Background

The Hawley Arms, Camden

Camden’s intimate music pub — cosy sofas, punters and live gigs in a scuffed, music-filled setting.

4.5

A storied Camden pub with intimate live-music rooms, worn leather sofas and walls heavy with music-world memorabilia, The Hawley Arms has long been a creative hangout where impromptu gigs, hearty pub food and a distinctive indie-music atmosphere combine to create a living piece of London nightlife history.

A brief summary to The Hawley Arms

  • 2 Castlehaven Rd, London, NW1 8QU, GB
  • +442074285979
  • Visit website
  • Duration: 0.5 to 3 hours
  • Mid ranged
  • Environment icon Indoor
  • Mobile reception: 4 out of 5
  • Monday 12 pm-12 am
  • Tuesday 12 pm-12 am
  • Wednesday 12 pm-12 am
  • Thursday 12 pm-12 am
  • Friday 12 pm-1 am
  • Saturday 12 pm-1 am
  • Sunday 12 pm-12 am

Local tips

  • Expect a compact, lively interior; arrive early for popular gig nights to secure seating in the upstairs performance space.
  • Menus change; look for cask ale offerings at the bar and ask staff about that day’s specials.
  • Bring cash if you prefer smaller transactions—card use is common but busy nights can slow terminals.
widget icon

The Hawley Arms location weather suitability

  • Weather icon Any Weather
  • Weather icon Rain / Wet Weather
  • Weather icon Clear Skies

Unlock the Best of The Hawley Arms

Buy tickets

    No tickets available

Book tours with entry

    No tours available

Book tours without entry

    No tours available

Discover more about The Hawley Arms

A Camden pub shaped by music and neighbourhood life

The Hawley Arms sits amid the bustle of Camden with an interior that reads like a compact social archive: framed gig posters, well-thumbed vinyl covers and scribbled notes that map decades of local musical life. The building’s low-slung frontage gives way to layered rooms inside — a ground-floor bar, an upstairs snug that has hosted innumerable small shows, and a terrace area that catches late-afternoon light. The layout is cosy rather than cavernous, encouraging conversation, close-up listening and late-night revelry.

Character and atmosphere: intimate, lived-in, energetic

Step in and you feel the pub’s two faces: on quieter afternoons it’s a relaxed room with big sofas and a modest fire, on gig nights the upstairs changes gear into a warm, attentive performance space where the crowd presses close and sound fills the rafters. Décor is honest rather than flashy — a mix of rock’n’roll memorabilia, dark wood, cushioned seating and chalkboard menus — and every scuffed surface and handwritten sign contributes to the pub’s particular, lived-in charm.

Music, memory and a creative clientele

Live music is woven into the Hawley’s identity; the upstairs has long been a launchpad for emerging performers and a late-night hangout for musicians and creatives. Over time the pub accrued associations with a number of well-known artists, and those personal traces — a song request here, a lo-fi gig there — linger in the place’s rhythms. Even outside scheduled events, music plays a central role: curated sets from vinyl and jukebox choices, a preference for soul, rhythm & blues and indie that shapes the background hum.

Food, drink and what to expect at the bar

The Hawley offers a straightforward pub menu alongside several rotating cask ales and a selection of bottled beers and spirits. Service is casual and familiar; bartenders move the room with practiced speed, balancing pour and conversation. The menu and drink list skew toward honest, comforting fare — burgers, pies, salads and daily specials — and tables or sofas invite lingering over a pint or a late plate.

Resilience and community stories

The pub’s story includes episodes of upheaval and renewal, and a sense of local loyalty runs through its identity. It has endured market fires and changing ownerships and has repeatedly re-established itself as a community hub. That resilience is reflected in the furnishing and small ritual details — the signed posters, charity gigs, and fan-made memorials — that signal the Hawley’s role as a place people return to across years.

What it feels like to spend time here

Time at the Hawley is tactile and social: the hum of conversation mixing with the clink of glasses, warm light that softens faces, and the occasional hush and cheer of a live set. It’s a place for late afternoons that run into late evenings, for informal celebrations, for serendipitous musical discoveries, and for anyone who wants to feel the layered pulse of Camden’s social and creative life.

Busiest months of the year

Busiest hours of the day

Popular Experiences near The Hawley Arms

Popular Hotels near The Hawley Arms

Select Currency