The Delights of Hampstead

Let me begin by stating again for the record - categorically, emphatically, unequivocally - that this is NOT a food blog.

Heh. Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, let’s talk about where I was earlier tonight, for I was in delightful Hampstead for dinner and more with my Monday Night Dining Club. And it turned out to be a most enjoyable evening, as always.

There was a desolate and windswept feel to the streets of Hampstead, with hardly anyone around. Was it because it was a Monday night? Was it because it was winter? Was it because it was dreary and rainy? Perhaps. But the good food we had made up for everything.

Our first stop was the Horseshoe, a nice gastropub on Heath Street, less than five minutes away from the Hampstead Tube station. There, I helped myself to a nice serving of fried pollock with potatoes. There’s also a microbrewery located in the basement, where summer ale is produced, which comes with a nice flowery taste.

The décor of the Horseshoe was clean and modern, with large tables widely spaced apart, not too noisy, and cheerful service staff. But we didn’t linger there for long, although the conversation was brilliant. For we just had to go seek out our next destination.

La Crêperie de Hampstead is a delightful little gem of this area. Tucked in a corner, near to a pub, it’s known as the one place in London to go to if you’re hungering for authentic French crepes. How authentic? Well, even the two ladies behind the counter spoke French with each other. And the taste of what they produce certainly reminds me of my time in France, where there are crepes aplenty.

The Hampstead Crêperie is located in a simple, nondescript stand, but its renown reaches far, and on busier occasions, you get a long queue of hungry, crepe-deprived souls snaking around the corner. For they’ve been drawn by the legendary menu, which comes with both buckwheat crepes, with an assortment of fillings, to the sweeter dessert crepes, which was what I was after.

We were luckier this time, for there was barely a line of people waiting. I was first introduced to this place in the summer of 2003, when I was last in London, and resolved thereafter to return one day. And here I was again. It’s great to be back.

I started with the simple Crepe Suzette, which came with powered sugar, honey and lemon. But that’s ain’t enough. Went for a second one – this time ordering the classic crepe with nutella. Now we’re talkin'. This was good stuff, starting the week on a very good note indeed.