The Elephants Head, Camden Town, NW1

Narrow pub serving 2 real ales and food. Nice tiled exterior.

Traditional narrow, rectangular bar in a style that reminded me of certain Dublin pubs, but thankfully without most of the tat. Small seating area up one step also looks like it may act as a stage. Decent jukebox. Two pairs of handpumps on the bar counter, both offering Pride and Courage Best (£3.75). Overall, hardly brilliant, but one of the better places on this part of Camden Hill Street.

A street corner boozer with no pretensions, unless you count the £2 I was charged for a half of Courage Best. The other option was Fullers London Pride. I quite liked the pub, with its somewhat distressed furniture and fittings, the no-nonsense bar and the typical Camden Town mix of locals and foreigners, plus The Only Ones on the loudspeakers: I don't know when I last heard Another Girl, Another Planet in a pub. The beer was truly awful. Maybe it was the weather, but it was warm and totally devoid of condition and taste. I could have complained, but couldn't be bothered. Other customers were drinking lager, which looked cool and bubbly, so it looks like they just don't know how to keep and serve real ales. Not one I'll be in a hurry to revisit.

This is a decent pub that had four nice and competent barmaids serving during my visit. There are four ale pumps, but only two were in use and they were both delivering Courage Best. There is also one premium lager and a few bog standards. The bar almost stretches the length of the pub making it very narrow so it doesn't take that many people to fill the place up. There are a few more tables at the rear next to the toilets, but the back door is not used so you still have to fight you way along the bar to get to them. The music was a little loud for my liking, but other than that I enjoyed myself and would recommend to others.