De Hems Dutch Cafe Bar

5 Reviews on “De Hems Dutch Cafe Bar”

• Alice Gee

  I lived in Amsterdam for a decade before moving back to London. De Hems is the place to go when I crave naughty dutch bar food. They do all the classics. Leverworst (wedges of hard pork pate served without bread), vlammetjes (very spicy Indonesian style deep fried spring rolls) and my favorite bitterballen (balls of veal stew that are chilled, congealed then breaded and deep fried). Bitterballen (similar to croquettes but liquid when you bite into them) were a little smaller than those you typically get in the Netherlands. This suggests they are actually homemade from scratch instead of imported via the freezer section. The other bar snacks are absolutely authentic.It can get very crowded at weekends. There’s usually more room upstairs. Good selection of beers.

  January 16, 2016, 3:18 am

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• Ying Kein Lin

  A stalwart pub that has been around from the end of 19th century. A good pub for meeting with friends or an after work drinks. Close proximity to Chinatown.

  December 16, 2015, 11:50 pm

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• Tania Ziegler

  Lovely pub for after work drinks, and their food is actually pretty good! My colleague and I enjoyed pints in the upstairs area, and the proximity to china town means a hangover cure is nearby.

  September 21, 2015, 4:30 am

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• Martin Newman

  Reliable old pub in the heart of the West End, De Hems has been around since 1890, when it was bought by a Dutch sailor of the same name.It is the only Dutch cafe bar in the UK, although it is for all shapes and purposes very much a British pub in style, albeit with a selection of real Dutch ales. It’s principal lager at the taps is the Dutch drop Orangeboom, a crisp tasting pale continental pilsener. And you may feel some of the refinement of European cafes while drinking one of their sweet cherry beers, but the floorboards by the end of the evening are always just as sticky and beer-sodden as any other pub in the area.You can also get a glass of the Belgian amber ale Pauwel Kwak here, which you can drink in a traditional glass that has a large bulbous bottom and must be hung on a wooden tressel because it won’t stand on its own. The beer is a rather potent 8.4% alcohol in strength and the staff usually (and strangely) make you leave one of your shoes behind the bar as collateral for bringing the fancy glass back (They give you a bright green Croc to wear in the meantime).De Hems occupies a beautiful old building just off the main drag in Chinatown and has a lot of history, including being a meeting place for the Dutch resistance during the Second World War.The pub is owned by Nicholson’s and has their standard free house fare, fancy sandwiches, beef or chicken pie, fish and chips, bangers and mash – all coming in slightly above or below the 10 mark. There is also a good wild boar burger you can get and a cherry Eton mess sundae dessert for sweet tooths.However, most people go to De Hems for a drink. It has a warm, friendly atmosphere and is beset with young Dutch folk at least one Thursday each fortnight.

  July 9, 2013, 4:05 am

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• The EATalian

  Last thing you would expect from London’s Chinatown is a Dutch pub, but De Hems is actually one of my favourite hangouts in this area of London. The have a great selection of decently priced continental beers, with my favourite Franziskeiner on draft, and the pub is always lively without ever feeling too crowded. The upstairs room offers some nice couches where to chill out and the DJ playing on Friday evening is just the coolest think you could find around here for the price of a pint.

  April 8, 2013, 3:52 am

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