Sunbathing on Hampstead Heath
© Paul

Hampstead area guide

Discover the best bits of Hampstead, including restaurants, pubs, bars, shops and much more
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Hampstead has long been known for its ridiculously gorgeous hilltop views and array of greenery to make other bits of London, well, green with envy. The jewel in the crown is, of course, Hampstead Heath’s 790 acres of woodland, playing fields, swimming ponds and meadows, with Parliament Hill providing some truly spectacular views across the city. But as well as wonderful options for outdoors, Hammersmith also boasts incredible historical buildings, independent shops, cool cafes and some superb restaurants and pubs.

If you think we’ve missed an essential Hampstead gem, let us know in the comments section below.

Restaurants in Hampstead

Mimmo La Bufala
Restaurants

Mimmo La Bufala

  • 4 out of 5 stars
It’s just as well portions are large here, as we enjoyed every last flavoursome bite of our meal. Mimmo La Bufala specialises in southern Italian food,...
Sirous Tapas Bar & Restaurant
Restaurants

Sirous Tapas Bar & Restaurant

Previously Sirous, then El Rocio, and now Sirous again, this West Hampstead tapas bar and restaurant brings a slice of Spain to West End Lane. Expect imported...
Nautilus
Restaurants

Nautilus

  • 5 out of 5 stars
Frills there aren’t, but this white- and blue-fronted spot often produces gasps of delight at the sheer freshness and just-so cooking of its fish. The...
Jin Kichi
Restaurants

Jin Kichi

  • 4 out of 5 stars
On Hampstead’s bijou Heath Street, Jin Kichi’s elegant green façade sits discreetly among florists, jewellers and estate agents. The homely...

Hampstead highlights

Kenwood House
Attractions

Kenwood House

Two years ago Kenwood House was looking distinctly down at heel. The long, creamy south facade was flaking and the roof was in poor repair. The wonderfully...
Hampstead Heath Swimming Ponds
Things to do

Hampstead Heath Swimming Ponds

Originally dammed-off clay pits, the ponds are run by the City of London Corporation. It is consulting with local residents about essential works to protect...
Keats House
Attractions

Keats House

Keats House was the home of the Romantic poet from 1818 to 1820, when he left for Rome in the hope of alleviating his tuberculosis (he died of the disease the...
Freud Museum
Things to do

Freud Museum

The Freud Museum is in the house that was Sigmund Freud's London home after he fled the Nazis in 1938. It is a time capsule, a small chunk of Hapsburg Vienna...

Bars and pubs in Hampstead

Holly Bush
Bars and pubs

Holly Bush

  • 3 out of 5 stars
Negotiate the steep steps from Heath Street up to isolated, cobbled Holly Mount to this house built in the 1790s by portrait painter George Romney. It was...
Roebuck
Bars and pubs

Roebuck

  • 4 out of 5 stars
This escape hatch for staff from the Royal Free was given a facelift by Young’s when they took over a couple of years ago: purple floral wallpaper, mirrors and...
Horseshoe
Bars and pubs

Horseshoe

  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • price 2 of 4
‘Home of the Camden Town Brewery’ reads the menu. But yes, this is the heart of Hampstead – presumably Jasper Cuppaidge, the thirtysomething Australian who...
Flask
Bars and pubs

Flask

  • 3 out of 5 stars
Blending perfectly with the second-hand bookstores and other arcana along this lovely, narrow pedestrianised passage, this imposing but welcoming Young’s pub...

The perfect weekend in Hampstead

Drink: The Flask
Bars and pubs

Drink: The Flask

  • 3 out of 5 stars
Soak up the atmosphere – and drinks – at this historic, nook-filled boozer
Eat: Nautilus
Restaurants

Eat: Nautilus

  • 5 out of 5 stars
Feast on fantastic fish dishes, expertly cooked
See: Kenwood House
Attractions

See: Kenwood House

Learn the story of this stunning former stateley home set in incredible grounds

Love London Awards: last year’s winners

Mimmo La Bufala
Restaurants

Mimmo La Bufala

  • 4 out of 5 stars
It’s just as well portions are large here, as we enjoyed every last flavoursome bite of our meal. Mimmo La Bufala specialises in southern Italian food, with a...
Ginger & White
Restaurants

Ginger & White

  • 4 out of 5 stars
There are better sources of cake within a mufffin’s throw, but Hampstead has taken this affable coffee bar to heart; near closing time on a recent visit, staff...
The Stag Hampstead
Restaurants

The Stag Hampstead

  • price 1 of 4
A lovely gastropub down the road from Hampstead Heath that has a large beer garden and a roof terrace.