The Spread Eagle, Camden Town: roast, cask ale and when to go

The Spread Eagle, 141 Albert Street, NW1 7NB, on the corner with Parkway. Open 11:00 to 23:00 Monday to Thursday, 11:00 to 00:00 Friday and Saturday, 12:00 to 22:30 Sunday. Food is served 12:00 to 22:00 Monday to Saturday and 12:00 to 21:00 on Sundays. It is a Young’s pub, dog-friendly, with outdoor seating, and it sits off the main high street, away from the Camden Town market crowds.

What to order

The Sunday roast is the signature. The pub’s own site has a dedicated Sunday Roast menu, and listings describe four choices including a vegetarian wellington. Tripadvisor reviewers keep praising it, with a massive Yorkshire pudding and melt-in-the-mouth pork belly among the mentions. The pub also pushes a Bloody Mary as the way to roast and recover, which is a sensible plan on a Sunday.

Outside Sunday, the menus page lists corn tacos with heritage squash, plus loaded sharers and sides. Other listings mention burgers, venison sausages with mash, baked Somerset camembert, mushroom pâté, and brunch dishes such as fried breakfasts and sandwiches. There is a children’s menu, and vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options show up on Tripadvisor. Check the live menu on the pub’s site for current dishes and prices before you go.

For drinks, CAMRA says there are three regular cask ales, including Young’s and St Austell. Londonist’s verdict is that the Young’s tap list will not blow you away, that Neck Oil is a reliable choice, and that the wine list is more extensive. So: pint of something dependable, or a glass of wine with the roast.

The building

The pub says it has been at the centre of the community since 1858. It is Grade II listed. Historic England describes it as made from two early-to-mid 19th-century terraced houses in Parkway and three in Albert Street, with an altered pub frontage. The listing notes that the interior keeps its early-20th-century bar counter, panelling, cornices and fittings in three distinct spaces. CAMRA calls it a wood-panelled pub with several linked drinking areas and lists it as an Asset of Community Value.

Londonist says the pub closed for a refurbishment towards the end of summer 2018. Since then, dividing walls and columns give tables some privacy, and upstairs there is a double room, the Snug and the Eyrie, with modern design and neon touches. The Snug has a bay window and a U-shaped sofa, and the pub offers the rooms for private events.

When to go

Sunday lunch is the draw, so book rather than hope. The pub’s site has a “Book me in” button, and DesignMyNight offers free online booking. For a quieter visit, try a weekday: reviewers describe it as comfier and less loud than the other pubs along Parkway. Some listings wrongly say it is closed on Sundays. The pub’s own hours say otherwise.

Price-wise, listings put it in the lower mid-range band. Camden Town tube is about 300m away.

One thing to watch: this is not the Spread Eagle in Mayfair or the one in Homerton. Check the postcode.

Where to go after

If it is daylight, walk it off in Regent’s Park and Primrose Hill. The Royal Parks site puts the park’s Hub area about 20 minutes on foot from Camden Town. Check closing times on the day, as they change with the season. If you would rather keep eating, Camden Market at Camden Lock Place, NW1 8AF, lists its hours on its own site as 10:00 to 19:00 daily.

Sources: the pub’s menus page, CAMRA, Londonist and the Royal Parks.