The Camden Head, N1

Really not sure how I've never been to this place previously, although it is in the narrow lanes set back from the main road a bit. Anyway, this appealing Greene King (ex-Taylor Walker) pub features a fine island bar, various screens to sub-divide the seating areas and plenty of etched glazing. The is also a pleasant patio yard at the front which is the place to be in the better weather. Two banks of four handpumps with duplicated clips, with IPA and Abbot supplemented by Twickenham Naked Ladies (£4.80) and Portobello Market Porter as guests.

Tucked away on Camden Walk,this is a very fine Victorian pub which should be iconic but is badly let down by it's owners Greene King.There is a large seating patio to the front and a fine exterior.Internally there is lots of etched glass and mirrors and the interior space has lots of dividers also with etched glass with red leather bench seating.Walk around the island bar and you will find a charming alcove below a staircase with a drinking shelf and stools,there are quite a few nooks and crannies here. It's such a shame that the dead hand of Greene King is everywhere.There is an unnecessary flatscreen on one wall,corporate menus invest every table,there was awful R&B dirge as muzak and there were meaningless signs hanging by the fine bar back with an inflateable unicorn pertched on a corner.Remove this nonsense and you could celebrate the heritage. Four handpumps with the obligatory dull GK IPA and Abbott with thankfully two guests in Portobello Westway Pale and Market Porter (ok condition,£2.45 half).There are several keg taps but a boring selection with BrewDog Dead Pony Club and Beavertown Neck Oil seemingly a token nod to craft keg. It's worth a visit to see the interior ,hence a 7,but in better hands with better real ale and better food this could be an outstanding pub.

Not to be confused with the Camden Head in Camden Town, this is a grand late Victorian pub (1899) just away from the bustle of Upper Street and features a very fine interior with lots of partitions, mirrors and etched and cut glass, lino bar top, some columns with ornate capitals, some grand polished granite applications to the exterior and a coal effect fire. Surprisingly, for a Taylor Walker pub (for this is one), the floor is bare boarded rather than carpeted but thereafter there are the usual downmarket TW trademarks such as games machines, TVs showing dross with the sound off and awful laminated pictorial menus. Furniture is fairly conventional with some leatherette banquette seating below the windows. Music played at an acceptable level. Ales: the Keeper's Light went off on arrival, thereafter Greene King IPA and Sharp's Doom Bar Amber at £2.20 a half and ok; there may have been some other ales on the other side of the bar. This pub is certainly better than your average offering from TW and it's very pretty but the games machines, TVs and naff menus lower the score somewhat. Certainly worth a prolonged visit, especially if you can bag a seat in the patio in a warm day.

Not a pub for me - no real strength in the ales and I was glad to leave.

Just a run of the mill pub in Islington selling 4 real ales with the truman lazarus beeing ok but at £2.05 a half being a total rip off.