London

Spaniards Inn

Hampstead Heath, London NW3

The Grade II-listed Spaniards Inn is steeped in history, including links with highwayman Dick Turpin. It is also known to local car repairers as "the pub that blocks the road" because of the number of crashes that occur when two vehicles try to squeeze past each other on the narrow road.

Food to match the pub

As you would expect from an historic coaching house, its food is wholesome and hearty.

David Nichol, manager of the Mitchells & Butlers' outlet, remarks: "Our style of food can be broadly categorised as traditional British, but we don't limit ourselves to this. We try to create traditional dishes using

seasonal ingredients that are in keeping with a 500-year-old building."

David says that another major consideration is that the food offering must be tailored around the small size of the kitchen. A sunny Sunday can attract more than 300 diners and one particularly hectic day last summer saw the kitchen catering for about 600 covers.

"In winter, we can produce a lot more home-made meals because we aren't as busy, but in summer, we only have one-and-a-half hours' prep time."

Firm favourites

Even so, the variety of dishes produced by the small kitchen team is impressive, usually including five starters, 12 mains, and five desserts. Two best-sellers are Adnams beer battered haddock, chips and mushy peas (£10), and pork, cider and apple sausages with Hooky beer mustard mash (£8.90).

Food events are a regular occurrence, such as last Easter weekend's celebration with Spanish and UK dishes on the menu. On Father's Day, a beer and barbecue feast was held, with David recommending a different beer for each dish. Spaniards hosted the Beer with Food week, promoted by the MA. The upstairs dining room has been used by the local Keats and Dracula societies, with special dishes to mark each occasion.

Weekly food meetings are held with catering staff to discuss new ideas and photographs are taken of new dishes to ensure consistency of presentation.