Choose your location
Wed / Feb 20
Includes: Kings Cross and Farringdon.
Named in honor of the Earl of Camden and home to such notables as Charles Dickens, George Orwell, and Dylan Thomas – and more recently Orlando Bloom – Camden Town is known for its outdoor markets, alternative sensibilities, and a large student population that rarely goes to bed early.
A favorite gathering spot for left-of-center partiers and live performers of all types, Camden is also “home” to many of the city’s homeless, but it has nevertheless remained the local stomping grounds for a fairly prosperous neo-hippie residential population, especially in the areas east toward neighboring Islington and King’s Cross.
Jam-packed music venues like The Electric Ballroom and The Underworld and bumping nightclubs like The Underground and Camden Palace have openly cashed in on the student contingent after the sun sets, but Camden is just as lively during the day. In keeping with its flower child aesthetic, Camden Markets, an open-air gathering of art lovers, bric-a-brac collectors, and thrifty shoppers, draws nearly 100,000 visitors every weekend. Walking along the canal that bisects the neighborhood is a great way to explore the area, especially along the Camden Lock directly adjacent to the Markets, where tons of pubs and eateries line the surrounding blocks. Visitors should be wary at night, however, as the Lock is also a popular stomping ground for drug dealers.
Where the Camden scene runs the gamut from young professionals to goths, Islington is home to a predominantly thirty-something set that tends to be a bit more reserved, preferring chill cocktail lounges to Camden’s harder core haunts. Nevertheless, the area is also home to the Emirates Stadium in the north of the district, where the famous Arsenal Football Club plays to legions of devoted fans and where snagging a ticket on game day can be as difficult as getting in to a major rock concert.
Although they may be known primarily for an alternative, artistic, and sometimes grungy vibe, Camden Town and Islington have made a science of mixing laid-back London partying with just the right touch of wild good times.
20s / 30s / 40s / Artists / Artsy / Bar
Party Earth Review Known as much for its whiskey selection as for its motley crew of devoted customers, Filthy MacNasty’s enjoys a certain local mystique and projects an artsy charm. With a low-key style ... more
68 Amwell Street
London EC1R 1
20s / Alternative / Balcony / Club
Party Earth Review Once a historic theater, Koko is a domed behemoth of a club and live music venue that lures hordes of Camden’s hippest youth with its neon sign, brightly lit façade ... more
1a Camden High Street
London NW1 7JE
Bar / Breakfast / British Food / DJ
Reviewed by Leighanne O.
"With its very accessible location of being right by Kings Cross, The Big Chill House is the place to go if you want to just grab a drink with your fri ..." more
257-259 Pentonville Road
London N1 9NL
After Work / All Types / Beer / DJ
Reviewed by Tara R.
"My Take: Deep in the heart of the wasteland that is King’s Cross nightlife, Camino’s Cruz del Rey is a sultry Spanish bar-restaurant with a courtyard ..." more
3 Varnishers Yard
The Regent Quarter, Kings Cross
London N1 9FD
All Ages / All Types / Casual
Reviewed by Samantha O.
"I was amazed when I entered the British Library and walked into the room with original manuscripts from the beginning of time. I spent much too much t ..." more
96 Euston Road
London, NW1
Breakfast / Brunch / Dinner / DJ / Bar
Reviewed by Tara R.
"My take: Accessed by a person-sized passageway off of Pentonville Road, 06 St. Chad’s Place is a charming bar and restaurant that serves high quality ..." more
06 St Chad's Place
London WC1X 9HH
20s / 30s / All Types / Balcony / Club
Party Earth Review With three rooms, two main stages, and two floors spread over 25,000 square feet, Fabric is a monster of a nightclub where music is the main focus and easygoing patrons arrive in droves ... more
77a Charterhouse Street
London, EC1M 3HN
All Ages / All Types / Bars / Free
Party Earth Review Technically composed of several adjoining independent markets, Camden Markets attract roughly a hundred thousand people every weekend, all eager to experience the area’s people, sights ... more
Chalk Farm Road/Camden High Street
Camden Town, Greater London NW1 7
20s / 30s / Artists / Bars / Casual / DJ
Party Earth Review The heart of the early 90s rave scene still beats with fury at Egg, a converted warehouse with three stories of dance floors, a reverence for skilled DJs, and a twenty-four-hour license ... more
200 York Way
London N7 9AX
20s / 30s / 40s / Acoustic / Breakfast
Party Earth Review Housed in an old theater, The Water Rats is a rather run-down pub and nightly live music venue that hosts primarily new bands playing indie, rock, pop, and acoustic music. Frequented ... more
328 Grays Inn Road
London, WC1X 8BZ
20s / 30s / Bar / Bar Food / Barbeque
Party Earth Review Rumor has it that Queen Elizabeth I granted the pub’s liquor license to none other than Sir Walter Raleigh – but incredible history aside, The Old Queen’s Head has certainly kept up ... more
44 Essex Road
Islington, London N1 8LN
20s / Acoustic / After Work / Beer
Party Earth Review Dangerously cheap beer, pub games, pop music, and sports are the calling card of The Rocket, a modest but crazy-busy pub in King’s Cross. Centrally located near several universities ... more
120 Euston Road
London, NW1 2AL