Since we began writing our La Gaffe blog, back before the pandemic struck, our team has been discussing what kind of content we should be including and it wasn’t until we sat down and began throwing out ideas that we realised we are truly spoilt for choice! Not only are we located in London, arguably, the greatest city in the world, or at least up there in the top few, but we’re also located in Hampstead, arguably the greatest neighbourhood in the capital, or at least up there in the top few!

From Hampstead to the West End…in 15 minutes!

Hampstead guide
Even better for us, we’re on top of a whole host of other lovely areas in north London (think Highgate Village, Primrose Hill and Camden Town) as well as three minutes walk from the tube, which means anyone staying with us can be in the very centre of the capital in 15 minutes. Yes, the northern line will take you there that quickly! A quick walk down the hill, a tap on the machines with any bank card and a lift that’s the deepest in the city will take you to a platform where tubes depart every couple of minutes for Leicester Square (think Soho and Chinatown, Covent Garden (markets, shops and beautiful views) and Waterloo (fancy a stroll along the Thames anyone?) not to mention endless other stops, which will get you to the Tate Modern museum, St. Paul’s Cathedral and Tower Bridge.

Putting Hampstead on the Map

But for now we’ve decided to start with our neighbourhood. Every month, as always, we’ll be publishing blogs - the first of which looks at what’s on in London (festivals, theatre, live music, pop-up events) and the second taking an insider’s view at something near to la Gaffe.
Kenwood house

Whether it’s the fabulous Hampstead Heath (the ‘lungs of London’) bathing ponds, the astonishing Kenwood House, local merchants with whom we do business or the narrow, winding back streets of the village itself, you’re going to read about it here.

There’s so many things going on in our area, it wasn’t until we sat down and did some research that we realise how lucky we are. We’ve got a local jazz club just a stone’s throw from us, the wonderful Everyman cinema, lots of traditional pubs (great for a pint and a bit of British atmosphere) and - as we said before - the Heath itself, on which even locals get lost, it’s so vast in its greenery.

Disco Yoga, Exploring the Heath, Local Lectures and Jubilee Parties

In the months to come, we’ll be updating you on all kinds of interesting local events - some a one-off and others repeating at regular times. For instance, in three day’s time there’s a Fun Run on the Heath and on 28th May you can ‘walk John Constable’s Hampstead’.
Burgh House

There are also lectures and concerts at the wonderful Burgh House (just a quick stroll from us) and the Freud Museum (where Sigmund arrived, after being banished from Vienna). And how could we forget the biggest summer event of all? In just two week’s time the nation will be celebrating something astonishing - the Platinum Jubilee. Yes, Queen Elizabeth is now the UK’s longest ever-remaining monarch, with 70 years on the throne. (Who could imagine that her first Prime Minister was Winston Churchill? Who could imagine what she has lived through? Wow!)


Community Matters

And here at La Gaffe, personally we feel very lucky because people in our neighbourhood really do care about each other. There’s even a Hampstead Community Day around the corner on Sunday 12th June (meet at the Parliament Hill Bandstand at 12.30 pm) with theatre, music and free stalls where you can learn more about nature, face painting, outdoor games and nature activities.

At La Gaffe, an Italian restaurant and B&B in Hampstead, we want to be a part of our community, so we’re also thinking up ways to get people in our area together - watch this space for details of a ‘meet up’ we’re planning where people can come to our wine bar for a drink one evening and meet old faces and new. After all, if the pandemic has taught us anything it’s that we are social animals.

A happy May to you all and come and visit us soon - we’re open every night for dinner and the espresso machine works in the daytime too!