A Working Guide to West Hampstead: Transport, Coffee, Lunch and After Work
West Hampstead has three stations within a few minutes’ walk of each other on and around West End Lane: West Hampstead on the Jubilee line, West Hampstead Thameslink and the London Overground on the Mildmay line. Between them, they run direct to Bond Street, Farringdon, St Pancras, London Bridge, Canary Wharf and Stratford, so most of central London, the City and Docklands can be reached without changing.
For coffee before work, Wired Co. on Broadhurst Gardens and Lola’s Bakery at 168 West End Lane are both on or just off the main road. Roni’s bagel bakery at 248 West End Lane is the quickest option at lunch, while The Wet Fish Café and HĀM suit a sit-down lunch or client meeting. After work, most people head to neighbourhood pubs such as Alice House, Wolfpack or The Railway.
This guide covers each of these in more detail for people who work in NW6 rather than pass through it. Most of the places mentioned are within walking distance of the Apex coworking space at 160 West End Lane. Opening hours can change, so it is worth checking before you set off, particularly for smaller independent cafés.
Getting to and from West Hampstead
West Hampstead has three separate stations, all within a few minutes’ walk of one another around West End Lane. Between them, they give the area direct links to the West End, the City, Canary Wharf and Stratford, along with routes across north and west London that avoid central London altogether.
Jubilee line
West Hampstead Underground station is on the Jubilee line. Southbound trains run through Bond Street, Green Park, Westminster, Waterloo and London Bridge before continuing to Canary Wharf and Stratford, which makes it the most useful line for meetings in central London or Docklands. Finchley Road is one stop south and offers an interchange with the Metropolitan line.
Thameslink
West Hampstead Thameslink station sits towards the northern end of West End Lane, near Iverson Road. Trains head south through St Pancras International, Farringdon, City Thameslink, Blackfriars and London Bridge, so the City is reachable without changing. Farringdon also connects with the Elizabeth line, and St Pancras gives access to Eurostar and the high-speed services to Kent. Heading north, services continue towards St Albans and Luton.
London Overground (Mildmay line)
The Overground station, now part of the Mildmay line, runs east through Hampstead Heath, Camden Road and Highbury & Islington to Stratford, and west towards Willesden Junction, Richmond and Clapham Junction. It is particularly handy for people living elsewhere in north or west London who would otherwise have to travel into the centre and back out again.
Buses
Several bus routes run along West End Lane and the nearby Kilburn High Road. The 139 heads south via Abbey Road and Baker Street towards Oxford Circus, which can be a more relaxed alternative to the Tube for short trips into the West End.
For anyone living in Kilburn, Brondesbury, Swiss Cottage or Hampstead, West Hampstead is often close enough to walk or cycle to, which is one of the main reasons people choose to work locally rather than commute into central London every day.
Coffee before work
West End Lane has enough independent cafés that you rarely need to fall back on a chain, although there is a Caffè Nero further up the road for anyone who prefers one. A few places worth knowing:
- Wired Co., Broadhurst Gardens: A small specialist coffee shop just off West End Lane, close to the Tube station. The coffee is carefully made and the pastries are a good reason to arrive early.
- Lola’s Bakery, 168 West End Lane: Close to Apex, serving coffee, cakes and an all-day café menu from an old building with plenty of character.
- Intermission Coffee, Heritage Lane: Near the Overground station, with pastries and vegan options. Convenient if you arrive on the Mildmay line.
- Bridge Café, 138 West End Lane: A traditional café with set breakfasts and generous portions, for the days when a pastry will not see you through to lunch.
- Organico, 267 West End Lane: Organic Mediterranean food, coffee and fresh juices, with a menu based around seasonal produce.
Some coworking spaces also have their own coffee areas, which saves a trip out on busier mornings. At Apex, the Apex Lounge gives members somewhere to make a coffee and take a break from their desk without leaving the building.
Where to eat lunch in West Hampstead
Lunch in West Hampstead falls into two categories: something quick to take back to your desk, and somewhere you can sit down with a colleague or client. The area handles both well, and most of the options below are within a five to ten-minute walk of the stations.
Quick lunches
Roni’s, at 248 West End Lane, is a long-standing bagel bakery that also serves breakfast and lunch, and it is one of the easiest places to grab something filling in a hurry. Grocery Post combines a deli counter with coffee, pastries and organic groceries, which makes it a good stop for a lighter lunch. For a meal deal or a few supplies for the week, there is an M&S Foodhall and a Little Waitrose in the area, and Nando’s is on West End Lane for something hot and predictable.
Sit-down lunches and client meetings
When lunch doubles as a meeting, a few places work particularly well:
- The Wet Fish Café, 242 West End Lane: A café during the day and a restaurant in the evening. It is popular, so booking ahead is sensible.
- HĀM, 238 West End Lane: Modern British cooking with a substantial brunch and lunch menu, a couple of doors along from The Wet Fish Café.
- Al Arez: Lebanese dishes that suit sharing, which makes it a relaxed option for a team lunch.
- Colaba: Mumbai-style Indian food, often recommended locally for comforting, home-style cooking.
- Dany’s Kitchen & Bar: Mediterranean small plates, a good choice when you want something lighter.
- Zia Lucia: A pizza restaurant that works well for groups.
Worth the short walk
Fortune Green Road, which continues north from the top of West End Lane, has a handful of places that justify the extra few minutes. Nautilus is a well-known local fish and chip restaurant, while Takagiya serves traditional Japanese kappou cooking and is better suited to an unhurried evening than a working lunch. Mill Lane, which runs off West End Lane towards Fortune Green, is home to French Society, a Parisian-style restaurant.
After work: drinks and dinner
West Hampstead is a residential area, so the evening scene is more neighbourhood pub than late-night bar. That suits after-work drinks well, because most places are easy to get to and simple to get home from.
- Alice House, 283-285 West End Lane: A relaxed bar and restaurant that works for a quiet drink after work, a team dinner or a weekend roast.
- Wolfpack, 291 West End Lane: A more informal pub known for craft beer and chicken wings, and a good choice if you want to catch a match.
- Bohemia House, 74 West End Lane: A bar specialising in Czech and Slovak beers, housed in the former Czech and Slovak club, with a full food menu.
- The Railway, 100 West End Lane: A large, traditional pub close to the stations, convenient for a quick drink before heading home.
- The Gallery, 190 Broadhurst Gardens: A pub tucked just off West End Lane, near the Tube station.
- Bobby Fitzpatrick: A bar built around retro cocktails, for something a little different from a pint.
For dinner, The Wet Fish Café changes from a daytime café to a restaurant in the evening, and Takagiya on Fortune Green Road is worth booking for a more considered meal.
Taking a break outside
A short walk can do more for an afternoon than another coffee, and West Hampstead has a few green spaces close by. West End Green, a small tree-lined space beside Emmanuel Church at the top of West End Lane, is the nearest place to step outside for ten minutes. Fortune Green is the area’s main park, with open lawns and a wildlife garden. For a longer walk or a weekend outing, Hampstead Heath is easy to reach, including by Overground to Hampstead Heath station.
On Saturdays, West Hampstead Farmers’ Market runs from 10am to 2pm on the forecourt of the Thameslink station on Iverson Road, with fresh produce, baked goods and food from independent producers.
Working locally in West Hampstead
Everything in this guide is part of why working in your own neighbourhood can be more pleasant than commuting into central London. The time saved on travel goes back into the day, lunch can be a short walk rather than a crowded queue, and three stations close by make it easy for clients to come to you.
Apex is a coworking space at 160 West End Lane, offering hot desks, monthly memberships, private offices and meeting rooms for freelancers and small businesses who want a professional place to work close to home.
Enquire about coworking memberships, private offices or meeting rooms in West Hampstead, or contact the team to arrange a visit to the space.
