Wenlock & Essex

This big bar rocks an urban bordello and burlesque look with its ruby-red ceiling, tassel lampshades and candelabras, with a solid Wild West saloon-style bar top on which to lean, and the separate ‘Satan’s Circus’ mini-club with dancefloor. But the whole thing kind of works. Sort of.

The cocktail list is classic and concise, with mai tais, margaritas and martinis all at £7, while wines are confined to half a dozen reds and whites. The great draughts include wheat beers and lager from Bavaria, a Canadian IPA, a couple of cask ales and a trio of fine brews from Camden Town Brewery; bottles cover a similar geographical spread.

Smaller dishes include ploughman-esque ‘pincho’ dishes such as pickles and pork pies, while larger plates take in butternut and pea risotto, venison pie or mussels and chips. The £5.50 ‘Workers Lunch’ (noon-4pm) includes a half of Camden beer; brunches are big on Saturday; and on Sunday, it’s roast o’clock.