exterior of london pub
Photograph: Laura Gallant for Time Out
Photograph: Laura Gallant for Time Out

The best pubs in Camden

Whether you’re looking for pre-gig pints or an atmospheric tipple, check out these excellent NW1 boozers

Leonie Cooper
Written by: Laura Richards
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Camden is a drinking kind of place. From traditional pubs to indie landmarks and London's most goth boozer, whether you’re in the area for its thriving live music scene or not, you’ll find a welcome place for a pint. This is Time Out's guide to the very best pubs in Camden. Now let's get drinking. 

RECOMMENDED: Hungry? These are best restaurants in Camden.

The best pubs in Camden for a boozy night out

  • Pubs
  • Camden Town

A true classic, The Dublin Castle is one of a circuit of London venues that make up the proving ground for any up-and-coming band. It's dim and far from salubrious: upholstered couches; plastic flowers; mirrors dotted with fingerprints and posters all over the walls hint at the bands who've come through here – from Madness to Blur. We love it, and you will too. 

  • Camden Town

An hidden-away Irish spot just off Camden High Street, we almost don't want to tell you about this gem of a pub so we can keep it all to ourselves. They pour a mighty fine Guinness, it's decked out in Irish football scarves and there are regular trad music nights. A little bit of heaven. 

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  • Pubs
  • Camden Town

Britpop's unofficial HQ, The Good Mixer is no longer as rough and ready as it was in the 1990s – or even when Amy Winehouse could be found hustling tourists on the pool table – but it's still well worth a pint or three. 

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  • Kentish Town

Up and away from the bustling heart of Camden, you'll find The Lord Stanley on the residential backstreets of the neighbourhood. This makes for a more chilled-out vibe than Camden's biggest boozers, with tasty lunch deals and laidback Sunday roasts. 

  • Camden Town

London's most goth pub – aka The Devonshire Arms – is a place where you'll get a funny look if you're wearing anything that's not black. That said, it's a friendly spot, and one where heavy metal reigns supreme. 

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  • Pubs
  • Camden Town

Camden High Street can be a bit of a tourist trap, but The Elephant's Head has retained a locals vibe. A tiled Victorian drinking den, its long been a favourite in the London rockabilly scene, so expect to see a couple of quiffs in the crowd.

  • Camden Town

This garish-looking yellow-and-blue boozer is a characterful reminder of how the area once was. It’s an Irish pub with an Irish welcome, which manages to feel like a real sanctuary from the outside world.

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  • Comedy
  • Camden Town

An independent boozer, people love the Colonel for its old-school ambience and Sunday roasts. It’s tucked down the backstreet near Camden Road station and does a strong trade in gin. It's also a comedy hotspot with regular stand-up as well as a roaring trade in pub quizzes.

  • Pubs
  • Camden Town

For the biggest beer garden in the area, take a trip down Mornington Terrace and find the Edinboro Castle stretching back beside the road and hosting a whole lot of picnic benches. There’s shelter and heaters for colder months too. Inside, expect continental lagers and a hearty food menu.

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  • Camden Town

Located just beyond the lock, the Hawley Arms is a vast Victorian boozer that has risen from the ashes of the 2008 'Great fire of Camden'. Its biggest claim to fame is that the late Amy Winehouse once pulled pints behind the bar. It’s not quite as rockin’ as it once was, but live music prevails alongside pub lunches and tourist traffic.

  • Music
  • Music venues
  • Camden Town
Lock Tavern
Lock Tavern

The bass notes pounding through the pub floor into the soles of your shoes, the tattooed twentysomethings, the scattering of gob-smacked students from the continent – it could only be Camden. This old local is a DJ and music venue with room for a serious number of punters in the main bar, the large garden (accessed via a short flight of steps) and a sassy upstairs space. Expect happy hour deals, Sunday roasts, and a quiz night every Tuesday.

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