http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/bar-pub/1t0ct8/the-lock-tavern <b>The Lock Tavern</b><br />London, 35 Chalk Farm Road, NW1 8AJ, United Kingdom en http://trustedplaces.com/uploads/placepics/trustedplaces.comaPlacePic['name']}.140.jpg http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/bar-pub/1t0ct8/the-lock-tavern http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/bar-pub/1t0ct8/the-lock-tavern/1b2q08
Review by curlyfries

Rating: 3.00
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This place used to be a favourite of mine for its great roast dinners (which continue, albeit somewhat blandly in my opinion), although I have to admit to finding Square Pies a bit uninspiring. It's a nice spot for a pint on a quiet sunny afternoon.

Food and quiet sunshiney pints aside, however, it's become a bit of a pain trying to come here for a drink on the weekend. It's definitely one of the better pubs in Camden, and most of the real idiots are trying to get into the Hawley Arms down the road: but even if the unnecessarily unpleasant bouncers let you in after you've stood out in the cold for half an hour you'll only be surrounded by kids in skinny jeans and bad hair (the ones that aren't working behind the bar) and half the MTV workforce. Crumbs, I must be getting old.

Playing nicely: the beer garden's lively and relaxed, if you can find yourself some space, and the veranda upstairs isn't half bad if you can make your way onto a table. The music tends to be pretty good, too, although the crowd tend to be a bit too cool to dance; and the drinks aren't really overpriced, just Londonpriced.

]]> Wed, 05 Nov 2008 03:56:30 +0000 /review/uk/london/bar-pub/1t0ct8/the-lock-tavern/1b2q081954291695 curlyfries 51.542024892362 -0.14840390622095 http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/bar-pub/1t0ct8/the-lock-tavern/139q37
Review by Niamheen

Rating: 3.00
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Just across from the chaos that is Camden Stables Market, lies the Lock Tavern, with it's gorgeous beer garden and roof terrace. There's good music, often big indie dj nights, especially at bank holiday weekends. There's also very decent food - pies, sausage and mash, salmon goujons... exactly what you would want and expect from a pub. It does get ridiculously busy though, and on a Saturday night it can be too much. It's also egging on the wrong side of trendy at times, just too much angled hair and skinny jeans for one location. Avoid it on a Saturday night, and you'll probably like it quite a lot.]]> Thu, 30 Oct 2008 14:50:42 +0000 /review/uk/london/bar-pub/1t0ct8/the-lock-tavern/139q371913053266 Niamheen 51.542024892362 -0.14840390622095 http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/bar-pub/1t0ct8/the-lock-tavern/177fe7
Review by papayoyo

Rating: 4.00
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Situated just opposite Camden Town's Stables Market, The Lock Tavern is a splendid place to while away a sunny summer's afternoon or evening with its luscious garden bar and terrace. Somewhat labyrinthian in layout it is decked out downstairs with comfy leather sofas and has a classy but cool atmosphere. Usually rammed with Camden's finest trendy young things, there are weekend gigs upstairs and the place exudes that "happening" Camden vibe. They also do reasonable pub grub and the usual british selection of beers. The main attractions are the locale, the foliage bedecked garden and the indie music oriented terrace. A fine place to sink a few ales with a few good mates and the scenery of the female kind (and male I've been told) is generally easy on the eyes. If the doormen like you they'll even give you a VIP card, whatever that's for.]]> Fri, 29 Aug 2008 09:20:59 +0000 /review/uk/london/bar-pub/1t0ct8/the-lock-tavern/177fe7376102142 papayoyo 51.542024892362 -0.14840390622095 http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/bar-pub/1t0ct8/the-lock-tavern/1p2ei8
Review by sparklepants

Rating: 5.00
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A fantastic bar, probably at its best weeknights and afternoons!! The garden is lovely, even in the cold weather as they have heaters and a covered area. When itâ¬"s sunny, head for the roof terrace. Be warned...since the wonderful Hawley has left us (RIP) it get extremely busy and it wouldnâ¬"t be unusual to have to queue on a Friday or Saturday night. The food is your standard pub food, but not bad for what it is! Keep your eye out for a breaking band or two! Very relaxed, beautiful staff, beautiful punters! Weekends get a bit 'I wannabe Pete Doherty']]> Thu, 28 Aug 2008 11:42:45 +0000 /review/uk/london/bar-pub/1t0ct8/the-lock-tavern/1p2ei81325366261 sparklepants 51.542024892362 -0.14840390622095 http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/bar-pub/1t0ct8/the-lock-tavern/1r6af7
Review by Niamheen

Rating: 3.00
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The Lock Tavern is a great spot. Decent pub grub (square pies, sausage and mash etc.), lovely beer garden and roof terrace. Great music, good dj's at weekends. The only thing is it's almost painfully trendy at times and if you don't get there early on Saturday you have to queue - hence 4 stars instead of 5. It's always fun once you're in though.]]> Tue, 19 Aug 2008 17:57:16 +0000 /review/uk/london/bar-pub/1t0ct8/the-lock-tavern/1r6af7668252255 Niamheen 51.542024892362 -0.14840390622095 http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/bar-pub/1t0ct8/the-lock-tavern/1m6367
Review by gilka

Rating: 4.00
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this is a huge place with difference zones-
my favourite is the outside area. Sometimes they have a band playing. Food is good- staff are too cool like the ones who looks like they are in a successful band and they don't care about people but even with that, this place is one of the best bars in Camden. When we were there around 11 pm at the outdoor space they turned on their super huge lights on us to make us leave... that was very bad! not very pleasant way to tell people to go...
They are very strict about closing time...One of our friends got bitten by a teenager outside this bar because he didn't have cigarettes to give him so watch it there...]]> Wed, 18 Jul 2007 15:59:04 +0000 /review/uk/london/bar-pub/1t0ct8/the-lock-tavern/1m63671819470561 gilka 51.542024892362 -0.14840390622095 http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/bar-pub/1t0ct8/the-lock-tavern/1e2289
Review by shelo9

Rating: 4.00
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Had my birthday bash there which was cool. Booked the area a few months in advance and asked for the balcony outside. Unfortunately there was a blizzard so the nice people at the tavern called up and said they would move my space inside to a cool area. Lovely pub, cool people and prices arent bad. Good pub to go to chalk farm. ]]> Sat, 05 May 2007 20:24:45 +0000 /review/uk/london/bar-pub/1t0ct8/the-lock-tavern/1e22891415927004 shelo9 51.542024892362 -0.14840390622095 http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/bar-pub/1t0ct8/the-lock-tavern/1k00t8
Review by sokratis

Rating: 3.00
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OK, this is instalment 3 in Sokratis' Friday diary. So, after going back charging phone up, grabbing a bite to eat it was time to continue, so we headed down to Chalk Farm to a familiar place the Lock Tavern. I think it's one of the best ones you'll find on Chalk Farm road. It's a very young, trendy crowd that goes there usually and the music is pretty good with a different DJ set every weekend or live music. OK, reasonably priced drinks, a nice beer garden, which can be used in the winter too and a lively, friendly atmosphere. It seems to be a bit of a pulling joint as well with lots of the punters getting very friendly with each other.

Some of the staff are very good as well they had a problem with their card reader and I was let to walk away from the bar with a full round of drinks on the promise that I would come back to pay, which of course I did.
This is the end of the review, now for a personal recount of the night:
The funniest bit was this girl who came to talk to us, being really, really, really drunk (I seem to be developing a magnetic field for these). She was being friendly, so I reciprocated asking what her name was. It took a few minutes to work out she wasn't called Livvy, Libby, Lilly or Lithee but actually Lizzy. The slurring was so bad she couldn't get her z's out. It was not a very deep or long conversation as she fell of her chair after all that effort of saying her name.

The other funny bit was with this very nice Polish dude (who's actually a PHP developer) I had a chat with told you the place is friendly, people just talk to you. The music is very loud, and we were sat under one of the speakers and the conversation was again quite difficult, so here is part of the dialog:

Polish guy: there is a Polish party in Charing Cross. Do you guys want to come?
Me: no thanks man, we'll just stay around the area.
PG: (this where it got confusing) Are you lying?
Me: what do you mean, why would I lie?
PG: there's &inaudible&lying!
Me: (now getting annoyed) I don't even know you, why would I lie to you?
PG: there's a good line!
ME: (and this is when normality came back) AAH. You mean there is a good line? The Norhern Line! On the tube?
PG: YES
Me: no thanks, we'll stay in the area
PG: OK

You don't get things like that in most bars, so give this one a try.
]]> Fri, 10 Nov 2006 09:52:39 +0000 /review/uk/london/bar-pub/1t0ct8/the-lock-tavern/1k00t81318509418 sokratis 51.542024892362 -0.14840390622095