Cafe Bartok
Best bar to savour a pint and a little classical music.
Named after the Hungarian composer and pianist, Bartok leans towards contemporary classical music. A mix of DJ sets and live performances embrace the sounds of jazz, classical and world music.This refreshing approach to music is enhanced by the layout of Bartok. The comfy sofas allow you to sink into the intimate setting, and soak up the music as well as conversation.

Cafe Bartok 78-79 Chalk Farm Road, Camden Town
London NW1 : 020 7916 0595
Tube: Chalk Farm/Camden
Map: Click here

The Good Mixer
Best pub to get all wistful about the Blurry days of Britpop.
Hangout for slackers (well this is Camden after all), unsigned (or if they’re any good, ‘upcoming’) bands, major-label failures and scruffy Camdenites, not forgetting the occasional pot smoker. Decent beer, decent jukebox, and a much-in-demand pool table, the Mixer is more laid back than a Rastafarian in a rocking chair.

The Good Mixer 30 Inverness St, off Camden High St NW1, 020 7916 7929,
Tube: Camden Town
Map: Click here

The Monarch
Best pub in which to experience going deaf while simultaneously developing sweaty armpits.
Home to many rock journalists, NME types and, on Sunday evenings, nu-metallers with atrocious dreadlocks and multiple piercings. From the outside it looks like a bog-standard bar. Downstairs it takes on the appearance of a rather trendy bar. Upstairs at first appears to be a rather dark hole. It is in fact a venue or, in journo parlance, a sweatbox, and port of call for many rising bands, mainly homegrown, but the odd few from across the pond.

The Monarch
49 Chalk Farm Road NW1, 020 7691 4246
Tube: Chalk Farm
Map: Click here

The Devonshire Arms
Best pub in which to get a load of goth culture and mingle with Marilyn Manson look-alikes while listening to obscure 80s proto-industrial-punk.
Hailed as London’s gothic watering hole, there is no dress code at the DA, but to be on the safe side it’s best to wear something black. PVC seems to a popular choice of attire for the regulars, most of which don a pale-faced and, in some cases rather ghostly, complexion. You won’t find financiers or City types in here! DJs are on every night playing a twisted selection of tunes from bizarre punk right up to obscure underground electro-goth.

The Devonshire Arms
33 Kentish Town Road, NW1, 020 7284 0562
Tube: Camden Town
Map: Click here

The Dublin Castle
Best pub to soak up the history of London’s music scene, while soaking up several pints of course.
Toilet venues are toilet venues when all’s said and done, but the Dublin Castle has been part of London’s music history for almost quarter of a century, and is most notable for being the venue where Madness played their first gigs. Nowadays it’s still a haunt for unsigned bands, though has lost out somewhat to the success of the Barfly at the Monarch. Still, it isn’t unknown for bands to hold secret gigs here, as Blur did playing to a mere handful of punters in the dark back room. The wooden floors and cosy intimate surroundings make it less of a thoroughfare than other Camden pub-venues.

Dublin Castle, 94 Parkway NW1, 020 74851773
Tube: Camden Town
Map: Click here

The World’s End
Best pub to meet up in Camden while supping beer on tall stools.
Adjoined to the Underworld music venue, the Underworld is the most obvious choice to meet pals before moving on round other Camden pubs and bars. Does tend to get overcrowded at the weekend and lager drinkers might be a bit disappointed to discover that there’s only Carling available on draught. There’s plenty of seating areas upstairs above the bar as well as a small alcove away from the noisy banter. The music ain’t bad either, ranging from the classic rock of Yes, Deep Purple and ZZ Top to a selection of the finest indie tunes, old and new.

The World’s End
174 Camden High Street NW1, 020 7482 1932
Tube: Camden Town
Map: Click here

The Oxford Arms
Best Bar for feeling theatrical without turning into a thesp.
Cheapskate culture vultures will love this hang-out. For one thing the pub lunch is free on Sundays; for another, the theatre upstairs serves up an evening play for under a tenner. Currently home to Chris Morris (of Brass-Eye fame)'s darkly witty 'Blue Jam,' the Etcetera theatre is just above the Oxford Arms and only asks you to take a pint into the performance. No cocktail-drinkers allowed.

The Oxford Arms
265 Camden High Street, NW1, 020 7267 4945
Tube: Camden Town
Map: Click here