6 Reasons You Should Be Keen To Go To Kentish Town

Georgie Hoole - EXECUTIVE EDITOR • 14 September, 2016

Kentish Towners are certainly not short of places to go for a pint. Nor will they struggle to find somewhere for a really decent meal. And, let’s be honest, what more do you need?

1. Ladies and Gentlemen

ladies-and-gents-kentish-town — [Evening Standard]

Ladies and Gents is a old bog turned boozer, and it’s a pretty good place to spend a penny (and lots of them). It kept the same luminous sign, but you’ll find a very different place at the bottom of those steps than you would have once before. They serve up a fine selection of cocktails created by master mixologists, including the very sophisticated Rhubarb and Custard, presented in a classic Bird’s custard can. Not only do Ladies and Gents boast a fantastic array of drinks, but they also make their own gin in the old water closet. Their Highwayman Gin (or “Kentish Town Gin”) is distilled behind the bar using a 16 litre copper still.

2 Highgate Road, NW5 1NR

2. Great Pubs

A photo posted by The Grafton (@thegraftonnw5) on Sep 11, 2016 at 4:25am PDT

Kentish Town has a lot to brag about when it comes to pubs: there’s the Abbey Tavern for it’s excellent roof terrace; The Grafton for its ah-mazing food, regular quizzes and BYOV (Bring Your Own Vinyl) nights; The Pineapple for its nineteenth-century interior and great cheese; and The Lion and Unicorn for its upstairs theatre. And of course it goes without saying that they all have great beer — with Camden Town Brewery nearby, you can pretty much guarantee some top-knotch hops.

3. Brunch at Beef and Brew

beef-and-brew-kentish-town — [Kentish Towner]

By all means visit whenever you like, but brunch at Beef and Brew is more than just avocado on toast (though that is on the menu of course). Try the Bruncheon Meat Board for bacon, beef and meaty beans, or the Smoked Haddock Eggs Benedict with a curried hollandaise. You can (should) also pay an extra £15 for bottomless Bloody Marys or Prosecco.

323 Kentish Town Road, NW5 2TJ

4. The Boulogne Bar at Bull and Gate

boulogne-bar-cocktails-bull-and-gate-kentish-town — [Bull & Gate]

Boulogne Bar is the decadent cocktail bar above the historical North London pub, the Bull and Gate. It used to be called the Boulogne Gate, after Henry VIII’s victory in France in 1544, but was renamed after everyone kept pronouncing it wrong. Bou-logne Gate, Bull and Gate… geddit? The upstairs bar decided to keep the original name and is now a grand space filled with chandeliers, velvet sofas and fireplaces. There’s jazz nights on Fridays and Saturdays and a cocktail menu for every day of the week. Try a Mango and Lychee Mojito, or a Kentish Bees Knees made with actual Kentish Town honey.

389 Kentish Town Road, NW5 2TJ

5. Mission: Breakout

mission-break-out-kentish-town — [Mission: Breakout]

Apply logic and determination to solve puzzles, find clues and break out of South Kentish Town, a tube station that closed in 1924. You and up to 5 team mates have 60 minutes to escape. Test your mind and your patience with this unique immersive experience!

141-145 Kentish Town Road, NW1 8PB

6. Bintang

Legends of Pan Asian fusion, Bintang has everything from Malaysian and Chinese, to Japanese and Filipino cuisine. It’s a great place to test your chopsticks skills and try something you may not have tried before. Oh and it’s BYOB which is always a bonus (still not sure whether that’s Bring Your Own Bottle or Bring Your Own Booze, but either way…)!

93 Kentish Town Road, NW1 8NY

Tags: drinks, kentish town, North London, pubs, restaurants