Our Take on The Roundhouse Bar
The Roundhouse Bar is the drinking side of the Roundhouse, the Grade II listed venue on Chalk Farm Road in Camden. The building went up in 1846 as a turntable shed for steam engines before becoming one of London's defining music and arts spaces.
Since the 1960s it has staged the Rolling Stones, David Bowie, Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, The Doors, The Clash and Motörhead. The bars and terrace are the place for a pre gig pint or an interval drink. It anchors our best bars in London guide and the London cocktail bar roundup.
Inside The Roundhouse Bar
The drinking space wraps the main auditorium, with bars on the performance levels and a terrace looking over Chalk Farm Road. There is also a cafe that hosts pop ups, from open mic nights to wine tastings, away from the main shows.
This is a venue bar rather than a standalone pub, so the doors and the atmosphere track the night's billing. For full time Camden bars, see the London live music guide and our bars near me hub.
The Move at The Roundhouse Bar
Who Shows Up At The Roundhouse Bar
The crowd is whoever has a ticket that night, which means it shifts with the billing from indie rock to R&B to spoken word. Camden gig goers fill the bars before doors and during the interval.
Outside show nights the cafe and pop up events draw a smaller, more local crowd. Because the bars run on the programme, the energy peaks around set times rather than holding steady all evening.
The Word On The Roundhouse Bar
- Wikipedia records the Roundhouse as a Grade II listed building, built in 1846 as a railway engine turntable shed.
- The venue's 15 October 1966 All Night Rave featured Soft Machine and Pink Floyd.
- It closed in 2004 for a major redevelopment and reopened in June 2006.
- Visit London notes the cafe hosts pop ups such as open mic nights, wine tastings and exhibitions.
Is The Roundhouse Bar Your Kind Of Bar?
- A pre gig pint or an interval drink on a Camden night out.
- A music fan who wants the bar inside a genuinely historic venue.
- Avoid if you want a bar open at all hours; the doors follow the show programme.
Before You Go To The Roundhouse Bar
- Find it inside the Roundhouse at 100 Chalk Farm Road, Camden, London NW1 8EH.
- Closest transit: Chalk Farm station on the Northern line, directly opposite.
- The bars open around performances; hours follow the programme, so check what is on.
- Expect $$ pricing across beer, cocktails and wine.
- Best paired with a gig; arrive early for a terrace spot over Chalk Farm Road.
The Room In Pictures
