Bull and Last

The Bull and Last is just opposite Parliament Hill on Hampstead Heath, and seems popular at lunch time with dog walkers dropping in for a bite to eat or for a drink at the bar. The menu has the kind of pub dishes that you might expect, with some slightly more exotic offerings too. For example, there was grilled asparagus with hen’s egg with Berkswell cheese, pea shoots and a herb vinaigrette.

I wrote about the wine list in my previous review. It is quite short in length but with tolerable pricing markups, and with an emphasis on natural wine choices such as Sybille Kuntz Riesling, a Mosel producer who has been making organic wine since the 1990s. 

Pork teriyaki was made with Middlewhite pork, served with smoked eel, pickled radish, sesame and coriander. This was very enjoyable, the slight sweetness of the teriyaki sauce being a nice pairing for the pork and eel, with the pickled radish providing some sharpness to balance the natural richness of the meat (14/20).

Haddock and chips came with minted peas and tartare sauce the batter made with beer and being crisp and golden, the fish carefully cooked. The triple cooked chips were very good too, suitably crisp and adequately seasoned (14/20). 

For dessert I just had a plate of cheese, which was in good condition. Coffee here is from Climpsons in east London, one of the better London roasters. The bill came to £84 per person including some nice wine, but you could eat for less than this if you chose a cheaper drinks option. Service was extremely good, the manageress being thoughtful and friendly. The Bull and Last is a very appealing place to eat.

Further reviews: 15th Feb 2023 | 12th Oct 2014 | 17th Oct 2011