Freemasons Arms
our comments
Where does one go in London for a simple pint of beer and packet of dry roast, nowadays? The newly and lavishly furnished Freemason’s Arms in Hampstead is yet another fine example of the boutique-style restaurant boozer that seems to be taking over the more well-to-do boroughs of the capital.
Now don’t get me wrong. I can think of far worse places to settle down with a glass of white beer, after a brisk stroll on Hampstead Heath less than a stone’s throw away, than in the Freemason’s opulent bar, with its soft brown leather chairs and poufs, cow-hide rugs and bespoke aluminum tables. And the bare oak wooden tables and chairs, neutral earth-tone colour scheme, tasteful art objects and dim atmospheric lighting of the dining area certainly make for a stylish and attractive space in which to enjoy the restaurant’s culinary offerings. It’s just not how I remember pubs being, that’s all, even posh ones in Hampstead. Anyway, enough of the bar stool rant ...
To be fair, with a guest book that boasts Sienna Miller, Victoria Beckham and Liam Gallagher among its former patrons, you might expect the Freemason’s to make something of an effort in its appearance and the well-dressed crowd on our visit most certainly had. With gutsy platefuls such as ham hock terrine with piccalilli and soda bread on the menu, or lamb shank with chorizo and a pea and mint mash, the place clearly has one eye on the high-end gastro-pub market - although it also serves a range of pastas, pizzas and sharing plates for the less gastronomically inclined. So, does the Freemason’s deliver the goods?
For the most part, yes. My starter of seared pigeon was tender if a shade overdone for my liking; the sharpness of the accompanying blood orange salad perfectly offset by the earthy sweetness of the plump roasted beetroot on the side. Devilled mushrooms on toast with crisp pancetta was gratifyingly homely, if a little over-salted; ‘like something Delia would cook,’ my companion said approvingly.
For mains, a whole plaice meunierre with lobster-infused garlic butter consisted of a fine, meaty fillet of fish, but the accompanying sautéed new potatoes were too oily and a side of spinach and red pepper sat a little incongruously with the rest of the dish. Spit roast chicken was a little dry and came with a slightly bitter chasseur sauce, and though the accompanying fat chips were good they were definitely not the promised ‘frites’ stated on the menu.
Things picked up with the puds, with a delectable pear poached in Sailor Jerry’s vanilla infused rum with Greek yoghurt, the sweetness of the fruit and liqueur undercut by the sharp but not overpowering background note of cloves. Meanwhile, a dense rich sticky toffee pudding fell just the right side of ‘from the tin’ stodginess. Mmmmmm. We washed it all down with a decent bottle of Rascal Tempranillo 2005, selected on her recent visit by Lady Beckham herself, according to friendly restaurant manager, Stewart.
All in all, a decent meal, although perhaps not yet quite up to the top-notch gastro-pub standards set by the Horseshoe, just up the hill. However, if it’s a leisurely afternoon hanging out with Hampstead’s glitterati set you fancy, head on down to the Freemason’s. Just remember to put on your best threads.
M.D. - October 2007
your comments review this restaurant and win a bottle of champagne
Since the renovation, this pub has gone the way of many of the butchered atmospheric pub to become..... the same as everyone else. Don't get me wrong, it's very nice to look at and it's all very tasteful. But it's not unique. There is no soul - only pastel.
I took my parents here for my mum's birthday and, thankfully, the food was spot on. I won't go into details about what was ordered, etc - only that we were happy in this respect.
So where did it go wrong? Well, it started with the table booking itself. I was told no table was available at the time I requested, so I took an earlier table. At the time I requested, only 2 or 3 of the many tables were occupied, so I'm not sure what they were talking about there.
At the end of our meal, we were asked to leave the table as they needed it for the next set of guests. Many of the tables around us were still unoccupied.
Then came the gobsmacking moment. When paying the bill, they asked me directly if I wanted to leave a tip. This is no-one's place to ask but I decided to leave one anyway. Then they took 6 (yes six) attempts to process my card, making me enter my pin each time. When the payment was finally processed, I noticed I had been subtly overcharged. For this, I obviously demanded a refund and return of my tip for being so cheeky. The refund took two further attempts. The manager was very blasé about the fact that my mum's birthday was being run into the ground on the final hurdle.
So I give 1 point for service because they did bring the food out.
When we left about 15 minutes later, the table we had occupied had still not been taken by the next guests. So there was no need for us to be moved on in such a hurry after all.
The following day, my credit card company confirmed the bill, but no refund. Several emails later, the management of the pub had chased the refund but said I needed to wait up to 14 days for it.
No compensation was offered for the time I had to spend chasing this up or the fact that this ruined a special occasion.
By all means go here, but please please please use a credit card. At least that way you have greater protection from any unfortunate "sleight of hand" (or what they like to call "genuine mistakes") when it comes to paying the bill. Oh, and have a thick skin for the prospect of being bullied off your table.
Otherwise, the food's good.
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Alan Ingham - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating 
Food 9 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 5 | Value for money 5
Monday, November 19, 2007
