A New End pub trading since 1721, known for real ale and the Hampstead Jazz Club tucked into its basement.
The Duke of Hamilton sits on New End in Hampstead, one of London's oldest pubs, trading since 1721 on a quiet street just off the village centre. Wikipedia records it as a long-running local once favoured by actors Richard Burton, Peter O'Toole and Oliver Reed.
Come for a well-kept pint of real ale and, in the basement, the Hampstead Jazz Club. Skip it if you want cocktails or a big night, because this is a village pub first.
The pub is a traditional Hampstead room, plain and comfortable rather than done-up. CAMRA notes its long reputation for cask beer.
Downstairs, the Hampstead Jazz Club runs intimate sets from established and emerging musicians, a small cellar venue that sets the Duke apart from the village's other pubs.
Real ale is the order here. CAMRA reviewers have noted cask beers including Doom Bar and Purity Gold on rotation, with pints around six and a half pounds.
For more than a pint, book the basement jazz club. The Nudge highlights the cellar sessions as the pub's standout draw, a proper live room hidden below a 300-year-old bar.
The crowd is Hampstead locals, walkers down from the Heath, and jazz fans booked into the cellar, an older and quieter set than central London.
What to order
- 01
A pint of cask ale
- 02
A pint of Doom Bar or Purity Gold
- 03
A ticket to the Hampstead Jazz Club
- 04
A whisky after the Heath
