The Camden Arms is a modern pub serving cocktails and traditional English cuisine in a contemporary setting, with the food is of a high standard. The excellent cocktails and the long list of resident DJs combine to give this pub a funky atmosphere and make it very popular. They also have outside seating.
The interior is spacious and relaxing, and even though the dark purple walls, decorative lamps, hardwood floors, and semi-candlelit setting give it an upscale feel, other surroundings bring it down to earth. The pub cat, Missy, a slight, fluffy, friendly white-tabby mix wanders lazily waiting to be petted; two genuine fireplaces blaze on opposite sides of the pub; plenty of comfy sofas give the pub a home-like feel. At the very least, it has that neighborhood coffee shop feel: a place where one can go to write or have a decent conversation with some mates. The music is played at a perfect volume mixing instrumental jazz and bluesy rock with a bit of reggae, house and indie pop for good measure, but never getting too obtrusive. The cavernously large interior also assures that even on a busy night, the clientele won't reach uncomfortable numbers. It seems a perfect amount of space for dancing when DJs are on Friday and Saturday nights. An upstairs floor is more of the same, although open only for private parties and exhibiting Pat Pope's impressive rock star photography. Its most impressive feature may be the majestic, guilded spiral staircase leading up to it.
The food and drinks are just appealing as the atmosphere. The menu isn't particularly extensive, but it does offer non-traditional takes on traditional English fare, with the prices in-line with typical gastro-pubs. Rather than simply chips, there are chunky fries with curry sauce; pork and ale sausages with apple mash and red wine gravy are offered over traditional bangers and mash, and smoked haddock fishcakes with chunky fries and minted mushy peas replace fish 'n' chips. There is a monstrously large cocktail and wine list, while the beers on tap are a diverse round up of the usual suspects (Guinness, Stella Artois, Grolsch, Strongbow, etc.).
Overall, the Camden Arms is a tad too posh to be a traditional neighbourhood boozer, but it avoids falling prey to the trendy pretensions or gaudy interiors that affect faceless gastro lounges. The friendly, comfortable surroundings make it a good place to take a date or simply have a relatively quiet pint with some mates.
- Steve Marshall
Terms and Conditions for LondonNet’s London Directory Premium Listings
