The Dublin Castle is a part of Camden's musical heritage, attracting a string of celebs and British rock idols such as Amy Winehouse, Graham Coxon (Blur), Alex Turner (Arctic Monkeys) and many more. Its unassuming country pub visage belies its rock and roll image, so I went to check it out.
The Venue
As you'd expect with any cool venue in this part of London, shabby chic probably best describes the interior of The Dublin Castle. The walls are a strong red, broken up by dim wooden fixtures and posters of various London music icons most of whom will have passed through here at some stage. Pass through the old fashioned pub area into the belly of The Dublin Castle and you'll find the dimly-lit live music room.
The Dublin Castle has attracted a whole host of London music icons in the past.
The Ambience and Clientele
This place is a bit of a Mecca for rock and indie music icons and you'll often find them mingling amongst the other trendy North London cohorts. Everybody may seem a little 'too cool for school' but it is probably one of the most welcoming pubs in this part of London. As expected The Dublin Castle plays non-stop rock and indie music which made for pleasant listening as I waited to watch the live band. With the show in full swing things can get pretty cramped and sweaty; for gig lovers like me this is a good thing, as you'll never get a more intimate show with your favourite band.
You can expect a bustling crowd any night of the week at The Dublin Castle.
The Drinks
This is not a pub that needs gimmicks; as you can imagine its reputation and cool vibe alone are enough to attract an adoring crowd. That said you probably wouldn't want to visit if you're looking for the best cocktails in London, however The Dublin Castle bar is well stocked with various beers and cask ales with a couple of treats from the local Camden brewery.
I stuck with the local liquor before hitting the rum... it seemed only fitting in a room full of rock stars. While I expected to pay a premium for being in Camden. The Dublin Castle is pretty competitive with the rest of London at around the £4.00 mark for a pint.
There's live music pretty much every day of the week and you'll never get closer to the band!
Summary
I've been visiting this cool Camden pub for a few years now and to be honest I think its natural charisma is its biggest draw. If I fancy cocktails and fine foods I'd iron a shirt and go to Soho, but the prospect of chilling to my favourite indie tunes with a beer, in the company of like-minded music lovers is my idea of heaven. Another triumph is that I can do that any day of the week thanks to The Dublin Castle's constant run of live events, which I probably would!
