As rock pubs go, the Black Heart is pretty much perfect. This Camden pub classic opened back in 2009 and always has heavy, never less than ear-splittingly sonorous metal on the sound system as well as the goth-adjacent quasi-religious tat on the walls. There’s also a venue upstairs for nightly gigs from up-and-coming doom, emo, thrash, stoner, hard rock and psychobilly bands – and anyone else who likes it loud and a touch sinister.
They’re open until 2am on Friday and Saturday nights, where live DJs will pummel you with playlists packed with Judas Priest, Slayer and Motorhead.
Try this
If you like the Black Heart, you might want to sink some drinks at the other venues owned by Grace Land, the hospitality group who run the bar. They’ve got The Axe in Stoke Newington, The Earl of Essex in Islington, Saint Monday Brewery in London Fields and Red Hand in Dalston.
Get inked
There’s a tattoo parlour above the venue, if you have the sudden urge to get new ink mid-pint. Check out Devil’s Door Tattoo, which opened in 2023.
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