry and very tipsy. We consequently ate our food in ten minutes!!Very disappointing for what was supposed to be a lovely evening with our daughter! Lovely pub but wont eat here again in the evening!

A fantastic pub with a quintessential classic British restaurant above.

Another lovely pub with great beer. Would highly recommend👍😁

Worth every penny for the dishes there. Had the aubergine lasagne and it was godly. Mates had the pork and loved it. Service and atmos top notch as well! Thanks for having us!

Fuimos a almorzar el domingo. Reservamos con un par de meses de antelación, aconsejable ya que se pone muy ocupado! Disfrutamos mucho de toda la experiencia. Cada uno tuvimos una cena asada diferente y todos estaban deliciosos. Los pudines eran encantadores también. El servicio fue excelente. Pensé que la comida tenía un precio razonable, dada la ubicación, pero el vino era caro. Sin duda volveremos debido a la calidad general.

A wonderful meal in an superb decor ! We were there for the sunday roast and it did not dissapoint.

Staff is good but it seems that too few people are working. Sunday roast was good but after the meal the one thing we all agreed on was that the actually serving of meat was small.

Best Sunday roast. Beautiful location. Charming interior. Servers can be a bit inexperienced and make mistakes. Portion sizes a little on the small side but not too bad.

Cute little hidden spot with decent beer

Lovely place in Hampstead. Better than average pub grub. Not sure what the chap was talking about when he said it was crowded...he must not have been talking about the dining room.

Lovely old fashioned pub with friendly staff

I treated myself to a mid-week solo lunch. I ordered three starters: onion soup, stonebass ceviche, crispy pig cheek. Food was delicious, service was flawless, and the atmosphere was elegant without any hint of snobbery. Some guests were dressed very nicely, but casual attire was the norm. My total bill was comparable to a main dish in most nice restaurants, and I had a fabulous tasting menu experience.

beautiful pub with great atmosphere, tastefully decorated. Lots of seating choices with privacy and cosy. i will definitely be back.

Great pub tucked away in north London. Excellent food, very good Guinness and friendly staff.

We were slightly early to our reservation and had a drink at the bar—a lovely, cosy environment. The dinner area is dark and cosy. The food was delicious. I asked for medium rare on the beat, it was a little more cooked but no biggy. Cauliflower mac cheese and Yorkshire puddings were delicious. Horseradish was great I have to say however I do wish they had a cranberry sauce as a condiment. £26~ for a roast dinner is pretty standard for London Highly recommend the visit for a classic English Sunday roast.

Great pub, in great location. Good food and wine. Cosy atmosphere. Attentive service. What's not to like!

Fantastic historic pub. Very charming building/interior and fantastic location. It’s a must visit place when in London. Very professional and friendly staff.

I went here for lunch. The Holly Bush Restaurant offers a delightful dining experience with its inviting atmosphere and exceptional food. The restaurant nestled in a charming setting, the restaurant boasts a varied menu that highlights seasonal ingredients, resulting in flavorful and beautifully presented dishes. The service is friendly and attentive, enhancing the overall experience. While dining, I had the pleasure of meeting two siblings, a brother and sister, who were incredibly kind. We ended up taking the tube together, and they were excited to share recommendations for places to visit around the city, adding a personal touch to my evening. ❤️

Nice pub hidden away in the backstreets of Hampstead. Arrived on a Saturday night in an attempt to have dinner here. We had little expectations of a table being available and when we asked (2 males), we were told they were fully booked for a table of 4 people unless we had a reservation. The rest of our party arrived 2 minutes later, they decided to go ask again themselves (2 females) and a table was available for the 4 of us immediately. Unsure what to make of that but we got a table nonetheless. Food is pricey (probably standard for Hampstead) and while the dishes were nice, portion sizes were on the small size. A single main at near £30 wasn't anywhere near enough if that was all you were having. Staff serving us were friendly. We moved to the bar area after our meal and had a few more drinks there which was fine. It's an old pub with an old pub smell but we enjoyed our evening there nonetheless. :-)

It's a hike to get to, but a beautiful pub with fantastic service.

Absolutely delicious food in a wonderful location

Absolutely delicious! Fantastic service and really good atmosphere. We loved it.

We had a fantastic lunch. An extremely warm welcome and impeccable service for the rest of our stay. Great value wine and delightful food. We were a walk in and felt fortunate to have a very comfy table, certainly book our next trip and looking forward already.

One of the best pubs in all of London

A short walk up Holly Hill (from Hampstead High Street) takes you to the Holly Bush which must be one of the most photographed pubs in London. Apart from the fact that it's very pretty, and photogenic, the atmosphere is one of calm. The day I visited, there were maybe three or four regulars in and a couple of tourists. It's a beautiful pub and the service was quick and courteous - it's a great place to spend on a sunny day. The pub also does food but I didn't eat there. Clean toilets too!

Bar man allowed me to taste a beer I was unsure of, I appreciated that. Very chilled atmosphere, definitely want to have a Sunday roast next time

The pub is gorgeous and just coming here to see it and the surroundings it's worth it!haven't tried the food, we had a pint and it was quite expensive, prices are crazy everywhere in London now but there are cheaper pubs around, so I would consider visiting this pub a treat!

Great food and superb service. A little pricey but worth every penny. And dog friendly.

Amazing Sunday roast, fairly priced sparkling wine.

I just happened to be passing and I thought I'd Pop in for a drink, so glad I did. This is my idea of a perfect pub. Friendly staff, a great selection of Beers wines and spirits. Food is also served.

I came here with high hopes - planning to frequent and have a cool refreshing pint of Neck Oil to limber up the limbs and recharge my batteries for the rest of the walk. Instead what we found was a dark and dingy pub, with tables and chairs so tightly packed together. It was also candle lit. Now in certain, if you were a regular or a member of the community, this light be a nice place to stop for a drink - but for us walkers, it was too full of people eating and with little space to sit it wasn’t as comfortable as I had hoped. My Neck Oil also tasted slightly more bitter than others I’ve had at other pubs - made me question whether or not it was Neck Oil I was drinking. There were other pubs on this circular route that looked more spacious.

One of my favourite pubs. When in UK always try and visit.

Exceedingly disappointing. Food tasteless and frankly the prices were ridiculously high for a local pub lunch. Certainly won’t return

Unbelievable food. Beautiful old school pub, good but a little slow service. Very friendly staff. Will definitely return. The Stonebass ceviche was incredible as was the Halibut and the beetroot tartare. The burger was also very good. Well done!

Very nice pub in a very private corner of Hampstead. They have great pale ale. Unfortunately we didn't eat. Very kind service.

Sad to leave this review for a place I've been frequenting over a decade, but one of the poorest experiences last night. Booked a table for international guests for a final night in London. Incorrect order, inconsistent portions, but most egregious was the 80 minute wait for mains to arrive with no update from staff on the kitchen crisis. Hopefully, this is a temporary rough patch and not the new normal.

Really nice cosy pub with restaurant upstairs set up for finer dining, but also bar food downstairs, lots of different rooms to sit and enjoy drinks in - didn't order food

Really nice cosy pub with restaurant upstairs set up for finer dining, but also bar food downstairs, lots of different rooms to sit and enjoy drinks in - didn't order food

Very charming pub with a good atmosphere! Great place for a nice pub meal and a beer 🍻

Posh pub hidden in Hampstead back roads. IYKYK ! Worth seeking out!

What a wonderful old traditional pub in the heart of hampstead

Have been to the Holly Bush and couple times now, it’s a lovely little pub hidden away. The staff are super friendly and the Sunday Roast is super good! We sat upstairs this time; the atmosphere is definitely a bit better downstairs due to the acoustics of the room. Hard to hear anyone. So try get a downstairs table if possible :)

We had a blast here. Friendly and professional service, delicious dishes, fun vibe. Everything was an well executed.

What a great pub, tucked back on a side street. Food was good, beer was good, vibe was good…it was all good! You feel like you’ve discovered a secret gem only the locals know about.

I was quite disappointed with my experience at this restaurant. The food was of low quality and not up to the standards I expected. Additionally, the prices were quite high, making it poor value for money. Overall, I wouldn't recommend this place.

We really enjoyed visiting the Holly Bush. They have a separate restaurant area from the bar area. We did both on two different nights and had a wonderful time in both parts. They have a great selection of beer on draught, and you can find funny, chatty bartenders. The restaurant has a very good menu, and the food is very good. The staff is very attentive and friendly. Note for North American tourists: this is a traditional British Pub. Draught Beer is chilled, not ice cold. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but you will be need to adjust your tastebuds accordingly.

The Holly Bush never disappoints.

I recently visited The Holly Bush and loved its Victorian charm and dog-friendly policy, making it a perfect spot for a cosy evening out. I've added it to my barguide.london site too!

Often the taproom gets noisier than I would like, but all around a classy old pub with great Sunday menu.

Beautiful decor. Great service. Thoroughly recommended 👌

A few of us were passing by and popped in for a drink. Nice looking pub with a pleasant interior, however they don't appear to know how to pour a decent pint. The Ale was insipid and the lager was flat. Will give this place a miss next time.

Massively overpriced roast dinner, that was quite frankly disappointing. The Yorkshire pudding was burnt and for £25 I would expect a half decent roast dinner unfortunately that was not the case. Lovely setting and atmosphere but overall underwhelming.

Beautiful location, atmospheare, food and drink. A visit Is mandatory!

Lovely pub with great food. Terrible Guinness.

I went here with my family for Sunday roast as we like the area and had enjoyed the same before. The pub itself has nice character and a good, relaxed vibe. When we arrived our table wasn’t ready but we were able to wait in the pub area and get some drinks. The food was great - we had roast beef which was really nice although a little tough. A steak knife would have made things a bit easier - it was hard to get the attention of staff for this after our food arrived. The seasonal veg was great and the huge Yorkshire pudding was amazing. My dad enjoyed the fish and chips. Dessert was ok - my trifle was more cream than anything else though and in future I would probably forgo it; I was already pretty full from the roast anyway. Drinks were very expensive, even by London standards (2 glasses of wine and a soft drink was almost £40) although the food was reasonably priced. All in all it was an enjoyable day out for a roast.

Great neighbourhood pub with good grub. Not worth a long queue so be sure to book in advance. Stunning place 😁 in a lovely area

Roast beef was tough to cut through, asked for a steak knife. Bit pricey, not really value for money.

The salmon starter was to die for, I felt like I was at the Ritz!

Great stop for a pint after a Sunday walk around Hampstead Heath! Great staff and selection of beers.

12 years I go there - still love it