A Camden institution on Parkway, the back-room venue where Madness made their name and a fixture of the city's live music scene since the 1970s.
The Dublin Castle sits on Parkway in Camden Town, a pub at the front and a small live music room at the back. By Wikipedia's account it built its reputation in the late 1970s when Madness made the venue their own.
Come for a band every night of the week and a pint in between. Skip it if you want a quiet drink, because the back room is loud and the whole place runs on live music.
The front is a straightforward Camden boozer. The back room is the venue, a small low stage that has hosted thousands of bands working their way up.
Visit London and CAMRA both list it as one of Camden's defining music pubs, a place that helped shape the area's gig circuit.
This is a pub range, so beer is the standard order, with pints around six and a half pounds, fair for Camden. There is no cocktail programme to speak of.
The reason to come is the music. Gig tickets start around six pounds, and the booking leans toward new and emerging guitar bands rather than big names.
The crowd is gig-goers, Camden regulars, and music fans chasing the next band before it gets big, a tradition the Madness story set in motion.
What to order
- 01
A pint of draught beer
- 02
A cider or a spirit and mixer
- 03
A gig ticket at the door
- 04
A round before the back room fills
