This week’s edition was going to lead with a thought-provoking update around the continued fight to support the creative industries, but there’s just so much going on atop local buildings now that we’re tipping towards more temperate months, we’ve bumped that in honour of the bank holiday.

As is now customary at this time of year, the definitive Camdenist guide to over the best local rooftops, from which to enjoy a glass of something cold and a plate of something delicious, is being fully updated for 2024.

Among a healthy crop of brand newcomers we’re gradually going to be adding to the list are:

🥩 The Devonshire Arms - London’s hottest gastro boozer just opened up its roof for the first time, adding 40 more covers to the restaurant in the process, so grab ‘um whenever the weather allows, as they are for walk-in’s only.

🍷 The Marquis of Anglesey - This handsome Young’s pub in Covent Garden has converted the big upstairs room with the addition of some very swanky retractable windows and roof, turning it into an al fresco West End oasis on warm days.

🪟 The Constitution - Young’s again here, completely reinventing this reopened canal-side pub, already famed for its beer garden, now with added all-weather terrace up top thanks to another retractable roof and windows.

🌟 Flute - Wraparound rooftop space circling an opulent central onyx-clad bar, situated atop Soho’s new Broadwick Hotel. Expect DJs, cocktails and memorable views across the central London skyline.

🍺 The Lock Inn - Replacing the old Camden Diner, this brand new party pub has rebooted its rooftop terrace with views of the perennial mele of the main drag up to the Market down below.

🎪1864 Rooftop - John Lewis on Oxford Street is going big on the cabanas and astroturf vibes for their sizable roof this summer - it just opened this week, too.

Plus there are reminders of all the faves and more, including the lush (and dog-friendly) Nest (pictured above), The Standard’s showstopping rooftop and Chalk Farm classic The Lock Tavern.

And ther’ll be reminders of a few long-promised terraces: whatever happened to the 2,000-capacity Zedwell rooftop at Piccadilly, for example? Or the 250-cover restaurant with terrace on top of Hawley Wharf?

And the exciting prospects of Camden Goods Yard’s farm-to-fork roof coming soon, plus the long delayed Hornsey Town Hall hotel rooftop eventually, if you head a bit north…

FOOD & DRINK

Ice Cream flourishes around Hampstead Heath

With news of a second brand new gelato parlour opening in Hampstead in virtually as many weeks, there’s clearly plenty of milage in selling ice cream to hungry Heath walkers on their way to/from an urban gander.

🍧 Renowned Florentine gelato brand Badiani has just announced its intention to open on South End Rd in a few days time, in a spot right opposite the Heath’s fairground site and near to the Overground station. Not only are they promising 16+ different artisanal flavours each day, but you can sign up for a series of soft launch events running June 4th-6th to enjoy free gelato, crepes, croissants and gelato burgers, plus free coffee, affogato or smoothie, all depending on the date.

🍧They follow hot on the heels of the almost as new branch of Amorino, well situated for the Well Walk Heath access, brightening up the heart of a currently rather tired High St line up.

🍧Then there’s the established Venchi Hampstead, and the classic side steet Oddonos, already well versed in serving the soft scoops to Heath walkers.

🍧Over the Parli Hill side, Swain’s Lane’s Creamery, part of the ever-popular Bistro Laz empire, has you covered.

🍧Or down towards Primrose Hill the jolly Reenies will sort you out for venturing further into the Royal Parks.

New things for summer

🥳Lovers of daytime partying take note; we’re about to get a new open-air music and food destination right in the heart Camden Town. Camden Courtyard will see a colourful sprucing up of the Electric Ballroom’s back terrace, including a ‘killer sound system’, Wray & Nephew cocktail slushies, spritz and pitchers to facilitate the summertime vibes, with local fave Pizza & Dumplings doing the food. They promise a decent line-up of DJs, live bands, and party promoters including Free From Sleep, UKG Brunch, Midnight Runners, Colorize, Ketoloco, too.

🎭Long term locals who remember the treasure trove of scripts, plays and movie books that was Chalk Farm Rd’s much-missed Offstage Theatre and Film Bookshop will be pleased to see that a new ‘theatre café’ has opened in the same unit. Libra Theatre Café is a new venture from two stage-loving friends, combining coffee and cake upstairs with a performance space in the basement (see listings below).

🍹Tomorrow night (Sat 25th) sees the grand opening party for kombucha microbrewery WildIsEarth in Kentish Town. Drop in and enjoy a live Italian folk band, booch cocktails and learn more about their fermentation process, low impact production methods and the resulting range of healthy, tasty, tangibly effervescent drinks, too.

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Celebrating KX

It’s been some transformation, right?

The popular King’s Cross masterplan, which has been steadily reinventing Camden’s one-time vice and haulage wastelands, and lovingly repurposing its abandoned Victorian industrial infrastructure for 20 years now, has just won the 2024 RIBA London Award. 

The plan’s ‘human-centric’ approach to a mix of open spaces, well-appointed boulevards and sustainable building design was a hit with judges and is regularly held up internationally as a gold standard for urban redevelopment.

Most locals (and wider Londoners) I chat with are rightly chuffed to have the fountains, the food and the free events of modern-day King’s Cross all on our proverbial doorsteps, while global tech and music brands can’t seem to get enough of gravitating to the ‘hood now, either.

But we also loved having the nightlife mayhem of Bagley’s, The Cross and The Key in situ here too, so we’ve done well out of the very different incarnations of the post coal years, haven’t we 😊 

Sure, the apartments in the likes of Gasholders are mind-bogglingly priced, but that’s hardly unique to KX, and the pseudo-public spaces can feel a little over-managed if you don’t behave in the approved way (a tale I heard this week from a lifelong local resident of getting ‘moved along’ for dawdling too long with a cigarette on their way home at night are uncomfortable to hear)

Striking silver techno-shed (hopefully that description does it justice?), 22 Handyside Street also won an award for its clever ‘light’ construction over the top of listed railway tunnels, and it’s well worth reading a bit more about it.

It’s been a delight watching the various buildings rise, whether you are being led up to the gardens and terraces of the Aga Khan Centre or down into the bowels of the to the Lightroom.

It will be fascinating to see what the next 20 years brings as this very engineered neighbourhood continues to bed in…

STAGE

Stage highlights come to you each week in partnership with the TownSpot app: your ultimate guide to local events. Join over 1,000 locals discovering the joy of nearby happenings, combating loneliness, and feeling more at home than ever, with the support of Camden Council and Matthew James Estate Agents. Download TownSpot today.

🎭 Our top 5 plays, shows and stage

performances this week

MUSIC

🎶Pick of the local live gigs

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