How about a northern loop from Camden Town to Archway and back down Pentonville Road.
5.3 miles, according to Google, just under 2-hours walking.
An ambitious 8 pubs marked on the map. Yep that sounds foolhardy enough for me.
My first port of call was a brewery tap located in the wedge on the eastern fringe of Camden Market between the railway lines and Regents Canal. I remember this as being the most ramshackle bit of the market with gravel paths and proper stalls. Refurbished after the 2008 fire, it's now more shopping centre than market, with shiny three storey buildings, bowling lanes, bubble tea and bagels.
The 3 Locks Brewery opened at the end of 2022 . The taproom has squeezed two floors into a railway arch providing views from the upper deck over the waterways.
As there wasn't a soul sat inside, I took my (very good) Schwarzbier to the outdoor tables.
That didn't stop me returning for another, sticking dark, this time the delicious sweet 'Indulgence' chocolate stout.
A lovely place - and part of me wanted to try more of the beers - but I also wanted to complete the planed route I'd made earlier.
Starting with a very short walk...just 5-minutes up the canal to the Wetherspoon's Ice Wharf to check the festival beers and grab a quick half. It's a bit dull within but has an enviable position with outdoor seating facing the market and Dingwalls across the water.
Starting with a very short walk...just 5-minutes up the canal to the Wetherspoon's Ice Wharf to check the festival beers and grab a quick half. It's a bit dull within but has an enviable position with outdoor seating facing the market and Dingwalls across the water.
Here's the essential Camden Locks photo...
Spoons quickly visited, I headed through quieter residential streets beyond the the touristic hub of Camden; the chaos returning once I reached the shops and eateries of Kentish Town. Beyond the station I ventured into the avenues of Georgian terraces looking for the Pineapple.
This is a rather famous pub thanks to a high profile campaign to save it from closure a few years ago. It dates back to 1868, has a pub heritage listing for a trad layout and splendid bar back, and boasts a couple of marvellous Bass mirrors (as opposed to ones churned out on a Wrexham industrial estate, I guess).
Just the wrong number of people present towards the end of the lunchtime Thai food service. I couldn't respectfully take a decent picture of either of the side rooms or - frankly - any decent picture at all...
Cask ales on offer were Elephant School 'Bumbleduck', Adnams 'Ghost Ship', Grey Trees 'Pale', their own badged Pineapple Ale, and a Portobello 'Home Turf'.
A quick 'Home Turf' for me, realising in horror that I'd ordered the Six Nations-themed option.
Leaving the Pineapple I swung round onto Highgate Road, strolled past the Forum (venue for many an early 00's PropUptheBar gig...Public Enemy, White Stripes, Queens of the Stone Age...and continued past the camel...
A quick 'Home Turf' for me, realising in horror that I'd ordered the Six Nations-themed option.
Leaving the Pineapple I swung round onto Highgate Road, strolled past the Forum (venue for many an early 00's PropUptheBar gig...Public Enemy, White Stripes, Queens of the Stone Age...and continued past the camel...
Until I reached - undoubtedly - one of London's finest pubs...
This has 'Ale Cider Meat' painted on the side and it's fair to say it does what it says on the tin. Sausage rolls and pork pies in the deli counter at the end of the bar. Sixteen beers to pick from - eight cask and eight keg, covering most tastes. Six ciders hand pulls behind the counter.
The question was: did I really need to traipse around anywhere else for the rest of the afternoon?
I ordered a pint of the Heritage Brewing Co. 'Charrington's Oatmeal Stout', because I'm always a sucker for those recreated old recipes from long-gone brewers.
I ordered a pint of the Heritage Brewing Co. 'Charrington's Oatmeal Stout', because I'm always a sucker for those recreated old recipes from long-gone brewers.
The Southampton Arms is as no-nonsense as you can get. One simple room with wooden floors, seating on pews, handled mugs, piano, dog.
Steely Dan's Greatest Hits played on the record player behind the bar, entertaining a varied bunch of afternoon customers just getting into double figures. I stuck around for a second beer, picking one from Howling Hops (who now run the pub) - a super dark mild.
The gents are outside in the back yard and contain a scruffy collection of football stickers on the cisterns, very Clapham FC dominant, although my eye was drawn to the one promoting the St Pauli supporters outpost...
The gents are outside in the back yard and contain a scruffy collection of football stickers on the cisterns, very Clapham FC dominant, although my eye was drawn to the one promoting the St Pauli supporters outpost...
This 2026 Good Beer Guide entry was under 10-minutes walk up the road from the Southampton Arms, standing next to a mini-roundabout, with seating in front of it and a fine collection of hanging baskets that'll look great when the weather warms up and the flowers bloom.
There were four casks to pick from on my visit, the Anspach & Hobday 'Danelaw Brown Ale' taking my fancy, probably based on pump clip appreciation.
The pub dates back to around 1859. It closed in 2008 and transformed firstly into a Greek restaurant, then into a wine bar at a time when this part of the city had a bit of a shortage of cask ale outlets. The Duke of St Albans has been given a new lease of life with a 2024 refurb by the same folks who run Saint Monday Brewery (at the old London Fields site - a brewery tap for a future trip).
The Saint Monday ales are available on keg here, along with a hefty selection advertised on big beer boards.
The Saint Monday ales are available on keg here, along with a hefty selection advertised on big beer boards.
Finishing the excellent brown ale, I headed eastward toward Archway station, the next closest Beer Guide pub not far away. Another one that's gone for the dark grey ground floor frontage which proved challenging for my camera.
We're in familiar territory here to the previous pub: a Victorian era building that has had a 2025 makeover after new owners took over.
They reportedly spent £1 million on the refurbishment - let's see that a million quid gets you...
The second pub in a row with metal posts holding the ceiling up, stripped-back wooden floorboards, open-plan design, and menus, wine list and candle on the table.
The cask selection here was Big Smoke 'Cosmic Dawn', Siren 'Tempo' or 'Memento'.
The St John's is very foody with some alarming expensive options (Lamb shoulder with braised lentils, Molyneux farm kale at £56 - I think I'll hold out for the Islington 'Spoons).
Background music came from CCFX (who?) then Franz Ferdinand and some more recognisable tracks. I was comfy enough, but the Big Smoke pale ale was very ordinary and I was keen to move on to pastures new.
The cask selection here was Big Smoke 'Cosmic Dawn', Siren 'Tempo' or 'Memento'.
The St John's is very foody with some alarming expensive options (Lamb shoulder with braised lentils, Molyneux farm kale at £56 - I think I'll hold out for the Islington 'Spoons).
Background music came from CCFX (who?) then Franz Ferdinand and some more recognisable tracks. I was comfy enough, but the Big Smoke pale ale was very ordinary and I was keen to move on to pastures new.
Bit of JD Wetherspoon history here, as this pub was once JJ Moons, one of the first 10 in the chain.
The building dates back to 1870 when it was originally the Stanley Arms.
There wasn't really much pub variety across this and the previous two picks. Another food-led venue that seemed equally welcoming to drinks-only custom; the evening's menu being immaculately written on a chalk board whilst I sipped my New River 'Twin Spring'.
Strewth. Some would say I got a bit carried away.
Whatever happened to putting a sensible number of pubs into each post.
A long walk through Arsenal territory down Holloway Road eventually took me to The Lamb, a recent beer guide regular whose 4pm opening time had foiled me last time I was in the area.
Whatever happened to putting a sensible number of pubs into each post.
A long walk through Arsenal territory down Holloway Road eventually took me to The Lamb, a recent beer guide regular whose 4pm opening time had foiled me last time I was in the area.
This was originally the Highbury Brewery tap and has since been the Flounder and Firkin in a history of many identities. Highbury Brewery is long gone, closed shortly after Taylor Walker & Co. took them over in 1912, although the pub continued to operate as a tap without a brewery.
The decreasing quality of pictures is indicative that I had surpassed optimum beer consumption for the day.
Oddness...
Iggy makes for top signage to the gents WC, to be fair.
My beer - glowing by candle light in the picture above - was a 360° Brewery 'Sussex Blonde', remarkably just £3 a pint for cask on Wednesday.
£3 a pint in London!
I declared that was quite enough beer for the day. A short stroll down the road took me the White Lion Wetherspoon's for one of their new 'gourmet' jacket potatoes with soft drink.
Then across the road to the Garage for three relatively new bands, Cork's accordion-enhanced indie rock band Cardinals being the headline act.
Oddness...
Blurriness...
Quirkiness...
My beer - glowing by candle light in the picture above - was a 360° Brewery 'Sussex Blonde', remarkably just £3 a pint for cask on Wednesday.
£3 a pint in London!
I declared that was quite enough beer for the day. A short stroll down the road took me the White Lion Wetherspoon's for one of their new 'gourmet' jacket potatoes with soft drink.
Then across the road to the Garage for three relatively new bands, Cork's accordion-enhanced indie rock band Cardinals being the headline act.
They were very good and finished at a very respectable 22:10, ideal for this old soul with a gruelling bus ride up the M40 ahead after perhaps visiting a pub or two too many.
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