Base Bistro

Base is possibly the best restaurant in the Hampstead area. Their gorgeously small and intimate home has been going in Hampstead for a good few years now and the food is delicious.
Pretty much all their food is sourced from London's markets like Billingsgate and Smithfields amongst others and this is why their food tastes so fresh. It is also the reason why their menu changes weekly which makes every time you visit a new experience with many more gorgeous dishes to choose from. Their seared prawns are cooked brilliantly and i love their duck salad but they have many more delicious meat, fish and veggie dishes to pick from-it usually takes me a good 20 minutes before i can decide what i want because the options are all so enticing!
Their wine list is pretty good, although i don't know much about wine, but they have some amazing smoothies and fresh juices that are very tasty and healthy. And to counter the health kick they have some calorific desserts and cakes. I had their home made tart with butter scotch when i was last there and it is heavenly! They have their very own pastry chef which explains the exceptional quality of the cakes and sweet treats.
During the warm summer days Base has al fresco seating which is a great place to relax, enjoy some great food and watch the world go by.
It's good value for money simply because the food is faultless but it is somewhere i go to treat myself, it's not somewhere i could afford to go every week. It's definitely worth a look.

I stumbled across this little place on Hampstead High Street with a friend when our plans to see a film at the Everyman Cinema didn't work out.


Looking for solace in food, we were just wandering down the high street and noticed their sign outside promising a good value set menu with a bottle of house wine thrown in!


Unable to resist the lure of free alcohol, we succumbed to their cheap marketing ploy and went in.


In fact the food was surprisingly good and the waiter so charming that my friend started flirting with him (incorrigible - can't take her anywhere!).


I think I even managed to get scallops on the set menu, which was impressive as such dishes are never normally included for cheapskates like us.


The wine has erased my main course choice from my memory. I don't think I was blown away, but nothing to complain about.


It's not michelin star food, but surprisingly good value for Hampstead High Street. And I would definitely look in again if I was in the area.

I would have given 0 stars to Base Bistro but I wasn't allowed by the system. These people tried to poison me and then made me pay for my meal, no apologies and rudeness because it was MY FAULT for not telling them I had a food allergy, in the end I worked out one or more of the ingredients was OFF.
I had the nicoise salad, the egg was runny in the middle (salmonella anyone?) and the anchovies smelt and tasted a bit weird.
My face went red and hot and I started sweating, my friend kindly rushed to get me a glass of milk to soothe my stomach but I was already poisoned.
We told the staff and they rebutted that I should have told them I had food allergies, but normally I am not allergic to anything so I didn't notify them of any issues.
Rude staff, unsympathetic (I could have died and they would have left me there).
Don't go to Base Bistro, that's it.

I would have given Base Bistro 0 stars on the basis of poor service and lack of customer care.
I had the nicoise salad which was carelessly presented by dumping the entire content of a tuna can in the middle of the plate.
The eggs were undercooked.
I will not go back.

Always going to Base either for lunch or dinner (a couple of times for breakfast). Always exceptional value menu. Staff are always happy to please and service is great. Menu is varied. Went last on Saturday night. 6 of us but had pre-booked the table outside. Traffic is a bit noisy but not a problem. Had cheese and onion tart to start followed by the seared tuna with mash. Best fresh tuna I've had for years. Deservedly the best restaurant in Hampstead. When the weather isn't as good, eating inside is very comfortable.

I've been to Base quite a few times in the past as I like the menu and location, but it has recently gone downhill. I went to for brunch on Sunday and they couldn't offer me any sandwiches because it wasn't midday yet (even though on the menu it said they should be available), then they had sole out of bagels... The real problem came when my eggs benedict was served with quite a lot of egg shell in the egg. After complaining, I had to demand that I wasn't paying for the meal and I received no apology. The staff were rude and unsympathetic. I wont be going back for a while.

Base is a safe bet for a quick, informal meal, at a reasonable price. It's particularly good for brunch and the Eggs Benedict with smoked salmon come highly recommended! Standards have somewhat slipped recently and the inside can feel a bit oppressive with a huge flat-screen TV stuck on a news channel. Outside (under the heaters) it's more pleasant - sitting outside on the High Street and watching the world rush past is a nice way to pass an hour or so. The coffees - espressos included - are decent and the lunch menu includes many tasty pre-prepared choices.

This was a truly awful place to eat ! Asked for a well-done omelette - was was gooey inside - sent it back. Asked for a warm plum tart-arrived cold-sent it back .Asked for a greek salad as a main course - arrived as a starter - sent it back. Got the bill and gratuity was added on, when I asked for my change the waitress pretended she didn't understand what I meant, I eventually had to spell it out to her that GRAUTUITY IS OPTIONAL !!!!! Don't go there being sucked in to it's great location, you will feel ripped off and annoyed with a very overpriced substandard meal and service.