I assume tomorrow ( Christmas day)  at the Washington pub in Primrose Hill is truly child free for lunch, otherwise it's just my family ( including newborn and little girl) and a friend's week old baby that have been denied a table at our local pub. After asking for a lunch booking on Christmas day , the manager abruptly told me that Christmas was not for children . After explaining that we had been on the weekend for a roast  in his pub and that our daughter sat for 2 hrs and the baby slept in the corner, he said that he would not have children ruining Christmas day running around or babies crying and spoiling Christmas for his customers. I hope this is a general albeit Scrooge-like policy , rather than a random exclusion . He blamed his customers for constant complaints about children however the gentlemen there when I went to book were most friendly to me and my children and we were made to feel very welcome for Sunday roast.  It seems Christmas brings out the worst in management and rudeness is the preferred  way to deal with a request for the festive season! After leaving quite shocked and in tears, it was a sad way to start planning for Christmas. I could have happily accepted their policy if it was not so rudely delivered.  As it felt personal,  I will wait and see if this exclusion  applies to all kids Christmas Day. 
Well done to all the other pubs in Primrose Hill for accommodating and welcoming families at such a happy time of year. 

My wife and I arrived from Boston to meet a group of friends from 5 different countries to attend a play at the Hampstead Theater.

The Washington is a straight walk down Eton Ave off the Swiss Cottage Tube station exit. The Hampshire Theater will be to your right. Past the theater about four blocks down, you'll see The Washington come into view at a busy 4 way crossing.

The light pastel cream and green-trimmed exterior doesn’t catch as much as it soothes the eye. Hanging flowers adorn the entry. A framed portrait of Washington (not George) keeps watch over the intersection below.

Step inside. Glance around to find your friends. But Oooo, spy the lovely pump handles atop the sturdy u-shaped oaken bar! Tap handles are spaced to either side so that you can read them without straining your eyes. Take in the cool chandeliers, the fancy etched mirrors and cozy, comfy seating arrangements. Check out the fancy logo tile work. THIS is a PUB!

Our friends hadn’t yet arrived, so it was a fine time to peruse the cask handles. I asked the young man behind the bar about a few of the beers. He admitted that he was in his first night on the job and would get someone more experienced. Rather than bullshitting, he was trained to defer to someone who actually knew the beer. Impressive!

A lovely woman bartender gave me proper advice on which beers to try first. Examining my perfect pint the landlord, Kate Tidey introduced herself. The pub is run by Kate and her husband Terry Tidey, the great, great, great grandson of the original 1865 owner. The pride and care for the place is evident throughout.

There's a downstairs bar where music, quizzes and comedy nights take place, but it’s the upstairs pub that has captivated us. On our visit Taylor Landlord, UBU Purity, Oakleaf IPA, Sharp’s Doombar and Itchen Valley Godfather’s were the delightful cask options. As mentioned there is also a fair selection of ciders plus a mix of familiar Euro taps.

A mighty fine pub, The Was

Pub itself is good, tasty menu. But always check your bill. There seems to have been a practice of skimming an extra few quid off the bill for the last year or so. The first time I questioned the bill here the batman was very reasonable, looked into it and admitted the bill was wrong. The second time it was the manager. Although the overcharging was only 3 pounds, despite us being very polite he was rude, dismissive and implicitly accused us of lying. Terrible behaviour; almost unheard of in the customer service world, certainly in a supposedly upmarket north London pub. We won't be going again (and this somewhere that has been my local for the last 5 years or so).

The drinks at Washington Hotel are what you would expect from a pub-bar. It has a refreshingly wide range of beer but the luxury of cheap drinks isn't to be found here. On the other hand, the food is excellent. It's very well priced and the long tables are perfect for dining. The atmosphere at the Washington Hotel is changeable though. On Bank Holidays it is exceptional, but at other times, especially during the week, it's very, very quiet.