The Stag

"Good atmosphere, friendly staff and great beer - what more could you ask for?" Food? Chicken wings & jacob's ladder beef short ribs are my all time favorites

This is one of the best pubs in London. Great beer garden, dog friendly, delicious food. Had my 30th there and it was perfect. Thank you the people of the Stag!! X

Ho Ho Ho, a Christmas special for dinner with jo...

I just came back from a six course Christmas extravaganza at The Stag pub. For those out-of-towners who aren't familiar with South End Green, it's next to Belsize Park and it's where the Royal Free hospital is. My family are not so hot on planning; so much so that at 3pm on Christmas Eve there was no set plan for Christmas Day. I made a few phone calls and was pleasantly surprised to hear that the Stag had one table free. The man I spoke to couldn't have been friendlier or more obliging. I was even told that whilst the fixed price menu did not include drinks, they were sure to be "generous with the mulled wine and port." Good to know.

We turned up at 2pm, my dad had some banter with the barman about sherry vs brandy glasses then we were escorted upstairs to our table. Having assured my family (newcomers to The Stag) that it was a lovely place and by no means a dingy old man pub, I was pleased by their initial admiration.

Pre lunch I enjoyed an excellent mulled cider.

Course 1: Smoked salmon, goats cheese and beetroot salad or chicken liver pate. I had the goats cheese. The salad was perhaps slightly light on beetroot and heavy on frisée but other than that it was good. The smoked salmon was of a sashimi texture, it was very tasty and went very well with the soda bread provided for the table. Reports of the chicken liver pate suggested it was of a high standard.

Course 2: A granita to cleanse the palette, a little like a mojito sorbet. I'm afraid to say this course was not good. It was extremely alcoholic. As someone who enjoys a whiskey sour, I can handle my spirits but this was too strong and I couldn't have more than one spoonful. My family are of varying degrees of T-totalness and all were in agreement on the matter.

Course 3: Turkey and all the trimmings, beef Wellington or sea bream. No one in my group ordered the sea bream so I can only comment on the beef and turkey. Everything was excellent - the meat was succulent, gravy and other sauces were plentiful, crispy roast potatoes and tasty vegetables.

Between courses we were visited by the owner of the pub and his young son to check we were happy with our meal. He also (prompted by my dad) gave us a brief insight into The Stag's history: it was first leased in 1874 to a butcher (explaining the words "meat room" on the windows of the upstairs room) and now has sister pub in Notting Hill. We all appreciated this touch of personal attention.

Course 4: For dessert there was a choice of lavender creme brûlée, dark chocolate terrine or Christmas pudding. It won't be surprising to hear that the Christmas pudding was bathed in brandy. The chocolate terrine was very good and not too rich, and the creme brûlée delightful, with a top so crispy that it took several attempts and a fair amount of power to crack through it.

It was 5.30pm by this point and we were all a bit too full for courses 5 and 6. Our waiter was more than happy to pack them up for us to take away and brought us cheese and designer crackers, Rolos and mince pies in little bags. I've no doubt they will be superb. After mint teas, we were on our way.

I thoroughly enjoyed Christmas at the Stag, as did all of my family. With the exception of the alcoholic sorbet, the food was excellent. The staff were welcoming, friendly and attentive. Whilst my review has been based on today's meal, it is representative of the non Christmas menu since I've been on many occasions for lunch and dinner and always enjoyed my meal (in the summer you can get a great burger in the beer garden). Before today, The Stag was definitely somewhere I frequented, but it has now gone up in the ranks and become a firm favourite. I can't recommend it enough!

The Stag Good option for Sunday roast ! Great location , perfect after a nice stroll through Hampstead heath . Food 10/10 beef roast - highly recommend . Great choice of beer and IPA . Service can be abit slow but decent option for a winter Sunday Prices 30 per person PS BRING YOUR OWN MINT SAUCE. . They always run out.

I haven’t had Sunday roast for ages, I really enjoyed the 28 day dry aged roast Aberdeenshire beef rump, so tender and yummy. Also, the root vegetables are nice as well. The service is fast and friendly, I didn’t wait for long to get my food and drink. This pub seems popular in this area, there are many families having their Sunday lunch here. I took away one star becoz it’s a bit pricey for a Sunday roast, though the portion is big for me. Also, I’m surprised to find that they charge for service fee in my bill, never been charged service in a pub before…

Great selection of drinks. Only tried a bit of the food but what I did have was fantastic. Can get busy particularly on sunny afternoons. If you want to garentee a spot in the beer garden you might want to book ahead for a Friday or Saturday visit.

Really cosy atmosphere, we had a really good evening. My friends are very demanding with regards to food and they were impressed with the outstanding quality of the steak pie. My cheese burger was simply amazing, all fresh ingredients. All the Covid protocol is followed accordingly by staff and clients. I felt safe. I'll definitely come back. Update 6/2021. We went back with the same group of friends for dinner in the outdoor area. The waiters pay really good attention to detail and are doing and excellent job. They did so well we decided to give an additional tip exceeding the 12.50% suggested on the bill. We really appreciated the food was brought at the same time. The quality is good, from pizzas to fish and chips, everything is excellent. Pies are available only in winter. American Express is not accepted

My go to pub in Hampstead. Been regularly coming here for a few summers now and the food standard has remained outstanding throughout. The garden and pergola area is a huge plus and my dog loves it there. Large selection of beers as well, in short whats not to love about this place?