Bull and Gate, Kentish Town, London

This pub is alright, serving a nice pint of bass. To the back and the left there is a nice area where you can get away from the pool table and the sport (if it is on...and you don’t like it). Landlord seems a friendly sort.

Have tended to avoid it in the past as on some nights it is crowded with gig goers getting their drink on before seeing a show at the forum, which means the clientele vary a great deal I imagine, based on whoever is playing. Live music happens at the pub too (including some greats in the past).

As the other reviewers have said, the crowd here is mainly rock'n'rollers of varying ages, disposition and dress sense. Depending on who's playing, the atmosphere can vary. Some nights it's too-cool-for-school jostling and bad attitudes from all and sundry, at other times it's jovial and friendly. Check the listings in advance if all you're after is a pint or two, as it can get rowdy and too busy to move if there's a popular band in town, either at the B&G or the Forum nearby. But the beer is plentiful and not too pricey, and the gig sound quality superior to many other similar-sized venues. Not to be sniffed at for a jaunty night out, but do your homework beforehand if you can, then you won't end up enthronged by crowds of dubiously-dressed folk raving about your most-detested band.

Right next door the Forum, you get a great mix of indie kid hispers sinking a few pints while they wait for the gig to start, and crozzled old regulars sinking a few pints while they wait for… well, something.

You can pretty much feel the character dripping down the walls (maybe that’s what was makign y feet stick to the carpet) the gigs they put on here are generally top notch, and the guys behind the bar are a friendly lot. A very decent pub.

This is an old pub and has an old pub feel which i think is increasingly hard to come by. It has an old school sort of govner has a pool table and dart board and you can tell most of the customers are regulars. The only thing that lets this pub down is it’s prices. A bit to expensive for me

For me this is one of those places that should never have been subject to the smoking ban...the venue just isn't the same without a haze of smoke drifting across it - it should have been exempt, but enough of my personal gripes - how about a review?

Well this is the classic small London venue - sticky carpet, decades of random band pictures stuck up in the bit where bands play (next to the pub) and a general feeling that it seen more booze than Noah saw water. That obviously makes it brilliant. It has a good mix of nights on and is a great place to catch a gig at the weekend with a good variety of different bands playing. I'm a bit bias as my other half's band have played here a few times - next gig Feb 22nd... :)

The pub itself is pretty spit and sawdust, but there are friendly bar staff, the beer is fine and it usually has a good atmosphere whether people are there just for a drink before going down the road to The Forum or there for the night. It's not too pricey and there's a pool table for those not up for the gig. I can't say I've sampled the food mind...don't think it's that sort of pub....

What a wonderful place! This bar is just bursting with character and is a breath of fresh air amongst the gastro pubs of camden. Come here if you want to see real good up and coming music without the scene and pretentiousness of camden. The bar itself has a classic jukebox including some great irish medleys and a pool table! The bar staff are very friendly and the drinks prices are very reasonable for London.

This is a great venue, and a great pub. It is a big place, with big stage out the back, and fills lots of people. There are different nights on, ranging from rock heavy metal nights, to acoustic more mellow nights. The sound is good, and the atmosphere always buzzy. I like this place.

The Bull and Gate pub is the most obvious pre-Forum-gig meeting point.
The atmosphere is rather cosy, mostly thanks to the lovely staff and owners.
The place also showcases upcoming bands that you may read about in the NME a couple of years down the line.
The soundtrack ranges from the Nirvana to the Strokes, and the crowd looks like a Rock'N'Roll retrospective from the 1950s hillbillies to the 2000s revived mods.
This is a great alternative to Camden Town's Barfly or Hawley Arms.