North London Food & Culture

Top 10: Kentish Town pubs as voted by you

This week we joined forces with the Londonist to ask readers what their favourite Kentish Town pub is. Here are the results

A popular choice: Tapping The Admiral. Photo: Stephen Emms
A popular choice: Tapping The Admiral. Photo: Stephen Emms

On Monday we teamed up with the Londonist to ask readers a simple question: what’s your favourite Kentish Town pub?

A pub, we explained, for these purposes, is any watering hole, from boozer to bar; and it was up to you lot to decide what the geographical parameters of K-Town are.

Little did we realise, just a few days later, we’d be ploughing through hundreds of responses, across a plethora of platforms: Twitter (the hashtag was #bestKTpub), Facebook posts and of course the lively comments sections of both titles.

Just missing from the Top 10 are NW5 stalwarts The Vine, Shebeen, the Lord Palmerston, Boston Arms and Quinn’s. But most surprising in its absence is local institution The Oxford, a pub which, once pioneering, may just have suffered with the rise of so many other places nearby.


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The top five choices will constitute the next monthly Londonist pub crawl, all set to take place on Tuesday June 17. More details on that right here.

Congrats to every pub that made your Top 10. If you want to attend the crawl, there are only 20 places, so email matt@londonist.com ASAP. Rumour has it that the Kentishtowner team may also be in attendance, for review purposes only, of course.

Your Top 10 K-Town Pubs

#1 in almost every poll: The Pineapple. Photo: Tom Storr
Where did The Pineapple end up? Photo: Tom Storr

10. The Abbey

The lower Kentish Town Road rave pub has legions of fans. But were they too hungover to vote in force? Still, the multi-purpose venue with the best streetfood in town makes the Top 10. Just.

9. Camden Town Brewery

Just makes it into the 10: the Abbey
Just makes it into the 10: the Abbey

We think the atmospheric Wilkin Street Mews bar would have smashed the Top 5 if it was open daily (yup, that’s a hint) but it managed a respectable inclusion in our rundown nonetheless. “The best beers,” said reader Lays, simply.

8. Junction Tavern

The Fortess Road pub, restaurant and garden (read its secret history here) makes a decent entry in the ten with a good turnout on Twitter and via the Londonist’s pages.

7. Lion & Unicorn

The handsome Gaisford Street watering hole received most praise for two quite lovely outside spaces. “Best beer garden by a long way,” said Pedro, “and it really comes into its own in the warm weather.”

6. Assembly House

The gothic, apparently haunted Kentish Town Road fun palace is a favourite of office workers and first stop for out-of-towners, hence a surge on the Londonist’s Facebook page and via Twitter.

5. The Grafton

Still a relative newcomer, the Prince of Wales corner pub was especially commended for its food by a loyal crowd.

4. Aces & Eights

In at #4: late night venue Aces & Eights
In at #4: late night venue Aces & Eights

The Fortess Road venue (opposite Tufnell Park tube) did the biz across the board, with some expressing surprise. “I have clearly been missing out on Aces & Eights,” said Tom. “Best pizza in town and/or favourite late night venue,” said many.

3. Tapping The Admiral

Huge love for the backstreet boozer a tankard’s hurl from Kentish Town West Overground. “Best-kept ales in London,” said Tom. “Varied pumps,” said Gail, “and a community pub too.”

2. Southampton Arms

Classic Highgate Road sliver of a tap room wins with its no-cards, vinyl-only, simple-food ethos, much imitated elsewhere. “The best quality and choice of ale,” said Mark. It’s all about “the atmosphere,” added Wendy.

1. The Pineapple

It’s Leverton Street’s best-preserved Victorian interior (once threatened) which cleans up – by a mile. “For the quiz, the cheese and the gossip,” said Nick, echoing hundreds of readers.

Agree? Disagree? Have your say below.


6 thoughts on “Top 10: Kentish Town pubs as voted by you”

  1. roughly agree with that top 10… although would’ve liked the Boston & Quinn’s to get a look-in.

    V surprised at Aces & Eight’s popularity – I went in once and was like a grungey New York dive bar, nothing at all like a British pub so surprised it’s in top 10pubs. Hey ho, that’s democracy for ya! 🙂

  2. Two pubs I miss in this list: Dartmouth Arms and definitely the Constitution. Pedro, who thinks Lion&King has the best beer garden, should see the latter.

    Agree with Laura btw, Aces&Eights is no “pub”.

Leave a Comment

6 thoughts on “Top 10: Kentish Town pubs as voted by you”

  1. roughly agree with that top 10… although would’ve liked the Boston & Quinn’s to get a look-in.

    V surprised at Aces & Eight’s popularity – I went in once and was like a grungey New York dive bar, nothing at all like a British pub so surprised it’s in top 10pubs. Hey ho, that’s democracy for ya! 🙂

  2. Two pubs I miss in this list: Dartmouth Arms and definitely the Constitution. Pedro, who thinks Lion&King has the best beer garden, should see the latter.

    Agree with Laura btw, Aces&Eights is no “pub”.

Leave a Comment

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