The Constitution on St Pancras Way: what to order and when to go

The short version: The Constitution is a Young's pub at 42 St Pancras Way, NW1 0QT, right on the Regent's Canal. It has three floors, a rooftop terrace, a canal-side bar and a Sunday roast you should book. It takes walk-ins and bookings seven days a week, and the official site lists food from 11:00 to 22:00 on Thursdays. Check the site for the rest of the week before you set off.

What it is

A proper boozer that has been done up, not replaced by something else. The Camden New Journal says it still feels like a pub, with customers from all walks of Camden life, and it is dog-friendly. CAMRA lists it as a real ale pub with Young’s London Original as a regular beer, and as an Asset of Community Value.

Inside there is a main bar, a first-floor terrace and the canal-side bar. Outside, stairs link the towpath to a large decked beer garden, and a spiral staircase leads up to the terrace bar and dining room, which the Camden New Journal calls a suntrap of glass. The roof retracts, so the top floor works in poor weather too.

The history, briefly

The pub dates from 1858. CAMRA says it is the last remaining building from Agar Town, a short-lived working-class community swept aside by the building of St Pancras station and its rail lines. Before 2020 it was a cheap, no-frills local with live music and comedy in the basement, plus a pool table, a jukebox and darts.

Young’s bought it and closed it abruptly in February 2020, saying it did not meet health and safety standards. Squatters moved in for a time, and the Camden New Journal reports it then stood empty for four years. The refit brought a rebuilt rear extension, a new kitchen, an accessible toilet and a licence for live music until 23:00. It reopened in early 2024, with a launch party on 28 March 2024, according to Kentishtowner.

What to order

The Sunday roast. This is the pub’s headline act. The website promotes big plates, a “monster Yorkie” and sharing roasts, with meat, vegetarian and vegan options, and suggests a Bloody Mary alongside. It warns that the roast does sell out, so book. In 2024 the sharing options included whole roast Cornish red chicken and confit lamb breast. Tripadvisor reviewers single out the roast, the beef in particular, and the starters.

The menu is seasonal British, now led by head chef George, according to the website. Pub classics include fish and chips, burgers and rib-eye steak. The Camden New Journal also named mussels with smoked bacon and Young’s beer, and a Yorkshire rhubarb and Bramley apple crumble with custard.

To drink: Kentishtowner listed Two Tribes, Deya and Camden Town Brewery on tap in 2024, plus cocktails made with homegrown herbs and syrups. Tap lists change, so look at the bar before you commit.

What it costs

These are 2024 and 2025 figures from press coverage, so treat them as a guide. Kentishtowner said most mains were under £20, many in the mid-teens, with starters from £7 and brunch dishes at £8 to £11. The Camden New Journal put fish and chips and burgers at around £18 in March 2025, and house wine at £6 a glass. Tripadvisor shows a £ to £££ price band. Check the current menu for the roast price.

When to go

• Sunday: roast day. Book ahead.
• Sunny afternoons: the canal-level beer garden and the rooftop terrace are the places to be.
• Rain: the retractable roof means the top floor still works.
• Quieter visits: weekday afternoons and early evenings are a reasonable bet, though that is a suggestion, not a promise.
• Events: there is a weekly quiz, and the Camden New Journal mentions Margarita Mondays and other events. Ask the pub or check its site for the night.

For groups, book. The site also offers a private Canal Bar for hire.

Getting there

The pub is at the northern end of St Pancras Way, on the canal between Camden and King’s Cross. One Tripadvisor reviewer described a lovely walk along the canal from King’s Cross St Pancras. Check a map app for timings.

For after

Go back to the water. Walk the Regent’s Canal towpath towards Camden Lock and let the pint settle. It is the same canal the pub sits on, so you cannot get lost, and you end up among the Lock’s stalls and pubs if you fancy one more.

More detail on the pub itself: the Constitution’s own site, CAMRA’s listing and the Camden New Journal’s write-up.