Things to do in Camden, London

[upbeat music]

Hi, I'm Rick, and I'm a contributing editor to

Condé Nast Traveller.

Shouldn't have touched that, should I?

I'm Shannon, and I'm a freelance writer and editor.

Here is mine.

I've been coming to Camden since I was a student.

[Shannon] I first started coming to Camden

as a teenager with very questionable taste in music.

[Rick] There's something a little

end of the pier about it.

Always some fun to be had.

What's your tag?

Sorry?

[Shannon] Regent's Park is great for people

and dog watching.

It's home to a boating lake, a zoo

and allegedly over 12,000 roses.

You've got to have a really nice dog to justify

walking in Regent's Park.

Yes. Yes. Well, that's why I moved to Regent's Park,

[Shannon laughing]

to buy a dog.

Regent's Park is a sort of clean living

counterweight to Camden.

The place you come to the morning after

to clear your head.

The thing I've always loved about Regent's Park is

it's central London,

but you've got this huge space you can walk around and

you've got the zoo just next door,

you know zoo in a massive park.

Did you say you've slept in the zoo?

I have slept in the zoo in a bug house.

The bug house? That's so brave Rick.

[Rick laughing]

I think I am brave. Yes.

There's a place for you, over there.

You can have one of those places.

That's the kind of thing I'm thinking, maybe top floor.

But I want a garden as well.

You want a garden? We got the park.

Well, I want a garden that extends into the park.

Okay, well, I'll see what's for see what's on offer.

Hook me up.

[upbeat music]

Sir Paul McCartney's favorite Chinese restaurant.

No, really?

Yeah, I'm trying to think of some Beatles songs

that are appropriate for Chinese food.

There's nothing about dim sum is there?

I think the walk along the towpath

from Little Venice to Camden, past the Avery,

and Zoo is one of the best walks in London.

It's so quiet as well.

It is pretty quiet.

Considering it is so central.

[upbeat music]

[jazz music]

So here's the main drag in Camden,

one of the main drags, so this feels

Yeah, this feels a lot more like Camden

than the tranquil Regent's Park, where we just were.

Yeah, exactly.

[jazz music]

The Jazz Café.

I saw Blacked Eye Peas when they were properly hiphop,

and not, like pop.

Yeah, I would love to transport myself back

and see the D'Angleo, live at The Jazz Cafe.

Shall we have a little browse round the market?

Yeah, why not?

Pick up a new outfit?

Let's hit the market.

Shannon here's the uh all you can eat

for eight pounds eighty.

Bargain.

Wonder how they arrived at eight pounds eighty?

It's easy to scoff at Camden market,

but it's not all skulls and Cyber Dog.

There's also a great selection

of vintage clothes and some very good street food

Gus and Maria together forever.

Looks like they've crossed out the forever.

Camden Market is where I used to head to hunt

for suede jackets and bootleg New Order tapes.

Designs by Red or Dead or other young guns all the time.

I think this is, this could be a little bit too subtle.

Market's evolved over the years.

It's more about food these days.

Mexican and Middle Eastern flavors

and all sorts of vegan options

from falafel to pie and mash.

Hi.

Hey, how are you?

You alright?

Chin Chin Labs is a recent arrival to the market.

Strawberries. Strawberries and shiso. Shiso.

Can I get the mango lassi please?

It's pretty experimental using liquid nitrogen to

make instant and very smooth ice cream

and toppings include bee pollen,

honeycomb and truffle crumb.

Thank you very much. Thank you.

It sounds kind of dangerous, but it tastes delicious.

Oh, amazing.

Thank you.

Wow.

Thank you. Look at this.

Actually, I'll come back for that.

That's so good. Oh is that good, really?

Very mango-ey. Don't speak

with your mouthful!

What flavor's your ice cream again?

Straw nitrogen. It's nitrogen flavor.

Four hours later, and I'll still be eating this ice cream.

You can map out Camden via its boozers.

The Good Mixer, Dublin Castle.

They all have their musical legends.

So here's the Hawley Arms.

Rarely seen during daylight.

Nice to be back in a pub isn't it?

I'm going to get a lager.

You're going to get a lager?

I think you should get a Camden lager.

I'm going to go for a pint of whiskey.

Hawley Arms is indelibly connected with Amy Winehouse.

She once lived upstairs.

This is the green room where Amy used to stay.

This is very special to me. Yeah.

And this is how personal record collection.

Yes. And her collection of 45 singles now resides

in a jukebox.

You'd also find Joe Strummer, Kate Moss, Mark Ronson

here back in the day. The pubs collection of rock and roll

memorabilia is displayed across the walls.

I've been coming, ah, since probably the nineties.

Maybe thinking pre Amy pre-fire.

It's a rock and roll survivor.

Seriously damaged by fire in 2008.

So what was the pub like

pre Amy, pre Kate Moss and the Libertines?

It was always full of characters and locals.

So it's always been a bit of an institution.

Local people in a state.

Hello everyone.

Hi, you alright?

The cheese Bar started off as a food truck.

There's now a permanent fixture opposite.

the Amy Winehouse statue.

There's only one thing on the menu.

In all its gooey tangy forms.

From fondue, to toasties and mozzarella sticks.

Great, wow.

Wow. Thank you.

I've never matched the two of them together.

I never done blue cheese with pickled onion.

Blue cheese isn't that scary after all.

It's nice. Quite creamy.

Look at the size of them.

Thank you.

They're like little hot dogs.

Wow. Look at that.

I've made a real mess out it.

This is proper hangover food isn't it really?

Mm, post Hawley Arms.

Do you prefer a lighter cheese?

Uhuh, a Babybel.

You're a Babybel girl.

This is the best way to do cheese I think.

We're going to live with gout,

but it will have been worth it.

For pudding, there's ice cream.

Cheese ice cream.

Affogato.

So this is Stilton ice cream?

Yes.

It works doesn't it. Wow.

I need to try a bit more of that Stilton ice cream.

I would have that again.

So far it's been cheese and ice cream,

just a thing for someone who's pilled

on the pounds over lockdown.

Ladies and gentlemen is a former public lavatory converted

into an intimate bar.

Run by Bart and Monica.

Who make their own pickles to go with the drinks.

I am after fruity.

I like tequila Sure.

I don't know if this is relevant,

but we've eaten a lot of cheese today.

All right.

So something you might want after cheese.

Brilliant. Brilliant.

How about the strawberry?

Yeah! Sounds kind of gross

but the cocktails are like mini works of art.

The lighting is great.

And you quickly forget

that you're essentially hanging out in a toilet.

That's refreshing.

Yeah? Yeah.

They also rock a zero waste ethos.

turning leftover champagne into vinegar

and discarded fruit into jam.

I'm into it.

You don't need all that stuff on top.

All the frills.

Cheers. Here's to Camden.

Here's to the toilet.

Here's to getting sloshed in a Camden toilet.