The Devonshire Arms, Camden Town, NW1

Official site of The Devonshire Arms - thedevnw1.co.uk

Official site of The Devonshire Arms - thedevnw1.co.uk

Tucked away slightly off the main strip through the centre of Camden, this is a typical rock/metal pub that seems well suited to this part of town. The place has a fairly simple rectangular layout with the servery occupying much of the left-hand side. In many ways, this is just a traditional London pub, with exposed floorboards, dark panelled walls and a dark wood bar counter with matching bar back. Seating runs around the front and right-hand sides of the room, mostly in the form of low stools, with plenty of bar stools around the servery proving popular with the locals. The walls, for the most part, are bare, with just a modest selection of gig flyers, heavy metal band posters and some band stickers to be found here and there, but the ceiling is a different story altogether, having been completely covered with old rock and metal posters, giving the room it’s theme and spoiling the illusion of this being a traditional pub. Neon whisky signs add some bright colour to an otherwise suitably dark and dingy room and the rocker’s preference for a drop of bourbon is highlighted by themed Jack Daniels bunting which is draped around much of the room. Other items of note include a large set of antlers on the bar back and a stormtrooper wearing one of the pub’s branded T-shirts. There’s a DJ booth at the end of the servery, and the incumbent on the night I visited was spinning some top-quality metal, punk and goth tunes at an appropriately loud volume. There’s a small stage set up in the far left corner with a very large amp stack next to it, so ear-splitting live music seems to be on the pub’s agenda too (earplugs available on request at the bar). This isn’t the sort of place you’d expect to find cask ale, but if you did, you’d expect it to be Robinson’s Trooper, which turned out to be exactly what they had on, at £4.60 a pint. Two other pumps were out of action and the keg selection seemed to be fairly mainstream, which always strikes me as odd in a bar like this which is so far from mainstream tastes. The Trooper was in good nick as it turned out and the barman and locals seemed like a friendly enough bunch. I’m a bit biased, as I always enjoy this sort of pub and feel comfortable settling down in places like this, which I appreciate won’t be the case for everyone. If you like your guitars turned to 11, your lights turned down to almost nothing and your beer brewed by Iron Maiden, this is the pub for you – if not, you may well want to run to the hills.

You would certainly still recognise this pub from Tris's review below. There's a clue as to what awaits you as you approach the pub from Hawley Crescent and seeing the enormous skull painted on the side of the wall. As I entered the pub most of my senses were assaulted - the smell of something burning (josticks perhaps?); the depressing blackness of the decor; and the heavy metal music being blasted out. Oddly enough, there's still some original inter-war features in here, such as the brick built fireplace on the left, the black painted three-quarter height fielded panelling on all the wall, the bar counter and at least some of the bar back. I don't suppose anyone would want to go to the expense of tarting the place up by painting it all gastro-grey; good job too as I've seen far too much gastro grey in pubs. There's a stage at the back for the live music; thankfully not being used during our midweek afternoon visit - other than somewhere for someone to store their bicycle. Every inch of the ceiling was covered in posters of some kind or another, and a sort of wooden frame had been constructed around the fireplace. I can't begin to describe the decor - but did spot a pair of antlers and Star Wars Stormtrooper's helmet above the bar back. But they did have Robinson's Trooper on which was in good condition. I don't suppose they do food in here - though you never know. I didn't see any sign of it anyway. To be honest I was quite pleased when the time came to leave this pub. It's really nothing like my kind of place, but it's fair enough that this sort of place exists to cater for the Goths in our society.

This is the lair of the Camden Weird Brigade; it's not without reason that the old brewery logo to the upper north wall reads 'Take Courage'. Appropriately this pub has been rebuilt in brewers' Tudor and is very dark and black inside; I suspect given the date, that Mr. Button's visit coincided with the now three-month festival that is Halloween as it wasn't quite as Gothic when we visited a couple of weeks ago. Furniture is conventional with some peripheral settles and amazingly, although AC/DC's For Those About To Rock We Salute You was playing on the gramophone, it was muted. Film and musical posters adorned the ceiling and black paint predominated. The lavatory wasn't as frightening as I expected and is preferable to the one up the road at Quinn's. The heavily inked and pierced barman seemed deaf, so perhaps the music isn't always quite so muted. Ales: Something that appeared to be called Deu at £3.95 a pint and - appropriately - Hobgoblin. Unless you are male and wearing black liquid eyeliner and purple lipstick then this pub is of curiosity value only and is best visited early evening, early in the week