The Bull & Last Hotel

London, England

For all of its metropolis credentials, London is also abundant in green spaces compared with many cities, and Hampstead Heath – all 320 hectares of it – is the prime example of an oasis amid the urban landscape. On one edge of this city-countryside, there’s the listed Kenwood House, with a collection of art that includes a Rembrandt, and then dotted around you have the lidos and endless walks.

And, in prime position to explore it all, you have The Bull & Last. It’s got a history dating back some 300 years, but it’s been considerably spruced up since those early days and it now comes with seven perfectly furnished rooms – after a refurb in 2018 – and a food offering lauded by critics and awards alike.

Food wise, it’s doing what you expect a quality pub to do: chips are triple-cooked, chicken is cooked in buttermilk, all the steaks and fish come with a county of origin prefix, and there’s sticky toffee pudding on the dessert menu. They also do some sharers, including a fish board where house-cured gravalax shares plate-space with brown crab and haddock croquettes, and even the classic soup and sandwich gets pimped up, for example pairing a spiced parsnip soup with braised beef and Taleggio toastie. In short, it’s got the lot.

Doubles from £150. 020 7267 3641, thebullandlast.co.uk

Words by Alex Mead.

This review was taken from the 250th issue of Food and Travel. To subscribe today, click here.