Earl of Camden, Camden Town, NW1

A much modernised pub with a touch of the industrials- not totally unpleasant but somehow not very welcoming, perhaps due to the bare brickwork, bright colours and overhead pipework. Pushing the craft beers, with a bank of taps behind the bar, but retaining a bank of 6 handpumps, although half of them were off. The selection should have been Tribute, Proper Job, London Pride, something from Adnams and Trooper. Condition of the latter was not great so marked down.

A large pub still as described by Pub SignMan below, very quiet when I was there but It had only been open 20 minutes.There are a few screens dotted around with Sky Sports advertised. Five beers were on, Pride, Doom Bar, Ringwood Boondogle, Twickenham Grandstand,Clarkeshaws Gorgons Alive and an Adnams Ghost Ship clip on the sixth handle was reversed.It's an ok pub but nothing special.

This large pub on a corner site a short walk from Camden underground station has a bit of a 'drinking barn' feel to it, and it is therefore no surprise to learn that it was once part of the Hogshead chain. A large single room is split across two levels and has been given a semi-gastro makeover. A porch leads into the lower front section with a quarry stone floor and mix of high stools, standard chairs and the odd tub chair. A sofa backs onto two brick pillars with a stove perched between, acting as partitioning from the main part of the pub. There are large windows here, making it a bright spot and possibly a bit like you're sat in a shop window. Steps lead up to the main bar area with the servery down the left hand side. This has a fairly simple counter and a mirrored bar back decorated with a few pump clips and one of several TV screens throughout the pub showing muted Sky Sports News. The area opposite has plenty of standard seating filing the large open space, with tables arranged into canteen-style rows and a few high tables under some more large windows hung with fairy lights. There is a particularly gloomy space to the rear of the room with a few more seats and several people back here seemed to be eating, but I thought it was the most unappealing area in the pub. Two furled projector screens suggested that live football gets a regular airing here, although I left before the evening's kick off so can't confirm. A shelf held a number of board games and books and there are blackboards just about every which way you look, detailing all sorts of events and food & drink options. The warm weather had encouraged several people to take advantage of the numerous picnic benches located along the side street next to the pub. I'd been in this pub once before only to find that all their cask ale was off for the evening, but I had much better luck this time with four handpulled options available - Robinsons Trooper, Greene King IPA and Abbot Ale and Grainstore GB Best. The latter was a new one for me and kept in pretty good shape. There were also a few interesting craft keg options. This is one of the more generic pubs in the area and one of the few that doesn't actually feel like a Camden pub. I think it's a decent enough spot for a quick pint and probably worth popping in to see if there is anything interesting on the hand pumps, but I can't muster too much enthusiasm for this place and it's low down in my pre-gig pub pecking order.

The Earl of Camden official site with menus and event details - www.earlofcamden.co.uk

Larger pub than one might think when looking at the main frontage, but extends quite a way back along the side street. The main part of the bar is located up three steps from entrance, and the whole place has been refurbished in quite a traditional (if anonymous) style. Background music replaced by live football on the TVs part-way through my visit. Busy but not overcrowded in the early evening. Food more upmarket than the usual Stonegate menu. Four of the six handpumps were working, offering a decent selection of Old Thumper, Ushers 1824, Jennnings Crag Rat and Banks's Sunbeam (£3.35). Overall, rather better than I expected.

The Earl of Camden official site with menus and event details - www.earlofcamden.co.uk

A large open plan pub. Beers included timothy taylor. Food served & advertising live music.