Going Out
Art For Fun
172 West End Lane
Tel: 020 7794 0800
This delightful little concept café is typical of the creative charm that epitomises West Hampstead. A selection of snacks and drinks are available, but eating and drinking is not exactly the number one priority at Art For Fun. That is evident the moment you step through the door, straight into what looks like a primary school arts and crafts classroom. Bring your own food, even a bottle of wine if you fancy and try your hand at painting your own plate, mug or teapot. Alternatively you can decorate wood, glass, papier mache or your own T-shirt. Okay, this isn’t exactly a restaurant, but its certainly one of West End Lane’s highlights.
Café Monpell
309 West End Lane
Tel: 020 7431 1616
This charming little coffee shop is an ideal location to sit and wile away the hours over a caramel macchiato and a generous portion of tiramisu (£2.50). Opened at the beginning of 2004, it manages to be bright and breezy, yet retains a distinct homely feel. A full range of baguettes, sandwiches, desserts, teas and fresh fruit juices are available. The banana, milk and honey juice (£2.80) comes highly recommended.
Sushi Bar Gen
243 West End Lane
Tel: 020 7431 4031
Nestled away in a tiny corner, it would be all too easy to miss this superb eatery. But for all sushi lovers, the Bar Gen offers a little taste of Tokyo in NW6. The a la carte menu is impressively cheap allowing the curious customer to sample a wide range of the specialities, and the specials board will lead you to the freshest catch in the kitchen. The décor is not exactly lush, but its delightfully authentic. The sashimi is superb but for those who want to try the lot the Sushi Gen Selection. A take-away service and party orders are also available.
Gourmet Burger Kitchen
331 West End Lane
Tel: 020 7794 5455
Quite simply, the Gourmet Burger Kitchen puts the humble meat patty to shame. The staff are friendly and the atmosphere terrific, but the true star of this restaurant is the food. If a tired old dollop of ketchup and slice of pickle just doesn’t cut the mustard for you anymore then head down to the Gourmet Burger Kitchen and find out what a treat a burger can still be. The Pesterella sets off the burger with a topping of fresh pesto, mozzarella, salad and relish, while The Jamaican is complimented by mango and ginger sauce… now that’s what I call a happy meal! But it’s not all beef beef beef, the menu also boasts a range of chicken, lamb, venison and chorizo dishes, whilst veggies have a small but delicious selection to choose from.
The Old Black Lion
295 West End Lane
Tel: 020 7435 4389
Halfway up the high street The Old Black Lion has been here for almost as long as West Hampstead itself, and if you were wondering what West End Lane looked like yesteryear then look no further than the fascinating old pictures on the wall. The food is pretty standard pub fare, but the drinks are reasonably priced and on match day there’s sure to be a large crowd gathered around the big screen. There are always drinks offers on and special discounts of house spirits, so this is an ideal venue to get a round in. The terrace at the front of the pub is an ideal spot to watch the world go by and the beer garden at the rear of the pub is good spot to wile away an afternoon and both outside areas are heated if the evening starts to get a bit chilly.
The Gallery
Broadhurst Gardens
Tel: 020 7625 9184
A great cocktail bar in the West Hampstead area is The Gallery, this bar packs all the chic of Londoners premier style bars into three floors on Broadhurst Gardens. The basement level is a real treat, with your candle-lit hideaway, small yet welcoming. Set on the ground floor with an overlooking balcony is a more traditional bar with sheer wooden floors and exposed brick work, all of which is set off by an unobtrusive lighting scheme. Bar food is served from 5pm and downstairs meals start from 7pm. This is definitely a bar not to be missed!
La Brocca
La Brocca, a wonderful Italian restaurant and bar situated in the heart of West Hampstead on the high street. The restaurant is downstairs and has a lovely, warm authentic feel, it has a conservatory area with lovely plant trailers on the ceiling. The staff are attentive and friendly and the menu is filled with delicious traditional Italian dishes as well as an exciting array of specials. A definite must for the Italian lover.
Spice Plaza
The Spice Plaza, a well loved local Indian restaurant located on West End Lane has a menu filled with mouth-watering dishes made from the finest natural and organic ingredients including a starter selection which includes Onion Bhaji, Malai Tikka, Sheek Kebab and Smoked Salmon Kebab; tikka platters as well as the popular dishes including baltis; kormas and dansaks all very reasonably priced. The restaurant is very agreeable and nicely laid out, they also do a takeaway and delivery service, definitely worth a visit if you are a curry fan.