Lock 17

It's a good pitstop for restrooms and a quick beer. and to get out the rain from the busy bustling area of Camden market

No frills. Good for beer - food was decent. Fine to stop by to avoid rain in Camden market.

We came in here after visiting the market because it got really cold really quick.

The bartender was attractive but a bit too lackadaisical in here service.

We went upstairs since there wasn't anything going on elsewhere but i was smoky as hell up there. And it wasn't like cigarette smoke, but smoke from the kitchen that didn't get properly ventilated.

As you can imagine, we didn't stay too long. I don't see any other real draw here except for viewing the bartenders.

If you're ever in London - you need to make the trek up north and visit Camden Market. This area is very bohemian and fun and eclectic!

Lock 17 was one of many different bars that I had gone into just to check things out, be forewarned though, as the evening creeps up, the pubs will get pretty packed up quickly. I walked into this place and was able to get my beer, but the place was filling up quickly which can make one feel a little claustrophobic! lol

I'm not going to hold that against this place though - definitely pop in and enjoy a pint and some good conversation!

Cheers!

Going to Lock 17 was more just a chance to sit down and chillax for 5 min. between mad shopping in the surrounding markets.

It looked like a place that might be full of life and music in the evening, but on a normal monday afternoon, it was pretty dead.

Walking around the markets was fun though....

Well, firstly it's Camden, right?
You know, all those exciting, fast developing upper-coming neighbourhoods? Well, so to me Camden is the opposite - non-exciting upper leaving neighbourhood. Or possibly long gone neighbourhood..

I've been taken to this place last night by a bunch of girls. This 'Crunch party' we attended was a latex night. Not fetish latex party, because that would have been exciting, but just few people dressed in latex. If you ask what people, I answer creepy people.

The pub itself is one of those stickies; there is the back dance venue with the cheep linoleum floor coverage. Drinks in plastic cups is of course a must; in terms of the music, they played 70's/80's best of like Saturday Night Fever and also some Lady Gaga hits...

I do not recommend.

Anyone "doing" Camden Town as a tourist must visit The Lock Tavern. Situated, as the name hints, right above Camden Lock, it's a gorgeous old building that hints at its history as a mill.


Full of the kind of interesting characters that populate Camden, but not any particularly scary or off-putting ones, The Lock is the perfect introduction to Camden Town.


The beers on tap are all decent, with a few local offerings, and the cocktail-slinging abilities of the bar staff should not be questioned.


It can be really hard to get served on busy nights (Thurs - Sun), as it's such a popular venue, but the staff seems to do its best, and doesn't play favourites with regulars (harumph).


Downstairs is all wooden with a sort of Southwest US feel -- very plain, no frills. Upstairs is decorated a bit more, and makes use of the crumbling brick charm of the place -- more pictures and nice, ambient lighting.


The beer garden is quaint and wonderful experience people-watching and supping up.


One strange thing about The Lock is that, to get to the bathrooms (which are dire, dirty and dank), one has to walk upstairs and through the gallery of tables. The way it's set up, people watch you the entire time you traverse the aisle to get to the bathroom -- slightly disheartening, if you've had a wardrobe malfunction!

Although at the lock and in the tourist mainstream, Lock 17 often surprises me.
With a nice, well-priced selection of cocktails and a nice view of the lock from inside or on the deck, I'm always up or a mojito.


They have a nice selection of lighter pub-grub - the food is nothing special, but good and nice-sized portions.


I'm always disappointed when they kick you back inside after 10pm (and kids pop up from who-knows-where to start drinking) and the toilets are better avoided, but its got enough plusses to not make these a deal-breaker.
Espescially good on a sunday aternoon

We were in Camden on a Saturday night, desperately looking for a pub where I could sit down as I was having leg issues (not boozy legs, genuine leg problems!) when we spotted empty seats in this place, through their windows. We then spent five minutes walking around trying to find the way in!

Thankfully we found the entrance before half ten, so it was free to get in (otherwise it would've been a fiver, we were told). It's the sort of place that checks the ID of everyone, and then scans it to make sure you're not on a local banned list...

There's a bar area and apparently a club-type area but we just stayed in the bar. Lots of grubby seats and sofas, and loud music throughout so it wasn't easy to just sit and talk. There's space outside for smoking, and my smoker-friend only went there once due to drama occurring (women arguing)!

In the toilets there was a woman sat on a chair in the corner, with lots of toiletries and lollipops spread around the sink - you know, the sort that expects to be given money if you touch anything. But the toilets were so manky that she certainly wasn't getting anything from me for just handing me a paper towel (she was sat in front of the hand dryer so I had no choice but to dry my hands with the paper she gave me). There's several steps in the toilets and I was having a very difficult time walking, and the woman saw me struggling but expected me to go back down the steps to the bin to get rid of the paper towels she'd just given me. Blah!

Not to offend anyone but this place seemed quite chavvy (or maybe "mainstream" would be the nicer way of putting it?) and we left after just a few drinks. I guess if you want a place with a mainstream club-type atmosphere, and aren't bothered what it looks like, then it's for you.

Fairly dreadful bar on with a decent location - guaranteeing no matter how bar the ambient music is, it'll still be full. Thankfully we got in early and got a table, but it's still quite a crap experience. No ales, sticky tables, crappy loud music, loads of people pushing past you at the bar, and really really pricey. I bought a glass of wine and a leffe and it was about 8 quid! Don't do it.