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Detail Pages
The Devonshire Arms, Camden Town, NW1
NW1
NW1 8NL
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 4½ of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about The Devonshire Arms
Tucked away slightly off the main strip through the centre of Camden, this is a typical rock/metal pub that seems well suited to this part of town. The place has a fairly simple rectangular layout with the servery occupying much of the left-hand side. In many ways, this is just a traditional London pub, with exposed floorboards, dark panelled walls and a dark wood bar counter with matching bar back. Seating runs around the front and right-hand sides of the room, mostly in the form of low stools, with plenty of bar stools around the servery proving popular with the locals. The walls, for the most part, are bare, with just a modest selection of gig flyers, heavy metal band posters and some band stickers to be found here and there, but the ceiling is a different story altogether, having been completely covered with old rock and metal posters, giving the room it’s theme and spoiling the illusion of this being a traditional pub. Neon whisky signs add some bright colour to an otherwise suitably dark and dingy room and the rocker’s preference for a drop of bourbon is highlighted by themed Jack Daniels bunting which is draped around much of the room. Other items of note include a large set of antlers on the bar back and a stormtrooper wearing one of the pub’s branded T-shirts. There’s a DJ booth at the end of the servery, and the incumbent on the night I visited was spinning some top-quality metal, punk and goth tunes at an appropriately loud volume. There’s a small stage set up in the far left corner with a very large amp stack next to it, so ear-splitting live music seems to be on the pub’s agenda too (earplugs available on request at the bar).
This isn’t the sort of place you’d expect to find cask ale, but if you did, you’d expect it to be Robinson’s Trooper, which turned out to be exactly what they had on, at £4.60 a pint. Two other pumps were out of action and the keg selection seemed to be fairly mainstream, which always strikes me as odd in a bar like this which is so far from mainstream tastes. The Trooper was in good nick as it turned out and the barman and locals seemed like a friendly enough bunch.
I’m a bit biased, as I always enjoy this sort of pub and feel comfortable settling down in places like this, which I appreciate won’t be the case for everyone. If you like your guitars turned to 11, your lights turned down to almost nothing and your beer brewed by Iron Maiden, this is the pub for you – if not, you may well want to run to the hills.
On 9th December 2019
- rating: 6
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Rex Rattus left this review about The Devonshire Arms
You would certainly still recognise this pub from Tris's review below. There's a clue as to what awaits you as you approach the pub from Hawley Crescent and seeing the enormous skull painted on the side of the wall. As I entered the pub most of my senses were assaulted - the smell of something burning (josticks perhaps?); the depressing blackness of the decor; and the heavy metal music being blasted out. Oddly enough, there's still some original inter-war features in here, such as the brick built fireplace on the left, the black painted three-quarter height fielded panelling on all the wall, the bar counter and at least some of the bar back. I don't suppose anyone would want to go to the expense of tarting the place up by painting it all gastro-grey; good job too as I've seen far too much gastro grey in pubs.
There's a stage at the back for the live music; thankfully not being used during our midweek afternoon visit - other than somewhere for someone to store their bicycle. Every inch of the ceiling was covered in posters of some kind or another, and a sort of wooden frame had been constructed around the fireplace. I can't begin to describe the decor - but did spot a pair of antlers and Star Wars Stormtrooper's helmet above the bar back.
But they did have Robinson's Trooper on which was in good condition. I don't suppose they do food in here - though you never know. I didn't see any sign of it anyway.
To be honest I was quite pleased when the time came to leave this pub. It's really nothing like my kind of place, but it's fair enough that this sort of place exists to cater for the Goths in our society.
On 10th November 2019
- rating: 4
[User has posted 2606 recommendations about 2520 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Tris C left this review about The Devonshire Arms
This is the lair of the Camden Weird Brigade; it's not without reason that the old brewery logo to the upper north wall reads 'Take Courage'. Appropriately this pub has been rebuilt in brewers' Tudor and is very dark and black inside; I suspect given the date, that Mr. Button's visit coincided with the now three-month festival that is Halloween as it wasn't quite as Gothic when we visited a couple of weeks ago.
Furniture is conventional with some peripheral settles and amazingly, although AC/DC's For Those About To Rock We Salute You was playing on the gramophone, it was muted. Film and musical posters adorned the ceiling and black paint predominated. The lavatory wasn't as frightening as I expected and is preferable to the one up the road at Quinn's.
The heavily inked and pierced barman seemed deaf, so perhaps the music isn't always quite so muted. Ales: Something that appeared to be called Deu at £3.95 a pint and - appropriately - Hobgoblin.
Unless you are male and wearing black liquid eyeliner and purple lipstick then this pub is of curiosity value only and is best visited early evening, early in the week
On 11th October 2016
- rating: 4
[User has posted 1985 recommendations about 1951 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about Hobgoblin (Devonshire Arms)
It still says Devonshire Arms on the traditional pub sign, but has newer Hobgoblin signage on both facades (plus an old illuminated exhortation to 'Take Courage' and a claim to sell 'Peal Ales' which isn't quite all there). Inside, it is a dark, gothic music-orientated pub which is plastered with posters and dungeonesque (if there is such a word) tat. There is a pinball table at the back (and apparently a cash machine somewhere too). Three handpumps, but only the inevitable Hobgoblin available (£3.30). Overall, a distinct curiosity to all but its target market.
On 23rd October 2010
- rating: 5
[User has posted 8117 recommendations about 8117 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Roger Button left this review about Devonshire Arms
A.K.A. the Hobgoblin, the Devonshire is basically a rock / goth / indie pub along the lines of the Intrepid Fox but with a far more battered and grubby appearance. Battered furnishings, black walls and a thousand and one posters of Marilyn Mansun eyeballing you from every angle won't be everyone's cup of tea and the fake cobwebs and gothic fake flickering lighting is more London Dungeon than trendy Camden. You almost expect a rubber spider to crawl out of a crack in the floor. 3 hand pumps but all off on my visit – Hobgoblin seems to be the only ale that they do but I had to resort to Guinness which was a lucky choice as it was during happy hour (that seems to last 3 days) where selected “beers” are all £2.20. A raised corner doubles up as a stage for live bands and there is a DJ stall which presumably pumps out a diet of AC/DC at ear shattering volume when the need arises. Not sure how this place has missed my radar for so long but I do like a good grubby venue now and again and I need to return at some point as I sadly missed out on the toilet experience.
On 23rd October 2009
- rating: 5
[User has posted 1239 recommendations about 1233 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Quinno _ left this review about Hobgoblin (Devonshire Arms)
The penultimate port of crawl before the Manics saw us end up here. OK, we didn't just end up here, we deliberately chose this place because – thanks to their reputation – we wanted to see just how awful the toilets were. Gentlemen (and Ladies, we checked) this place lives up to the hype. They are the worst pub toilets I've yet to experience; Michael Eavis would veto them if they appeared on Worthy Farm.
On the pub side, the inside is loud, dark and scruffy. One bonus was the ale – the Hobgoblin was decently priced for the area and tasted fairly good given some of the appallingly bad beers I'd been subjected to earlier on in the day around Camden.
Worth a stop for the comedy value – once. Or twice if you use the toilets as a forfeit for a bet, like we did.
On 5th June 2009
- rating: 4
[User has posted 5097 recommendations about 5080 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve C left this review about Devonshire Arms
This is a purposely grim pub for the Goths and their ilk of Camden to drink in the dark whilst listening to brain damage music played at ear splitting volumes. The barmaid was very friendly and my pint of Stella was on good form, but I’ve never had the inclination to dye my hair jet black with purple streaks or tattoo some satanic slogan on my backside so I didn’t really fit in. Each to their own I suppose.
On 17th November 2008
- rating: 4
[User has posted 5251 recommendations about 5219 pubs]