The Stag | Pub in Belsize Park, Hampstead London

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Had a really lovely visit to The Stag. The spice bags were excellent perfectly seasoned and very moreish and the martinis were beautifully made and nicely balanced. The atmosphere was warm and welcoming, and the service was friendly throughout. A great spot in Belsize Park for good food and well-made drinks. Would happily return.

Hosted my 30th Birthday dinner party in their private room upstairs and I’m so glad I chose The Stag! It was such a beautiful space with its own private terrace, everyone was blown away by how nicely it had been set up. The food was delicious and great value for money. The service was impeccable, we all felt like VIPs with our own private hostess who never let us have empty glasses - she was so friendly and attentive and she really made the night even more special. 10/10 space if you ever need to host a party!

The stag is iconic. The back garden is to die for. Extensive beer list (ciders too). I have never had a bad meal here and I’ve tried half the menu. Just make sure you reserve a table if you’re going for dinner. Nothing worse than showing up and there are no free tables.

Went for a Sunday lunch on 22nd February with 11 people. We pre-ordered and the food was very very good. Service was excellent and felt nothing was too much. Table service for drinks as well. Overall, excellent experience and would fully recommend.

Been going to the Stag for years. The BEST wings in town. But today we randomly ordered the Lamb chops… OMG they were amazing - fat massive things and amazing Greek salad with it! Honestly can’t fault this place. With the amazing manager sorting the tables that always makes anything possible and today we had the lovely Leo who was a local customer come staff member! Always feel welcome at the Stag, and will always leave with a happy smile! Thanks again!

Food is pretty good amongst the likes of pubs. I tried some of the fish & chips, chicken schnitzel, chicken wings. They were all on par. Portions are also good. This old establishment in Belsize Park has quite a lot of character & is a popular haunt with a lot of locals & young professionals. I went there twice, both with big groups. First time upstairs in their special room for catering & second time in the garden. The spaces are good for what they are. Service can be a little hit & miss as it is so busy. But I must add staff are joyful & helpful.

Been a couple of times now, the spicy martini is a personal fave, alongside the wings. The spice bag was a TREAT! Highly recommend sticky toffee cookie, compliment it with an espresso martini for banging mix. Team is pretty on point to. Everything you want in a pub. Good food. Good people good vibes. Go on! Get going!

This is a family run pub, a concept I really like. They are known for their extensive beer selection including 3 cask beers and countless kegs. They had a large whisky selection, I opted for a double Balvenie 12 year old at £14. They have a large beer garden and have recently opened the upstairs area, including balcony (mainly for functions but open to all on Sundays). They offer a typical pub food menu at reasonable prices for the area (their Sunday roast gets good reviews). They have live music, comedy etc (check their website for details). Check out their special deal, £3 for a cask pint from 5pm on Mondays. The service was excellent, both friendly and informative. Don't be put off by the black exterior, this pub is well worth a visit.

Came for Sunday roast and it was excellent. The roasted chicken was perfectly cooked. Great option in this neighborhood.

Regretful to write this review almost a year after my last visit. Better late than never right? This spot is a regular for a few friends of mine and even better that we staying only a block away on our visit. Most memorable thing for me as American here is finally able to enjoy a beer at a British pub. This place is huge. Inside has over 30+ seat from bar and booth and outside has tons of bench table as well as covered booth. Best time to come is night hour. Since this is an after meal drink, I unfortunately only get to try two of their long list of beers. Going for about 5 to 6 pound each, I think it is pretty reasonable. Beside two tourists (us), this place is packed with mostly locals and young professionals. For sure will visit again on my return.

Wonderful salad and great chicken. Staff was attentive, kind, and responsible. Happy to part with our money here.

What a find on a lazy Sunday holiday afternoon in London. I was staying nearby with a friend and a quick search on Yelp for nearby places to eat suggested The Stag as a possible option. First impression was that it was a warm, inviting English pub, quite dark interior but immaculate and a great atmosphere. We were greeted at the door by a friendly staff member who asked us if we would prefer to be seated inside or outside. As it was a beautiful day we chose to go outside to the (huge) outdoor area. The sides of which were lined with large individual snugs, perfect for a small party and the centre was filled with long trestle tables with lots of families, young and old enjoying their Sunday lunches. Our (ridiculously) cheerful waiter took our drinks orders and answered our questions about the menu, he was very entertaining and we guessed from the off, a big Game of Thrones fan as every time he passed he was humming the opening credits tune!! The drinks took 15 mins to arrive. I had house cider, it was delicious. The food took quite some time to arrive, and we were seriously hungry!! It was worth the wait though. We split traditional scotch eggs which were just perfectly cooked and so tasty, accompanied with spicy English mustard. "Macballs" - rolled balls of macaroni and cheese, breaded and deep fried and served with a chipotle sauce were a revelation and now my new mission to try to recreate! For mains my friend had Mac and cheese - oozy goodness with a crisp topping and really tasty cheese sauce and I had a cheese burger with fries which was amazingly tasty but defeated me half way through!! (The waiter kindly packed up our leftovers to snack on later!!) We couldn't resist trying the homemade "Rolos". Died and gone to food heaven!! Crisp dark chocolate shells filled with rich homemade caramel sauce and ganache. Outstanding. The bill came to £47, which I felt was reasonable given the quality of the food and The Stag will be high on my list of recommendations for London and on my list to revisit next trip!

This is one of my favourite pubs to bring friends to, especially when it's their first visit to London. I can rely on them being impressed by the menu, and by the selection of beers and ciders on tap. There's always plenty to choose from, and there's a chalkboard up on the wall as you walk in with the days' selection, so you can grab a seat and study it before heading to the bar. The inside seating area is cosy and comfortable, and surprisingly bright for a darkly painted room! The beer garden out at the back is the hidden gem though. There's "cabana" style seating around the edge of the garden, with heaters for when London isn't currently in the midst of a heatwave, and plenty of regular pub tables filling up the rest of the area. There's an outside bar, and in summer they often sell food from the outdoor grill. If you're a meat eater, the Stag Cheeseburger will change your life. It's amazing. For the vegetarians, the mac and cheese is to die for, and for the vegans, the superfood salad is delicious. I've always enjoyed whatever food I've eaten here, so whatever you pick off the menu, you can't go wrong.

We've been there several times and have always enjoyed ourselves. They have a fab beer garden which is covered and has been a godsend during Covid times. The menu is varied and very yummy! Though they always seem to be missing items on the menu due to selling out. The pizzas are great and I recommend ordering a couple and sharing with friends. Great year round.

After a morning tramping around the Heath, capped by some craziness at the adventure playground, our whole family was hungry, and the adults were in need of a pint. We followed the yelp recommendations to this place, and I am glad that we did. The weather was perfect for sitting in the back garden, and the service out there was prompt and friendly. Two of us ordered off of the main menu (tomato and mozzarella salad and fish/chips/peas), and two of us from the menu of the day (roast beef sandwich and a Toulouse hot dog). The salad was a little odd - it had a lot more greens and fewer tomatoes than we expected - but it still tasted fresh and good. The fish and chips were typical, but well executed. The two specials were fantastic! The Toulouse hotdog was more like a bratwurst, and covered with caramelized onions, in a crusty split roll. The RB sandwich (my meal) was the essence of summer in a park. The meat was sliced so thin and was fork-tender, the bread was a rustic baguette, and there was a nice balance of horseradish and watercress on the sandwich. It also came with a small side of roasted rosemary potatoes, that were golden outside and fluffy inside. I had a pint of scrumpy with it, which finished off the picnic feel. (They also have a nice selection of real ales.) There are no kids allowed after 6, but it is great for a family before that time, so I can see this being a regular stop for us during a day on the Heath.

I've been here twice now, once for dinner during the week and once for drinks on the weekend. Both times the garden was packed with people giving a super fun and energetic vibe. The weather was beautiful but I did notice heaters for when it is cold, so I think this place would be fun year round. The wings were amazing both times and the many starters we shared as a group were excellent. I'm looking forward to heading back soon to try the burger that drifted by my eye last time. I'm guessing it's also delicious.

My local and it still does great food, but they've re-done the garden and it's even better. Now a can bar in the garden as well as BBQ (can get salt beef bagel or Stag Hot Dog, though I'd bet more to come in summer days), so no more queuing at the bar. Nice sun painting too which brightens the garden up a lot. Still very good selection of beers and wines and spirits inside. It's a Friday night (warm) and the garden is packed, though not so badly you can't sit somewhere. In the sumner it'll be rammed ... A huge improvement outside and quick BBQ/can service too. It can only get better

Meh. A nice pub but a little disappointing. I feel that the fairest way to evaluate this pub is in the pro/con format. Pro's: The décor is stylish, trendy but not outlandish. A wide range of bottled beers from around the world. A big beer garden. Food from the menu and a barbecue is often available. Con's: It's rather expensive. The service is a little slow. It's really rather expensive. It rained when I was in the beer garden. It really is rather expensive. Alright, it's not the most expensive place in the land but when you're paying around £5 - and in some cases a couple of pounds more - for bottles (less than a pint!) it just seems wrong. The same with the food, it's standard pub grub but you'll pay the same as you would in a decent restaurant. That's not altogether uncommon but that still doesn't make it right. The food is OK and the beer is good but... well, I'm sure you can guess. An OK pub, nice but no real reason to make the effort to go back. Meh, Ian

The stag was not a bar that I would have thought of to go if it weren't for being dragged there by yelp friends that I had met that day, but I am glad they dragged me. The inside of the pub wasn't anything impressive. a little cramped and nothing special, but then we discovered the GARDEN! (cue angels singing:ahhhhh) It was AMAZING! it was double the size of the pub, and had all these fun alcoves with couches and wooden tables, and some amazing greenery and palm trees (which all californians like) I have to admit that I didn't drink that much, but they did seem to have a pretty cool selection of obscure beers. and I saw they had a fun looking BBQ booth set up in the backyard, which I would totally dig on a nice sunny London day... which I hear happen at some point....

The beer garden is beautiful and this pub has recently created an upstairs area which can be rented out for private functions. With heaters and private booths in the garden this place hits the spot whether its mid winter or high summer. Summer sun spells BBQ time as well! Hip hip hooray! I can highly recommend the Stag burger which comes on a wooden chopping board (rustic) as well as their Sunday roast. I've always envied those who order the whole chicken and share it out- looks mouthwatering. I have tried the beef and pork belly- both tasted incredible and sorted out the Sunday brunch hangover!

Firstly i'd like to say that i want to give this place a good review. I really do. But i can't. The Stag is painted a rather scary black from the outside. I walked straight through to the garden where my friend had reserved a booth for his birthday. The outside area is quite large with booths around the outside and benches in the centre on pebbles which are quite hard to walk on. Each booth has it's own overhead light and electric heater and is covered just in case of rain! There was a live DJ playing a nice mix of music for a sunny Saturday evening, but it was so LOUD!!! It forced our group to split off into pairs as you could only hear the person next to you talking. This is the main thing that really put a dampener on the evening as we wanted to go to a pub where we could chat. If we wanted an evening that was all about the music we would have gone to a club. The service was quite hit and miss. It's table service so we ordered a jug of Pimms and some beers and opened a tab which made things easier for the next rounds. While we were waiting for these to arrive several other waitresses came to take a drinks order. We were initially impressed but then this got annoying. Surely things would run smoother if each waitress looked after their own section? In the end we ended up waiting 20 mins for the drinks. The bar staff were already overwhelmed by 7pm! Later in the evening we waited 30mins for 2 pints which never turned up and received a bottle of rose instead of the white we had ordered. At 10.30pm we were asked to go in to order our own drinks as the bar staff were overrun. There was a BBQ area and one of our group ordered a lamb burger with yoghurt dressing which looked and smelt fantastic, but he was surprised that for £7ish it didn't come with chips. I went for a cheese and bacon burger (from the kitchen) which came with a small portion of fries and was average for the price. Both meals were lukewarm by the time they arrived as the wait staff wandered around the garden looking for the numbered wooden spoon in a pint glass and often overlooked it. I think they wouldn't have struggled so much if each table/ booth had it's own number. It's such a shame that somewhere with a great potential for al fresco drinking/dining doesn't come up to scratch. I really hope they pull their boots up and improve for next summer.

This place has one of the best beer gardens I have ever been to. No, it is not massive and open and full of wonderful plants and parasols and all that jazz. Yes, it does have covered booths on all 4 sides, it has an area where live music is played, it is quite spacious yet feels quite intimate and enclosed, a really nice feel. The bar area is nicely decorated, quite an upmarket feel to it and I have to say that there were loads of bar staff working which meant the queues at the bar were always present, but went down quickly as the bar staff worked like maniacs (in a good way). Have to applaud that, nothing infuriates people more than to stand in a massive, slow moving queue and seeing little hustle from the bar staff - I tip my hat to you guys. I know this is Hampstead, I know a bar has to make a profit and all, but £8.50 for a small bottle of Belgian beer? Come on guys, how much of a mark-up do you need? Those high prices really take the shine off it, and turn this place to an 'occasional visit' rather than a 'regular local'.

I would marry these wings and bring them back to America if I could! Was recommended going here by a tall handsome gentleman and now I know he's tall handsome and honest! Just do yourself a favor and get the wings. Fine get a drink as well but definitely get the wings!

Heralded by a dear friend as the best place to go following a sun-picnic day on the Heath. We strolled into this lovely spot at 6 on a Sunday. Its got one of the most fantastic smoking areas I've seen in a long time, and with the weather of the day, it was packed! Picnic tables and little booths on a veranda that encircles the main outdoor area. They put out lanterns on the tables when it gets dark and there are some cool lamps above the tables on the veranda. Rumoured by my companions to have one of the best Sunday Roast's this side of London - a fact I'm sorry to say I can't guarantee yet. However I did delve for the first time into a scotch egg. Amazing! Reasonably priced too. There is table service and you can easily set up a tab at the bar, so you literally don't have to move an inch from your table. As I plan to make a habit of Sun Sunday's on the Heath, I think The Stag is definitely going to become a new haunt.

Don't be fooled, the Stag isn't just your average pub! Exit the back door and you'll enter a big beer garden. It's super spacious and offers a nice alternative to the pub itself. The food menu isn't all that impressive, but no one said it was a restaurant.

I'm not hugely impressed by this pub. Initial impressions were favourable. I like dimly lit places and I also love places with a beer menu, even an expensive looking one. However the black sheep ale was so vinegary you probably could have had it on your chips. Sent my pint back and got something else, which they accepted, which is nice at least. They even stopped serving it for a while but after a tattooed supervisor decided it tasted fine they put it back on again which is a disgrace as a few other people tried it and agreed that it was dodgy. For that reason I will not be back to this place, beer menu or no. For putting the dodgy ale back onit has to get just 1 star! Shame.

The Stag Pub is a lovely pub, has a great atmophere. They have obviously put some work into it and the effort shows. There is a very comfy upstairs area (which I believe is new) and on Sunday evenings there is live music up there. The crowd was a good one and the room a good set up for the intimate acoustic sets played. For the summer there is a large garden that they have BBQ's in as well. There seems a good selection of bears, wines and spirits and a food menu but I have yet to have a chance to try it myself. Bar staff have always been friendly and efficient. So all in all a great place to spend a couple hours.

I do wish this was my local. The food is lovely; big portions and and interesting selection including platters to share. Go early on a Sunday for the roast as the chicken can sell out. The music is nice but not intrusive and the crowd are a mixed bunch and friendly enough. I went with a large group and they let us stay at our table longer than planned, moving the next party to an alternative table. They were also very happy for us to pay contributions to the bill separately which saved a lot of hassles splitting the bill. Would definitely venture back when I'm nearby to try out the steak night.

I wavered between 3 and 4 stars for this place. It can be a great pub. Minuses (only starting with these as there are more pluses): pretentious doorman (although depending on the fellow, can be nice guys--- more the fact that The Stag has one than the doormen themselves), inconsistent food (sometimes great, sometimes... not), inconsistent bar staff (some are great, some are... not). Pluses: mixed crowds (great variation and often across demographics, particularly on quieter evenings), themed nights, solid beer selection (plus they offer champagne-tequila!), nice & large outdoor space (with little nooks and crannies), perfect volume of music, dogs welcome.

Took Thomas A's advice (below) and got the Greek board and then added a cheese board from the selections of the week. Good for starters - great steaks, lamb shanks were fabulous, too. And of course, great beer and good wine.

Love this pub! Food is delicious and they do a 2 for 1 on lunch mains on a Tuesday! Really lovely walled garden with greenery at the back! Highly recommend it.

While you are having dinner, no one lets you know you won't be able to get dessert because the kitchen closes at 10 on a Saturday, probably busiest day of the week. Really hard to understand

A gentleman who used to live in the neighborhood recommended this place and I'm so glad we followed his advice. This was the best pub lunch we had during our trip to London. The beef and ale pie had a flaky crust, tender meat, and tasty gravy. The cheeseburger was juicy. We were told we could get our food faster if we went for the BBQ items, but we got our choices quickly - once our waiter took our order. He admitted he'd forgotten about us! Maybe he got us our food quickly to make up for the oversight! We sat outside in the beautiful patio out back. The whole experience was worth the 15-minute walk from where were in the center of town, but it's just a 5-minute walk from the Belsize station.

Impressive beer list with good representation from most of the major beer-brewing countries. Had about five beers and each one was served in the correct branded serving glass/pint. Had the mac and cheese with spinach and it was outstanding even for something to so simple! Great selection of cheeses as well! Massive garden with covered areas and heaters for those chilly nights. Came on a Wednesday while there was some live music complete with an outdoor soundsystem so everyone could hear. Great place to stop by if you're in the area to grab a few pints.

What a bar... I'm not talking about the quality of the beer (a very well kept black sheep though), nor the fine toilets, but the garden is a joy, spacious and well apointed, with great little alcoves, it was ace, perhaps it was the quality of the company (dragged along from a yelp event), perhaps the nice beer, but all that can be said is this was a great place to finish of a wonderfully random day!

£15 steak and chips might very well be the best 'I'm treating myself' lunch deal in Hampstead at the moment. It isn't one of those tiny minute steaks you get elsewhere either... get it! get it now!

I can't rave enough about The Stag. Foodwise it has a pub menu approach which is executed with gourmet flair, and they've got a great selection of wines, lagers and ales. This place is worthy of taking friends you want to impress as well as an unashamed boozing session with your beery mates. Grab a seat in their garden, and this will soon become your local. Even if you live in Croydon.

Watched the final of the euro there. Back garden is fabutastic. So nice and bands was playing. The chicken wings were or of this world and I can't remember eating that badly in front of a date Bet selection is awesome, wine a tad less. Lots of hipsters which is always a great eye candy. Waiters are totally part of the entertainment

Great steaks on a Thursday evening, although a bit on the expensive side... Beer, a little on the heavily priced side...

The food is fine the atmosphere nice. We were greeted cheerily when we walked through the door. This is what I can say for the experience without being negative. The service from there on was typically British.. rude and entitled. A party of thirty people we spent more than enough money to expect basic courteous service, but alas no. Half the group ordered food, the other half chose to wait and have drinks. An hour later when we asked to put the second order through the first order hadn't come so we asked very politely how long would it be. The response astounded us 'you weren't all ordering and I didn't want to have to put in two orders so I scrapped it.' It apparently it inconvenienced them to have to put in two orders so they unilaterally decided to ignore our fist order without telling us. Thoroughly confused when told this but remaining imminently polite we asked how long it would take. 'The same time as the rest of the order' was the horrifying response we were met with! Once again, an expectedly awful service experience in London. Sorry we inconvenienced you with our business. My only hope for this country are the immigrants, hopefully they take every job from every entitled Brit because frankly that's the only decent service I ever receive here. Off to benefit street with the rest of you! At least you'll be out of the way.

Visited here in early June 2012 over the weekend of the Queen's 60th Jubilee. Was here for my cousin's friend's birthday party. This beer garden has an excellent friendly atmosphere with a spacious bar inside and plenty of space in the back with lots of booths if the weather is doing well. Not too far from the tube stop, good drinks but somewhat pricey. Would visit again.

The refurb of this place is great and they also have good tunes playing. However, the crowd can be a bit pretencious and it seems to have become a "destination pub" and caters to visitors rather than locals.

This pub was refurbished a few years ago and it's a lot better now - even the menu has undergone a revamp ! This is a great place for meeting with friends in the summer as they have a lovely garden with a great BBQ and delicious fresh burgers and sausages. I 've seen a couple of the music guests playing there and it offers a nice, intimate atmosphere. There are some funny comedy nights and also a regular quiz whcih is always fun. I'm not really a pub person but I am often here !

A evening at The Stag is time to relax. The service is nice and friendly. The dish was delicious. The atmosphere was brilliant. Every time again.

I LOVE THIS PLACE We go there nearly every week end with the kids, the staff is very nice to them and doesnt say anything wether we are outside in the (very cool) garden and the kids run around and even play with stones and disturb the other custumers, or inside where they run a bit around or spill their drink. Staff is always nice, polite and warm with them We also go there at noght, very cool ambiance, fun themes of quizz on wednesdays usually and very good selections of bands to play live (friday or saturdays) Food: Very good sirloin, amazing whole roasted chicken, excellent selection of cheese (and I'm french!). If they had good bread it would just be heaven ! Parking is hard but there is a few buses, 2 tube lines, overground (Hampstead Heath at 5mn) and Nothern Line (Belsize Park 5mn too). Taxis easy to catch on Pond Street, 2mn walking.

I'm sure the meat dishes etc are nice but much more effort with vegetarian food please! I was there on Friday night, June 2012 and ordered the macaroni cheese, spinach extra £1! which makes it a £10 dish and it was the most disgusting tasteless watery dish I've ever eaten, I'd rather eat a macveggie burger any day and that's saying something.......

The place is absolutely appalling. However, unlike the American gentleman (Xan W.), I am actually a middle aged Englishman (public school and Cambridge educated ex City lawyer) who has lived in Belsize Park for over 15 years. I was at the Stag this afternoon while waiting for my golden retriever to be groomed. Astonishingly, having only had a couple of mild pints (one at 4% and one at 4.5%), I was told to leave on the basis that I was drunk!!! The chap who ejected me did so very rudely. He was someone called "Bruno," a fact that surely I wouldn't have registered had I been over the top... When I told the people at the dog groomers of my experience, they expressed a mixture of surprise (I plainly wasn't drunk) but also suggested that this kind of thing might be commonplace at the Stag. On reflection, I can only assume that Bruno saw me getting irritated with my mobile phone. Had he bothered to ask, I would have informed him that I'm not very good with mobiles, that I was having difficulty saving my wife's mobile number to contacts, and that the reason I was trying to do so was because we had literally just been informed that my sister-in-law has cancer and that she was under the knife at that very moment (part of a 5 hr operation as it turned out). Next time, Bruno, make enquiries. Don't assume that just because someone is middle aged, white and wearing dirty clothes (my dog walking clothes) that they are trouble makers. So apologies Xan W, but my impression of the matter is that Bruno and his friends don't like middle aged white men anymore than they like Americans. The Stag is a dump and is located in a dump of an area. There are many much nicer pubs in the NW3 area. Next time try the Washington (my local where, incidentally, I have never once been ejected during these past 15 yrs for any reason, let alone drunkenness!!!). They will take care of you. And as for middle aged English gentlemen such as myself, make sure you steer clear of the Stag as well!