Old White Bear (ex Ye Olde White Bear), Hampstead  

Formerly the most homely pub in the area, Ye Olde White Bear closed in late 2009. We said at the time that we feared it would join the ranks of overtly aspirational, expensive and underwhelming establishments which have crept into the area when it reopened. Well, that is exactly what happened. Every inch of charm has been entirely eviscerated. Stripped back to the plaster, out has gone the wood panelling, the six ales and the ambience. It's clear that a lot of money was spend on the refurbishment, what with extravagances such as the marble topped bar. The heavy wooden furniture would look pretty good in any back garden, but here, in this poor old pub, it was a cross between an All Bar One and a backdrop to a BBC2 cookery programme; it looks contrived in its staged, rigid conformity. The black shirt, uniformed staff bordered on the sarcastic and food prices edged towards the mid teens. It was hard to see what was on offer to drink, as the two pumps appeared to be ornamental. However upon asking we discovered that they dispensed London Pride. Barely able to contain our excitement, we wondered whether this was the usual procedure: ale by appointment only. You might gather we didn't like it here, not only for ruining a great pub, but because on its own merits it's now downright depressing. Drinking in Hampstead is nowadays a mere shadow of its former self, with more and more pubs refurbishing themselves unsympathetically. Coupled with the possibility of nearby Duke of Hamilton closing, the punishment meted out to the Olde White Bear is another nail in the coffin of a once lovely area.

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