The Parcel Yard Kings Cross, London N1C 4AH
Pub within a busy station with a light-filled atrium, serving real ales and a British seasonal menu. Station pubs are all shit. That, to a close approximation, was an unassailable fact until a few years ago. Then came the Mad Bishop and Bear at Paddington, the Betjeman Arms at St Pancras, and the real-ale haven of the Euston Tap. King's Cross had some catching up to do. Nobody remembers its previous station pub — the Duke of York — because it was almost studiously unmemorable. But the treasure that opened above the new concourse in 2012 is more than just a place to grab a drink while you wait for that signal problem to clear. The Parcel Yard is a destination in its own right. Built into the station's Victorian office spaces, the pub sprawls over two floors, offering views of the striking new concourse as well as the main platforms. We've visited numerous times, and have never sat in the same room twice. Head either upstairs or to the back room for smart dining spaces, or hang out in the conservatory area for a convivial drink. A handful of tables lurk out front, so you can keep an eye on the departures board and/or the unfeasibly long queue for the Harry Potter photo pose. This is a Fuller's pub, so the beer selection holds few surprises — although they do stock a fuller Fuller's range than most such places. The food is reasonably priced given the popular location. We enjoyed a mighty, meaty plate of liver for just £12, and full-on Sunday roasts aren't much more expensive. It also recently one an unusual licence for a pub — the right to host wedding ceremonies, with space for up to 80 people in the side rooms. Enjoy it now before they cotton on to the idea of selling butterbeer to the legions of Harry Potter fans on the doorstep.
The Constitution 42 St Pancras Way, London NW1 0QT
Traditional pub with live music in the cellar bar, a canalside beer garden, dartboard and jukebox. Lease acquired by Pubs of Distinction early 2015, who run 3 other well-known London beer houses. Founded in 1858, it is the last remaining building from the old Agar Town, a short-lived working-class community swept aside by the development of St Pancras station and its rail lines. This is a very pleasant community pub, a welcome haven within bustling Camden and its vibrant Camden Market area. Its award winning patio terraced garden (Four time finalist in “Camden in Bloom”) has a very pleasant south-facing outlook over Regent’s canal. Member of CAMRA LocAle scheme. The downstairs cellar bar is host to live music and comedy events. Pool and darts available with large screen TV. Occasional home made “Street-Food” available outside (weather permitting). Dog and Family friendly. It's a bit fiddly to find this one - leave Camden Town Tube and cross over to the World's End pub, turn left and then right on to Greenland Road, walk to the end and cross Camden Street, turn right and then left into Georgiana Street. Walk to the end (crossing Royal College Street) - you should see the pub in front of you, by the humpbacked bridge over the canal.
The Hawley Arms 2 Castlehaven Rd, Camden Town, London NW1 8QU
Pub with autographed rock star hall of fame pictures, walled garden, upstairs bar and roof terrace.
This famous old music pub beside the market is well known for its gigs, especially the patronage of a certain Ms Winehouse. The main bar is decorated with rock n roll memorabilia, though never in an in-your-face way. In fact, it can be a lazy, relaxing sort of place when visited off-peak, with big comfortable sofas and a winter fire. Speaking of fire, the Hawley almost burnt down during the disastrous market blaze of 2008 — a conflagration we were unlucky enough to witness first hand. It recovered quickly, and today offers a decent mix of fine food, three cask ales and the usual mix of lagers. The pub's website is a bit useless, so keep an eye on its social media for upcoming gigs and stuff.
The Lord Stanley 51 Camden Park Rd, London NW1 9BH
Tucked off Camden Road on a residential street sits The Lord Stanley. Enter and the first thing you see is the deli counter-esque bar. It's an unusual set-up, which helps the pub stand out from the crowd. Apparently this was a popular boozer among trendy 90s Britpop bands, but you're unlikely to see any of them here today. Now the Lord Stanley is a spot for locals looking for a relaxed pint, in a place filled with warmth.
The Lord Stanley nearly closed a few years ago, when its landlords tried to sell up. The locals weren't having their favourite pub disappear, so now the place is listed as an asset of community value, guaranteeing its future.
Hemingford Arms, 158 Hemingford Rd, London N1 1DF
Given that it's hidden among some of N1's most covetable residential streets and the barbed-wire-decked back of Pentonville Prison, the Hemingford Arms has to cater for a wide range of locals. It does so beautifully in its own kooky way via the means of drag bingo nights, an out-of-tune piano, Thai food and a scrappy pub dog. The building is made extra beautiful on the outside by leafy swathes of ivy and pretty hanging baskets, but it's as much a sight to see inside, too; its walls and ceilings covered with dusty old curios. Prosthetic legs wearing old trainers stick out of a treasure chest; a pair of taxidermy ducks preside over a pew; vintage film posters and beer adverts tile the wall behind a big screen that shows the football on mute.
It's pretty standard pub fare, drinks-wise, though the selection of cask ales is well-curated, presumably to appease the jumble of old men and trendy young locals who take up the majority of the bar stools and tables. The outdoor benches are a popular spot to soak up some afternoon sun during the summer months, but make sure to spend some time inside, too – between the countless treasures and the ivy-vignettes on the windows you could be sinking a pint in a Lewis Carroll poem.
King Charles I 55-57 Northdown St, Kings Cross, London N1 9BL
Wood-panelled pint-sized pub, serving real ales and bar snacks, with a roaring fire in winter.
No-one who has visited the King Charles I will be surprised to see it in a list of London's best pubs. Hidden away at the top of Northdown Street, walk past it outside of opening hours and you can be forgiven for thinking it's a dead pub, but once open the inside couldn't be more alive. It used to be called the Craic House, aptly.
Pub within a busy station with a light-filled atrium, serving real ales and a British seasonal menu. Station pubs are all shit. That, to a close approximation, was an unassailable fact until a few years ago. Then came the Mad Bishop and Bear at Paddington, the Betjeman Arms at St Pancras, and the real-ale haven of the Euston Tap. King's Cross had some catching up to do. Nobody remembers its previous station pub — the Duke of York — because it was almost studiously unmemorable. But the treasure that opened above the new concourse in 2012 is more than just a place to grab a drink while you wait for that signal problem to clear. The Parcel Yard is a destination in its own right. Built into the station's Victorian office spaces, the pub sprawls over two floors, offering views of the striking new concourse as well as the main platforms. We've visited numerous times, and have never sat in the same room twice. Head either upstairs or to the back room for smart dining spaces, or hang out in the conservatory area for a convivial drink. A handful of tables lurk out front, so you can keep an eye on the departures board and/or the unfeasibly long queue for the Harry Potter photo pose. This is a Fuller's pub, so the beer selection holds few surprises — although they do stock a fuller Fuller's range than most such places. The food is reasonably priced given the popular location. We enjoyed a mighty, meaty plate of liver for just £12, and full-on Sunday roasts aren't much more expensive. It also recently one an unusual licence for a pub — the right to host wedding ceremonies, with space for up to 80 people in the side rooms. Enjoy it now before they cotton on to the idea of selling butterbeer to the legions of Harry Potter fans on the doorstep.
The Constitution 42 St Pancras Way, London NW1 0QT
Traditional pub with live music in the cellar bar, a canalside beer garden, dartboard and jukebox. Lease acquired by Pubs of Distinction early 2015, who run 3 other well-known London beer houses. Founded in 1858, it is the last remaining building from the old Agar Town, a short-lived working-class community swept aside by the development of St Pancras station and its rail lines. This is a very pleasant community pub, a welcome haven within bustling Camden and its vibrant Camden Market area. Its award winning patio terraced garden (Four time finalist in “Camden in Bloom”) has a very pleasant south-facing outlook over Regent’s canal. Member of CAMRA LocAle scheme. The downstairs cellar bar is host to live music and comedy events. Pool and darts available with large screen TV. Occasional home made “Street-Food” available outside (weather permitting). Dog and Family friendly. It's a bit fiddly to find this one - leave Camden Town Tube and cross over to the World's End pub, turn left and then right on to Greenland Road, walk to the end and cross Camden Street, turn right and then left into Georgiana Street. Walk to the end (crossing Royal College Street) - you should see the pub in front of you, by the humpbacked bridge over the canal.
The Hawley Arms 2 Castlehaven Rd, Camden Town, London NW1 8QU
Pub with autographed rock star hall of fame pictures, walled garden, upstairs bar and roof terrace.
This famous old music pub beside the market is well known for its gigs, especially the patronage of a certain Ms Winehouse. The main bar is decorated with rock n roll memorabilia, though never in an in-your-face way. In fact, it can be a lazy, relaxing sort of place when visited off-peak, with big comfortable sofas and a winter fire. Speaking of fire, the Hawley almost burnt down during the disastrous market blaze of 2008 — a conflagration we were unlucky enough to witness first hand. It recovered quickly, and today offers a decent mix of fine food, three cask ales and the usual mix of lagers. The pub's website is a bit useless, so keep an eye on its social media for upcoming gigs and stuff.
The Lord Stanley 51 Camden Park Rd, London NW1 9BH
Tucked off Camden Road on a residential street sits The Lord Stanley. Enter and the first thing you see is the deli counter-esque bar. It's an unusual set-up, which helps the pub stand out from the crowd. Apparently this was a popular boozer among trendy 90s Britpop bands, but you're unlikely to see any of them here today. Now the Lord Stanley is a spot for locals looking for a relaxed pint, in a place filled with warmth.
The Lord Stanley nearly closed a few years ago, when its landlords tried to sell up. The locals weren't having their favourite pub disappear, so now the place is listed as an asset of community value, guaranteeing its future.
Hemingford Arms, 158 Hemingford Rd, London N1 1DF
Given that it's hidden among some of N1's most covetable residential streets and the barbed-wire-decked back of Pentonville Prison, the Hemingford Arms has to cater for a wide range of locals. It does so beautifully in its own kooky way via the means of drag bingo nights, an out-of-tune piano, Thai food and a scrappy pub dog. The building is made extra beautiful on the outside by leafy swathes of ivy and pretty hanging baskets, but it's as much a sight to see inside, too; its walls and ceilings covered with dusty old curios. Prosthetic legs wearing old trainers stick out of a treasure chest; a pair of taxidermy ducks preside over a pew; vintage film posters and beer adverts tile the wall behind a big screen that shows the football on mute.
It's pretty standard pub fare, drinks-wise, though the selection of cask ales is well-curated, presumably to appease the jumble of old men and trendy young locals who take up the majority of the bar stools and tables. The outdoor benches are a popular spot to soak up some afternoon sun during the summer months, but make sure to spend some time inside, too – between the countless treasures and the ivy-vignettes on the windows you could be sinking a pint in a Lewis Carroll poem.
King Charles I 55-57 Northdown St, Kings Cross, London N1 9BL
Wood-panelled pint-sized pub, serving real ales and bar snacks, with a roaring fire in winter.
No-one who has visited the King Charles I will be surprised to see it in a list of London's best pubs. Hidden away at the top of Northdown Street, walk past it outside of opening hours and you can be forgiven for thinking it's a dead pub, but once open the inside couldn't be more alive. It used to be called the Craic House, aptly.
