Caps And Taps, Tufnell Park, NW5

Just down the road from Tufnell Park tube station, this is a basic bottle shop that also sticks a few draught beers on for onsite consumption or takeaway. There’s not much going on here - it’s a small room with a concrete screed floor and exposed brick walls with large shop windows to the front, under which a high ledge with bar stools runs. One bench has been set up along the left-hand wall, serving three small tables with low stools in support, but aside from that, the room is a little empty. There are obviously beer fridges, packed full of bottles and cans, along the right-hand side, whilst the bar is to the rear and has a basic wooden counter decorated with a collage of beer bottle labels and stickers. A TV to one side of the bar lists the draught range and taps are mounted on the otherwise plain bar back. I was the only customer on a mid-week evening visit, although a few folk did pop in for take-outs. A decent pop-punk soundtrack played away in the background. There are five keg lines in total, each offering something you almost certainly have never heard of, and with that in mind, I found myself with a pint of Burnt Mill Frequency (£5.80), which was actually pretty tasty and served up by a friendly barman who seemed a little surprised to have a customer. I’ve been in worse bottle shops than this one, but boy, does this place struggle to stick in the mind. It’s all rather bland and functional, feeling much more like a shop than somewhere you’d obviously want to settle down over a beer or two. It’s okay in passing, but I’d much rather spend time in one of Tufnell Park’s underwhelming pubs than in a shop unit.

Official site of Caps And Taps - www.capsandtaps.co.uk

Official site of Caps And Taps - www.capsandtaps.co.uk

A change of premises from Kentish Town Road as mentioned on website, not visited yet.