Hampstead’s popular Bar Room Bar has had a facelift; yet the outcome is somewhat hit-and-miss. Its good value food and drink is let down by a less-than-lively patronage and confused layout, leaving overall anonymity where there may have been greatness.

The Venue
The Rosslyn Arms is wedged between Hampstead Heath and Hampstead tube stations, meaning it’s a 5-10 minute walk from either. The plus side of this is that you get to walk through Hampstead which, as most will tell you, is one of London’s most beautiful areas. The flipside, however, is you’ll probably walk past two or three livelier joints along the way.

The exterior is hardly wow material, favouring the paint-by-numbers obscurity of so many modern gastropubs nowadays. Upon arrival, you’ll no doubt be greeted with a warm smile from the staff, who appear to know they’ll have to impress to get punters in and pints flowing. You see, the Rosslyn Arms is a good-enough pub. There are nice touches like the vaulted ceilings, old-but-new chandelier lighting and the spacious, rounded bar. There’s also a cute backdoor smoking area for those of us not yet marginalised by horrible fatty vein ads. Yet as much as the terracotta walls and mood lighting scream warmth, the place exudes a cold, overly conformist atmosphere not helped by the basic floor plan, minus cubby-holes for cliquey group drinking, and the surprisingly antiquated clientele. It’s an old man’s pub sans the old man pub charm.

The Atmosphere
Whereas in most pubs the bar is the epicentre of inebriation, there is a strange divide from front stage to back in the Rosslyn Arms whereby the bar actually cuts off the rear seating area. As such, you are almost left with two pubs, neither of which can see the other. Here is the Arms’ biggest difficulty: it’s hard enough to sustain an atmosphere in one box room, let alone two. It means group sporting occasions are split in two – that is, if there were two tellies. Why is there only one side for sport?

Music provides solace, with an endless stream of yankee-doodle rock n’ roll and rockabilly classics. It matches the ‘50s America-themed signage and the simple but charming menu perfectly. It also, crucially, distances the Arms from its overly upmarket neighbours that leech off the area’s overt wealth and opulence in a sometime tasteless fashion. Overall, the Arms is a perfectly good pub to sit and chat with a close friend, but not the best for that tentative first date Dutch courage.

The Food
And here comes the Rosslyn Arms’ biggest asset. Failing, rightly, to plump for the sort of intricate gastronomic detail Heston Blumenthal would baulk at, there’s a simple and good-value menu on show, focusing on the great range of wood-fired pizzas that make the Arms an oasis of monetary virtue in a swill of £20 steaks and horticultural hors d’oeurvres.

The excellent 12” Pamplona, set with ham, chorizo and chilli will set you back £7.90, but only half that on a Monday or Tuesday. Pizzas for less than a Big Mac meal? Yes please. Also impressive is the range of wraps, 12 inches of which will hit you for just a fiver. A good selection of salads for those watching their waists are priced between £3-£6.50, meaning you no longer need to remortgage your Hackney flat to afford a bite in NW3. There’s even a lunch deal, combining a 6” pizza with mixed salad for £4.50. Now that’s got to be better than a Subway sarnie.

The Drink
A wine list is soon to appear on the Arms’ menu, although it already boasts the usual limited range of vino for those red blooded Hampstead creatives. Beer, though perfectly bubbly and tasty, is priced at around £3-£3.50 a pint, par for the course though not perhaps for those of us unacquainted with the locale. Still, quick service with a smile and great value nosh ensure you won’t be too sad to hand over your hard-earned wedge.

The Last Word
It’s a real shame The Rosslyn Arms couldn’t have hired a more savvy designer because, for all intents and purposes, it’s a very decent pub. Yet the lack of atmosphere and the awkward layout means it’ll be no more than a useful addition to local listings. What it does well, however, is food – and for less than a fried chicken meal you can gannet a gargantuan pizza all to yourself.

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