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 Duke of Hamilton is in Hampstead, London.
Get Directions Ask Our TeamThe 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.
It runs busiest at weekends and on jazz nights. Midweek afternoons are calm, which suits a post-walk pint.
Cask ale in a 300-year-old village pub.
The Hampstead Jazz Club runs below the bar.
This is an ale pub, not a cocktail bar.
More across the city in our best bars in London and best craft beer bars in London guides. Browse the London pubs, London Bar Guide, Hampstead bars, or find pubs near me.
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