You know how excited you get when you find an amazing beer garden in central London? Discovering Edinboro Castle is definitely one of those moments. And with a great menu to match, it’s an awesome pub for a lazy afternoon.

The Venue
You wouldn’t necessarily stumble across The Edinboro Castle, unless you’d just visited London Zoo, but it isn't hard to get to. It's about a 5-minute walk from Camden Tube, straight up Camden Road to the outskirts of Regents Park.

The pub itself is fairly large, it has high ceilings and it’s decorated in quite a modern rustic way – large stripped wooden tables, all of varying shapes and sizes, dark red sofas and a big fireplace provide the look.

The outside area is the main pulling-point for the pub, though, and it’s huge. There’s no grassy area, unfortunately, but there is a big barbecue, a small outside bar and lights strung up all around which looks great at night. There are also four quite large wooden alcove tables and chairs, each with their own heater. Lovely when the sun’s out but with enough provision for when it starts to get chilly.

The Atmosphere
The clientele is relatively mixed, but you’ll generally find people in their twenties to thirties who don’t mind cramming themselves in when it starts to fill-up. They also show big sports matches so it’s attractive to football/rugby-fans but there are areas to sit away from the TV if it’s not your bag, and it closes at 11pm so it’s no place for all-nighters.

The bar and waiting staff are very cool. Not intimidatingly model-looking-too-trendy-to-smile cool. Just young, well-pierced and chatty cool.

The Food
The menu at Edinboro Castle is a plus point, offering a fairly extensive selection of pub grub with a bit of a flair. There are classics like fish and chips (£9.75) and sausages and mash (£9.25), but also a few dishes that are a little more adventurous like mussels with bacon and Aspall cider (£6/£8.75)and a Cotswold lamb steak with red lentil, chilli and peppers (£12.50).

They also offer a prix fixe menu during the week with 2 courses at £10 or 3 at £13, an impressive roast on Sundays and – best of all – a barbecue at weekends (weather permitting).

The Drink
The drinks list is exhaustive. It's not especially cheap but not extravagant either. Beers on offer include Staropramen, Grolsch, Red Stripe and Peroni, and these range from £3.60 to £4.10 a pint. Cider is also bottled and on tap, with a pint of Aspalls costing £4.10. There is also a very extensive spirits and wine menu with a good bottle of rioja available for £18.

The Last Word
This is a good-looking venue but it doesn’t rely on aesthetics alone and the menu (and the service) are also worth complimenting. However, this place is far from secret, and if you do give it a go on a sunny day you have to be prepared to wait for a free table.

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