De Hems

Pub in Chinatown
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7 / 10 from 2 reviews
Address
11 Macclesfield Street
Chinatown
London
W1D 5BW
Map
Telephone
020 7437 2494
Region
Chinatown
Nearest Station
Leicester Square
0.14 miles
Category
Pubs
Opening Times
Monday Open 11:00 - Closes 00:00
Tuesday Open 11:00 - Closes 00:00
Wednesday Open 11:00 - Closes 00:00
Thursday Open 11:00 - Closes 00:00
Friday Open 11:00 - Closes 00:00
Saturday Open 11:00 - Closes 00:00
Sunday Open 12:00 - Closes 22:30

De Hems specialises in Dutch and Belgian Beers and has a comedy night on Wednesdays. They can cater for private parties of up to 100 people and serve a variety of English and Dutch dishes. A Link cash machine is located within this pub.

All In London Review

Dutch and Belgian beers plus booze-soaking grub

I am told that De Hems, a Dutch pub in the heart of Chinatown, was once a favourite haunt of 60s rock stars and music industry execs. Further back in time, it served as a meeting place for members of the Dutch Resistance during WWII.

Far from this being an independent operation, De Hems is owned by Nicholsons, responsible for many a drinking hole in London (46 to be precise).

The downstairs is bustling, as is fitting for a pub in this area; the spacious upstairs is a little more relaxed with comfortable couches. The walls are filled with memorabilia and beer posters, other than that the décor is kept simple with wood panelling and high ceilings.

Today, due to its location it merely attracts Soho drinkers, tourists and no doubt the odd Dutch expat, tempted by the beers on offer. There are Dutch wheat beers, lagers, famous brands such as Grolsch, Heineken and Amstel and Belgian fruit beers like the strangely appealing strawberry Fruli. A novice like yours truly wouldn’t know where to start with the countless Lowland varieties on offer, but there is clearly plenty to choose from.

Food is offered in the form of Dutch pub grub, think sausages with curry sauce, mayo and chunky chips (£6.25) and deep fried cheese in breadcrumbs (£5.50). Heart attack-inducing it may be, but there’s no denying it’s just the ticket for soaking up a few beers too many.

Reviewed by Leila
Published on Oct 20, 2010


Best For

The best pubs in Soho picture

The best pubs in Soho

... and there's a lot to choose from...

Dutch pubs are few and far between in London and when you consider the range of beers available at De Hems that can only be a bad thing. Actually, the pub deals mainly in Belgian beers but what the hey! Think Duvel, Chimay, Triple Karmeliet and a range of pub food that is surprisingly food.

The West End's top bars and clubs picture

The West End's top bars and clubs

It's glitzy, it's glam, it's unapologetic and it's damn hard not to have a good night out here.

If you’re in the West End and you’ve had your fill of the tacky and the cheesy then there is always De Hems. A Dutch pub, it is stocked with the Netherlands’ finest along with some choice Belgian tipples. When avoiding the flashing lights, head here.

Best bars in London's tourist locations picture

Best bars in London's tourist locations

Well worth a visit

Just off Leicester Square you'll find De Hems, the capital's only Dutch pub that was opened by a seaman in the late 19th century. They serve beers from Holland as well as Belgium and Germany, however the food menu sticks to British pub classics.

User Reviews

T.A.O

Oct 1, 2013

I'm not a huge fan of the downstairs at De Hems - something about the dark interior down there that doesn't do it for me - but the beers do tend to bring me back when I'm in the West End. Plus there's always the first floor!

Where else do you find a selection of the likes of Erdinger, Chimay, De Koninck and Tripel Karmeliet in central? Okay, maybe Lowlander or Belgo, but let's not pick. Great beers!

The
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