The Farrier, NW1

Located in the popular tourist hotspot of Camden Stables Market, this is a large bar and restaurant occupying an attractive building that once formed part of the horse hospital and stabling block. The pub is laid out across two roughly equal-sized rooms – a main bar area to the right and dining room through to the left, both boasting attractive high vaulted ceilings, exposed brick walls and bare floorboards. The right-hand room has a bit more of a lounge feel to it and is clearly the nicer spot for drinkers to settle down. Sofas, armchairs and tub chairs offer a range of comfortable seating options, whilst some high tables and drinking ledges served by bar stools provide some space-efficient alternatives. The servery surprisingly has a traditional dark wood bar counter and broad mirrored bar back, although the latter is somewhat spoiled by a row of ugly blackboards above it. A large square opening in the left-hand wall takes you through to a spacious dining room that has been filled with formal table and chair groups, many of which were set in readiness for diners. There’s an open kitchen over to the left and some large wine racks on the walls, but otherwise, décor is pretty minimalist, relying on the character of this old building instead. Further seating can be found out on the cobbled pavement area at the front, although there didn’t seem to be much in the way of shelter, so I would imagine it wouldn’t get much use in colder months. Service seemed quite formal, with a greeter showing us to a table despite us only wanting a quick drink, and all staff were decked out in the same black uniform. A casual jazz soundtrack played unoffensively in the background during our visit and there was a good mix of customers coming and going, including tourists, young couples and family groups. Sadly, there is no cask ale to be found here, but they do offer a few craft keg options including Camden Helles and Pale and one from Goose Island. I had a pint of the Camden Pale, brewed just around the corner, but setting me back a hefty £5.70, which made it one of the cheaper beer options on the menu. Food looked pretty good but the majority of customers seemed to be there for a drink. The principal attraction of this place is the nice building that it occupies, and I have to say they’ve done a pretty good job of making the most of such an interesting space, but ultimately, this is just an expensive bar with a heavy emphasis on food that caters mainly to lost tourists. The lack of cask, formal restaurant-style service and top-end pricing for mediocre beer means I’ll probably give it a swerve in the future, although I can imagine a lot of people would really like this place.

Official site of The Farrier - www.thefarriercamden.com

Official site of The Farrier - www.thefarriercamden.com