Not a fan of the "I'll write 3000 words of drivel about a bar of soap to get myself an E" ...
Not a fan of the "I'll write 3000 words of drivel about a bar of soap to get myself an E" school of Ciao-ing. I think it's more important to write something well and succinctly. Of course, I may be in a minority!... :)
Member since:14.09.2003
Reviews:112
Members who trust:35
The DevonshireArms is an alternative (goth, rock, punk, whatever) sort of pub in the heart of Camden Town in London, and often the place of choice to be, prior to a gig at the Camden Underworld or one of the other nearby venues.
I like the place. In fact I like a lot of the pubs in London and being in London in general, as it means less likelihood of being attacked for having the wrong clothes, or for having long hair, or for daring to be the slightest bit different to the townie masses, as is generally the case in many of Britian's delightful provincial towns, of an evening. But that's probably for another review.
The Devonshire is easy to get to from Camden tube- exit on the left as you walk up to the surface, and then head left down the road.
Actually I've just seen a hilarious question for this review which Ciao have decided to ask- "How flirtatious is the clientele?" Er, I don't go picking up strangers looking for an easy fumble in some stinking alleyway, and anyway I'm in a long-term relationship and wouldn't want to do such a thing, so I wouldn't really know!
Anyway, onto the pub particulars. The music is great, the clientele are always interestingly dressed, and the prices are no worse than most other London pubs. It serves a few lagers, including Kronenbourg which is good enough for me (can't stand that muddy "real ale" rubbish). Of course, one could argue that it would be even better if they had nice cold Bud on tap, but very few places have that. It also has the usual array of odd alcopops, spirits etc. etc.
The main problem with the Dev (as it's affectionately known) is really the lack of space. It's on one small floor, and when you walk in you can see pretty much the whole pub immediately. The best thing to do therefore is to get there as early as you can, so that you and your mates can grab some chairs and a good-sized table and then be set up for the rest of the day. It's a popular place, and this fact combined with the small area does mean that it fills up very quickly.
The toilets leave a bit to be desired as well. Okay, so not every pub in town can afford to keep their loo areas as sparkly and pristine as a Wetherspoon's, but a little effort might go a long way in this case. They're not the worst in the world, but they are very cramped and not in the best state of repair, and they do smell occasionally, which is quite offputting.
The Dev doesn't serve food, which is probably just as well. It isn't really that sort of place. But overall it's well worth visiting when you're in the area.
Hmm, for some reason Ciao won't let me complete and send this review unless I answer the question about food- i.e if they server food, how good is it- despite my stating that it doesn't serve good! So please ignore that bit.
My other half goes there quite a bit, even though he's not London-based. I hardly ever get the chance to go that far South, but he's promised we can go for the weekend soon, so no doubt we'll be there at some point!
hiedihi 01.02.2005 10:19
Good review !
Heidi xx
emmaewok 27.01.2005 00:08
This is not a bad pub I seems to recall stumbling in there a few times. And being Grubby is like being a Palace compared to some of the hellholes in Camden *cough* Electric Ballroom *cough*
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