The Spaniards Inn

Hold onto your pint glasses, because The Spaniards Inn in London isn't just another pub - it's basically time travel with beer. This legendary London watering hole has been serving up good times since before America was even a thing (yeah, THAT old), and somehow it's still the coolest spot in Hampstead Heath to transform your "quick drink" into an epic evening.

Look, I'm not saying Charles Dickens wrote here because the vibes were immaculate (but he totally did). And I'm definitely not suggesting that Dick Turpin used this place as his hideout because it was the perfect blend of cozy and mysterious (but also yes). What I AM saying is that this pub has literally centuries of legendary nights under its belt, and it's still bringing the magic.

The outside garden area? ABSOLUTELY MASSIVE. We're talking fairy lights twinkling over picnic tables, perfect for those summer evenings when you say you'll have "just one" and end up watching the sunset with your new best friends. And in winter? Picture yourself by one of those crackling fireplaces, plotting world domination over a Sunday roast that'll make your mum jealous.

Speaking of food - holy moly. The Spaniards Inn isn't playing around with their menu. Their fish and chips could make a food critic weep, and the Sunday roast? It's the kind of meal that makes you want to start a religion around Yorkshire puddings. Plus, they've got vegetarian options that could convert a carnivore (temporarily, at least).

But here's the real tea about The Spaniards Inn, London style: it's got LAYERS. Want a romantic date spot? Snag one of those cozy corners with the vintage wood paneling. Rolling deep with the squad? The beer garden's your playground. Need to impress your history buff friends? Drop casual facts about how Keats probably wrote poetry here while nursing an ale.

The drink selection is basically a liquid library of happiness. We're talking proper ales that taste like they were brewed by angels, wines that'll make you feel fancy without bankrupting you, and cocktails that somehow taste even better because you're drinking them in a place where highwaymen once plotted their heists.

Let's talk insider intel: Book ahead for Sunday roast - trust me on this one. The place gets more packed than the Tube during rush hour, but in a good way. They take reservations, and you want to be that smug person walking past the waiting crowds. Pro tip: If you're driving (though why would you when there's all this delicious beer?), there's actually decent parking, which in London is rarer than a unicorn riding a dragon.

The staff here? They're like your coolest friends who happen to know everything about beer and food. They'll guide you to your perfect pint, share some local gossip, and probably tell you a ghost story or two - because yeah, this place is supposedly haunted. But like, haunted in a cool way.

Here's the situation: The Spaniards Inn is in this perfect sweet spot where Hampstead Heath meets properly historic London. You can literally make a whole day of it - wander the Heath, work up an appetite, then crash into this gorgeous pub for the kind of evening that people write songs about.

Listen, I'm not saying you HAVE to drop everything and head to The Spaniards Inn right now... but if you're in London and you don't, you're basically telling future you "Nah, I don't want to experience one of the city's most iconic pubs where literal HISTORY happened between pints." Don't do future you dirty like that. Get yourself to Hampstead and prepare for your new favorite London story to begin!