Old Bull & Bush Hampstead

You're walking up N End Way on a Friday evening, past the Heath, and suddenly you're in one of those pubs that feels like it's been serving the same regulars since 1667 (it has). The Old Bull & Bush is all dark wood, low ceilings and that specific smell of real ale and old fireplaces that you either love or you're in the wrong place. The food is proper pub fare—nothing Instagram-worthy, everything actually good—and they take their ales seriously without being precious about it. This is where locals drink, not tourists hunting for authenticity.