Miloco

What To Do?

The Musikbox is situated in the bustling North London pocket of Kentish Town. Forever renowned for its selection of amenities, Kentish Town boasts a wide variety of bars, restaurants, cafes and shops, and is also home to the prestigious London music venue, The Forum. Another well-known landmark in the area is the St. Pancras Public Baths, and of course the coolest hair salon in the galaxy, Flaxon Ptootch.

Take a short walk south down Kentish Town Road, and you will come across the world famous Camden Town. Renowned for its unique multi-culture and colourful vibrancy, Camden is one London's key nightlife areas, including music venues KOKO, Dingwalls, The Electric Ballroom and The Roundhouse. Every Saturday, Camden Lock hosts one of Europe's biggest and bustling markets. You can find pretty much anything you like at the market, so you can head down and hunt for some bargains.

To Visit

The Forum
www.meanfiddler.com
9-17 Highgate Road, Kentish Town, NW5 1JY. Tel: 020 7284 1001

At first a cinema, and then the Town and Country club, The Forum is one of the most popular venues on London's world-renowned music scene. A part of the Mean Fiddler group, The Forum attracts a hugely diverse range of performers. Previous gigs have included Van Morrison, Prince, The Velvet Underground and Oasis. It is still very much at the forefront of today's music scene, and has recently put on the likes of Arctic Monkeys, Sean Paul and Jay-Z.



The Roundhouse
www1.roundhouse.org.uk/
Chalk Farm Road, NW1 8EH. Tel: 020 7424 9991

With its rich history in catering for the arts, The Roundhouse has reached legendary status as a venue which puts on cultural events reaching hugely diverse audiences. Besides its programs in theatre, dance, digital media, circus and youth arts, it has also staged legendary rock artists such as The Rolling Stones, The Doors, Led Zeppelin and David Bowie. It also staged the Ramone's first performance in Britain, which led to the explosion of the UK punk scene.



Koko
www.koko.uk.com/
Camden High Street, NW1. Tel: 0870 1451115

The third of London's premier music venues, which is situated in the area, is the venue formerly known as The Camden Palace. Designed by the prolific architect, W.G.R. Sprague, this Grade II listed building was opened in 1900 and was firstly a theatre and then a picture house. In the 1970s it became a music venue, and was re-named The Music Machine. The name changed again in 1982 to The Camden Palace, when it became one of London's biggest nightclub venues, It is now of course called KOKO, and recent gigs have included Coldplay, Madonna and Babyshambles.



The Bull And Gate
www.bullandgate.co.uk
389 Kentish Town Road, NW5 2TJ. Tel: 020 7093 4820

Whereas The Forum, Roundhouse and KOKO play host to the stars, the historical venue of The Bull and Gate lays claim to making them. It's integral role in the developing of acts such as Coldplay, Keane, Blur, Manic Street Preachers, and Skunk Anansie, to name but a few, has earned it the status as one of London's most popular haunts for new and underground music.



Camden Market
Camden, NW1

The lively and colourful Camden Market is one of London's biggest tourist attractions, attracting tens of thousands of people every day throughout the summer months. It is divided into five main sections: Camden Lock Market (crafts), Stables Market (clothes and furniture), Canal Market and Buck Street Market (both clothes), and the indoor Electric Ballroom market. The market is renowned for catering for alternative fashion and culture. It has a particularly established relationship with musicians; Madness bought their loafers from the UK's original Dr. Marten distributor, the British Boot Company, and The Clash rehearsed in one of the market's warehouses.



Flaxon Ptootch
www.flaxonptootch.co.uk/
237 Kentish Town Road, NW5 2JT. Tel: 020 7267 5323

This is no ordinary hair salon, as the self-description of 'The Beating Heart of Kentish Town' would suggest. There is of course the obvious service provided to those who wish to dispose of their locks, yet for those intent on sporting the biggest hair in the land, you can go down to check out the ultra-trendy art gallery. They are also known to throw a good-old knees up from time to time.



St Pancras Public Baths
Kentish Town, NW5

Laying claim to being the largest municipal building in the area, The St Pancras Public Baths have been around since 1900. Although they closed in January 2007 for refurbishment, you can still go to look at the impressive architecture.

Pro Perc
www.propercussion.co.uk
205 Kentish Town Road, NW5 2JU. Tel: 020 7485 4434

For the mad-hatter drummers amongst you, you will find a whole host of toys at Pro Perc. Established for 25 years, Pro Perc is on of the capital's most popular drums and percussion stores, catering for the professional drummer.

To Eat & Drink

Mario's Cafe
www.marioscafe.com
6 Kelly Street, NW1 8PH. Tel: 020 7284 2066

With a reputation for serving one of the best breakfasts in the area of Kentish Town, Tufnell Park and Camden Town, Mario's has grown into quite a cult feature of North London. Founded in the 1950s after an influx of post-war Italian migrants, nowadays the menu combines a healthy selection of homemade Italian and English meals. For any fans of British synth-poppers Saint Etienne, the opening track of their 1993 LP, 'So Tough', was named after the cafe.



The Oxford
256 Kentish Town Road, NW5 2AA. Tel: 020 7485 3521

One of the latest gastro-pubs to have sprung up in Kentish Town, The Oxford keeps their food menus simple but effective, with the majority of dishes coming from the grill or fryer. There is an additional roast menu on Sundays and smaller bites available throughout the weekdays. Also, for those looking for the lower-key musical entertainment, the pub also stages live music in the evenings, predominantly jazz.



The Assembly House
292-4 Kentish Town Road, NW5 2TG. Tel: 020 7485 2031

Perfectly located for early evening drinks before heading to The Forum, The Assembly House is another pub leading the way in Kentish Town's re-vamp. Although it was refurbished a couple of years back, many of the traditional features were kept, and the building benefits form huge high ceilings. The food is good value too - don't be put off by the fairly expensive prices on the menu, as the huge portions more than make up for it.



The Abbey
www.abbeypub.co.uk
124 Kentish Town Road, NW1 9QB. Tel: 020 7267 9449

The third gastro pub in the list gives an increasing signal to the amount of redevelopment to Kentish Town's nightlife, which has occurred in recent years. The Abbey boast a fantastic range of wines and Belgian beers, but if you are looking for a traditional pint of real ale, then you've come to the wrong place, as there is none on tap. The Abbey also puts on live music most nights of the week ranging from jazz to soul, from rock to country and from reggae to indie.

Lord Palmerston
33 Dartmouth Park Hill, NW5 1HU. Tel: 020 7485 1578

Overlooking the delightful Dartmouth Park Road, the Lord Palmerston offers a quiet and civilised atmosphere for punters. Great food and a top-notch wine list, and although music isn't played the friendly banter between staff and drinkers more than make up for it with regards to atmosphere.

The Junction Tavern
www.junctiontavern.co.uk
101 Fortress Road, Kentish Town, NW5 1AG. Tel: 020 7485 9400

Clearly not interested in the idea of predictability, this local favourite had a daily-changing food menu. On top of that they have new selections of guest ales every week which often get rave reviews. There's a beer garden for the warm evenings and a conservatory for the slightly cooler ones. Lastly, the grub won a 'Pub Food of the Year' medal. A popular choice.

Monkey Chews
www.monkeychews.com
2 Queens Crescent, Chalk Farm, NW5 4EP. Tel: 0871 4262570

Unlikely to have been named by the Tudors, Monkey Chews is a contemporary take on a traditional English pub. Placed between the A-list residences of Primrose Hill and the slightly less-privileged areas east of it, the venue boasts a huge selection of drinks, especially cocktails. You might find yourself going for 'a' cheeky afternon pint, and then waking up 24 hours later having lost a day of your life!! Not that we'd know.

The Vine
86 Highgate Road, London, NW5 1PB. Tel: 020 7209 0038

Fantastically located for Musikbox clients, The Vine is located further up Highgate Road towards Hampstead Heath. With an impressive international food menu, and good selections of beers, wines and spirits, The Vine has become very popular for both eating and drinking. It comes with a pleasant beer garden and conservatory too.

Pasta Habit
103 Highgate Road, London, NW5 1TR. Tel: 020 7267 9239

Another nearby eaterie to Musikbox, Pasta Habit provide a very wide range of pasta dishes. More at the budget end of the market, this restaurant is perfect for a quick and inexpensive meal mid-session. Good value for money and friendly, entertaining staff.

Pizza Pleeze
163 Fortess Road, London, NW5 2HR. Tel: 020 7267 4119

Another value-for-money local restaurant, this time specialising in pizzas. Pizza Pleeze is located further north on Fortess Road, and provides a take-away and delivery service.

Blue Moon Thai Cafe
134 Fortess Road, Tufnell Park, NW5 2HP. Tel: 0871 0752831

Although one stop up from Kentish Town on the tube, in Tufnell Park, the Blue Moon may well be worth the short commute. Since opening this restaurant has become a firm favourite within North London's Thai cuisine selection. Furthermore the high standard of food is complimented by the very reasonable prices.

Pan E Vino
www.panevino.net
323 Kentish Town Road, NW5 2TJ . Tel: 0871 3327232

Described by one critic as "the best Sardinian food outside Sardinia", Pan E Vino's high standards justify the often steep prices. Situated on the doorstep of Kentish Town tube station, it is well located for a once-in-a-while lavish dinner.

The St. Johns
91 Junction Road, N19 5QU . Tel: 020 7272 1587
One of the first gastro pubs to spring up in the area, The St. Johns is a couple of stops on the tube from Kentish Town, at Archway. With the many additional gastro pubs now in North London, that novelty has somewhat worn off, however it is still a very popular local, which serves excellent food at a good price.

Marine Ices
8 Haverstock Hill, London, NW3 2BL . Tel: 020 7428 9003
If you find yourself up Chalk Farm way (for the Roundhouse, Enterprise or other), you may want to pop into Marine Ices to indulge in their delicious selections of ice cream. The business has been run by the same Italian family since 1900 (over the generations of course!!), so comitment to high standards is everything! An adjoining Italian restaurant is also very popular with the locals.