When did Camden Market in London open?

Camden's markets began in 1974 with a temporary crafts market beside the Regent's Canal, north of Hampstead Road Lock, popularly called Camden Lock. They now cover 6.5 hectares with more than 1,000 stalls, bars, shops and cafés, draw about 250,000 people a week and trade mainly on Sundays.

Where can you get coffee near Primrose Hill in London?

Regent's Park Road, at the foot of the 64 m hill, has the cafés: Greenberry at No. 101, open until 20:00 from Tuesday to Saturday, plus Arvo, Le Tea Cosy and Roni's Bagel Bakery. On Gloucester Avenue, Melrose and Morgan opens daily 08:00–19:00. Chalk Farm is the nearest station.

Is there a pie and mash shop in Camden, London?

Yes. Castle's Traditional Pie & Mash is at 229 Royal College Street, between Camden Town and Kentish Town. It opens Tuesday to Friday 11:00–15:30 and Saturday 10:00–16:00. Pie and mash is a minced beef pie with mashed potato and liquor, a parsley sauce.

Cafés in Camden, Primrose Hill & Kentish Town, London

Camden's markets began with a temporary crafts market beside the Regent's Canal in 1974, north of Hampstead Road Lock, which most people call Camden Lock.¹ They now spread over 6.5 hectares with more than 1,000 stalls, bars, shops and cafés and draw about 250,000 people a week; Sunday is still the main trading day.¹

West of the canal, Primrose Hill rises to 64 m, with a clear view of central London from the top; Chalk Farm is the nearest station.² Kentish Town lies north along Kentish Town Road. Coffee here splits three ways: market cafés around Camden Lock Place, small cafés on Regent's Park Road, and older caffs and a pie and mash shop on Kentish Town Road and Royal College Street.

Local tip: Camden's markets are busiest at weekends, and Sunday is the main trading day; for a quiet coffee by the lock, come on a weekday morning, when Lantana in Middle Yard opens at 08:30.¹

At a glance

103Cafés listed

20With opening hours

07:00Earliest opening

23:00Latest closing

Opens earliest: Gill's, from 07:00 (Daily 07:00–19:00).

Closes latest: Map Studio Café, until 23:00 (Daily 13:00–23:00).

Most listed streets: Kentish Town Road (11), Camden High Street (9), Chalk Farm Road (8).

Most common features: outdoor seating (11%), card payment (8%), indoor seating (7%).

Camden Lock and the market

The Stables Market occupies the old Pickfords stables, a Grade II listed former horse hospital.¹ On 9 February 2008 a fire caused by an unauthorized LPG heater wrecked the Canal Market.¹ The canal's Paddington to Camden Town section opened in 1816.³

Lantana Café, in Middle Yard off Camden Lock Place, opens 08:30–17:30 Monday to Saturday; Time Out described the original Lantana in Fitzrovia as a pioneer of London's Australian-run cafés.⁵ Batch'd has two counters, in West Yard and on Water Lane, from 10:00 daily. Cafe Loren at 200a Chalk Farm Road opens 08:00–20:30, and The Libra Theatre Cafe at No. 37 stays open until 23:00 from Tuesday to Saturday.

Primrose Hill and Regent's Park Road

An Act of Parliament secured Primrose Hill as public open space in 1842.² Friedrich Engels lived on Regent's Park Road, at the house first numbered 122 and later 41, and Sylvia Plath at 3 Chalcot Square.²

Regent's Park Road holds most of Primrose Hill's cafés. Greenberry at No. 101 stays open until 20:00 from Tuesday to Saturday, and Arvo at No. 57, Le Tea Cosy at No. 51 and Roni's Bagel Bakery at No. 154 are along the same stretch. On Gloucester Avenue, Melrose and Morgan at No. 42 opens daily 08:00–19:00 and Primrose Bakery is at No. 69.

Kentish Town, Royal College Street and Camden Town

Castle's Traditional Pie & Mash, at 229 Royal College Street, is one of the London pie shops still trading; it opens Tuesday to Friday 11:00–15:30 and Saturday 10:00–16:00.⁴ Eel pie was the original, and minced beef took its place; the first known pie and mash shop was Henry Blanchard's in Southwark, in 1844.⁴

Mario's Cafe at 6 Kelly Street opens Wednesday to Saturday, 08:00–16:00. The Fields Beneath, at 52A Prince of Wales Road, opens at 07:30 on weekdays. In Camden Town, Gill's at 20 Camden High Street opens daily 07:00–19:00 and One shot coffee at 82 Parkway opens at 07:00 on weekdays.

Toward Mornington Crescent, KOFIARA Camden at 235 Eversholt Street opens at 07:30 from Tuesday to Saturday, and Mei Leaf Teahouse at 99–105 Camden High Street pours tea until 20:00, Monday to Saturday. Map Studio Café, at 46 Grafton Road in Kentish Town, opens daily 13:00–23:00.

Cafés in Camden, Primrose Hill & Kentish Town

At a glance

Batch'd

Batch'd

Cafe Loren

Camden Tea Bar

England's Lane

Gill's

Greenberry

KOFIARA Camden

Lantana Café

Lumi

Map Studio Café

Mario's Cafe

Mei Leaf Teahouse

One shot coffee

The Fields Beneath

The Libra Theatre Cafe

The Lost Elephants Kitchen

Castle's Traditional Pie & Mash

Melrose and Morgan

103 Parkway

42 Beans

Alma

Arvo

Bayhams Cafe & Restaurant

Brew's

Brunch & Co.

Café Renoir

Cafe Wham

Caffé 43

Caliendo's Gelato

Camden Coffee Roastery

Camden Coffee Shop

Camden No 9

Campbell's Canal Café

Chamomile

Chez Nous

Coffee chains in Camden, Primrose Hill & Kentish Town

Starbucks

Costa Coffee

Caffè Nero

Joe & The Juice

Black Sheep Coffee

Pret A Manger

Blank Street Coffee

Benugo

Saint Espresso

Triple Two Coffee

Camden Lock and the market

Primrose Hill and Regent's Park Road

Kentish Town, Royal College Street and Camden Town

Sources

More of London

Soho & Fitzrovia

Covent Garden & Holborn

Clerkenwell & Farringdon

Shoreditch & Hoxton

The City

Spitalfields & Whitechapel

Islington & Angel

Bethnal Green & Mile End

Hackney & London Fields

South Bank, Borough & Bermondsey

Notting Hill

Camden, Primrose Hill & Kentish Town cafés: questions

When did Camden Market in London open?

Where can you get coffee near Primrose Hill in London?

Is there a pie and mash shop in Camden, London?

Own a café in Camden, Primrose Hill & Kentish Town?