An area that we had been meaning to visit for a long time but never got done was Highgate and Hampstead. This wasn't the original plan but then plans changed and whilst on the train Rich and I decided to meet at the Nell Gwyn at Charing Cross to re-evaluate. Been there many times before, small pub, four beers, cosy, treacherous steps down to the toilet. A good place to think though and Highgate was decided on, being easy to access by Northern line.

After a shortish ride on the tube talking about the plight of Southampton FC under Claude Puel, we alighted at Highgate and rewarded ourselves with a pint at the Woodman just yards from the station entrance. They had a total of 6 beers on, none of which I wrote down, but they must have been reasonable but not outstanding (e.g. Tribute, Bombardier etc). Come to think of it they might have had one more unusual one on. Pub itself was one of these large sprawling places that seems to attract large groups wanting to dine. Despite this, it was perfectly pleasant.

Walking up the hill away from the station, we cut through a passage to the Bull. This was one of the best of the day. This was also a gastropub but a little higher class and less busy, and it had huge light and airy windows. More importantly it had its own microbrewery on site, though only 4 beers on, but they were good, if a little pricey. Excellent toilets too. A pub to linger in.

A little way up the road was the Wrestlers, a much more old school establishment, much more our sort of pub. Decor more basic, traditional, lots of wood, and only three beers on (but good ones!). Make no mistake though, this place is still pretty high class and has a 'kitchen' for those wanting the gastro experience. The Red Lion and Sun just up the road was yet another gastro pub, this time with traditional fixtures and fittings painted over with light pastel paint. Nice garden out the front with some excellent secluded booths where we each enjoyed one of their four beers on offer. It seemed a little less in your face than other gastros that we have frequented.

Down some quaint back street was the uber-traditional Flask, steeped in history. Busy as one might expect, with a nice garden, nooks and crannies in the interior and six well-kept Fullers beers. Maybe just a little bit too touristy and therefore pricey. Back into the centre of Highgate and in complete contrast, but in some respects superior, the Prince of Wales. This small salt of the earth pub had four beers available and apparently no allegiance to any particular brewery. Friendly too and the sort of place that one could quite happily spend an evening in, popping into the no-frills toilets from time to time.

The Angel is a gastropub in a traditional building serving craft beers. Nuff said? Perhaps, but it was pretty decent with 5 beers and I am pretty sure that it wasn't as crafty and has had a makeover in the interval between visit and writing. Nice building, long bar, big windows. Yet a bit formulaic. Still, there are a lot worse places to have a few beers. But there are better places too and one such example was the Duke's Head, over the road in the village centre, with a whopping 8 beers on. proper ones too, in much simpler and smaller surroundings, yet still with the air of a smart gastropub. This would be more preferable surroundings in which to have a drink.

Rich had some sort of application on his cellular telephone that tracked omnibus arrival times and so one minute before it arrived we left to catch the bus at the stop over the road. This took us to the famous and quite frankly too touristy Spaniards on Hampstead Heath. But, steeped in history, we had to pay it a visit and to be fair it is a splendid pub and there weren't that many others there who did not have a clue how pubs work to get in our way. We sat in the garden which must be truly awful on a sunny Summer Sunday. Decent beer on offer too, although at the time of writing they seem to have gone all craft beer, but sadly the peacocks were missing.

A bus and a quick brisk walk got us to the Holly Bush in Hampstead, a quaint Fullers pub on a backstreet. Gastropub again, with several rooms, some of which seemed more reserved for diners, others less so and very traditional with a Victorian feel. Decent Fuller's beer plus some randoms thrown in provided a great selection. Very little outdoor space however is a minor problem on a nice day.

We navigated ourselves down the hill into West Hampstead and a quite different venue, the pleasingly 80s named Czechoslovak Restaurant. This was a curious place, a whole house on several floors set up as a meeting place for Czechoslovakians and other Eastern Europeans, thus performing more functions than just as a bar. We decided to have a couple of Pilsner Urquells there which slipped down very well, and enjoyed observing fellow drinkers speaking in a language that we did not understand. Good snacks and authentic food available too, though we had no time for that. Jog back to West Hampstead to the Jubilee line and I alighted at Baker Street for one final brisk walk to Marylebone for my train.