I have recently started working in an office by Camden Lock. A massive change from the City for sure! I had not been to Camden in years, and normally stay well away from the overly touristy, slightly chaotic and still a bit shabby area.

I used to love it in the 90s when it was still somehow edgy, with interesting shops selling DMs, quirky silver jewellery and clubbing clothing. The canal, the lock, the street food.. it has always been a destination for younger generations so I guess I just outgrew it getting older.

When I accepted a full time role requiring 4 days in the office right here, I admit, I feared. I did not want to commute and I knew I would miss my City connections.. the coffees, the lunchtime Eataly browsing, the gyms…

So after a couple of months, what’s my current feeling about the area? I am actually enjoying it, and have managed to discover a bunch of interesting places beyond the more touristy ones and the (many) chains that appear on the high street.

Here is my pick of Camden’s best, a very random selection for sure:

The restaurant for a quiet group lunch

Blink and you’ll miss Turtle Bay in Camden; I have only ever been here at lunch, and given its size and its extensive menu of ‘pan caribbean food’ and cocktail options, I imagine it gets packed during dinner. Over lunch is a spacious, colorful dining area which offers a very calm and relaxing atmosphere, perfect for slightly larger group (team lunch?) or for a pleasant conversational meet up.

The menu offers a huge choice, the portions are large and the prices very very reasonable.

The hidden reformer gym

Having now been a fan of reformer Pilates for a few years, looking for a local studio was one of the first things I did. I found Cam Den thanks to my phone’s map and I have now been going a few times.

It’s a small studio where Chris, the owner, teaches the day classes, which run quite often too, for 50m. The reformers are the low types, but often the lunchtime classes have very few people so a couple of times I have had pretty much a private session. Chris took the time to go through any of my injuries or issues and customised the session accordingly. The studio next door provides holistic therapies such as sound bath. Hidden in a side street, it’s a stone’s throw from the tube station.

The boutique fitness studio

Very close to my current office is a beautiful space (I am guessing former stables or similar structure). It has three names, I mean they offer yoga, reformer and barre so each offering has a separate ‘company’ name, so let’s call it BarreCore for now.

But they have a very bright and welcoming healthy café with wooden tables, Wi-Fi, and low music and massage rooms. I have not done yoga but I am now a regular at their barre and reformer classes. The instructors are excellent, amongst the best I have had (and on a par with my city favourite, BLOK) and the staff are super friendly. They are on Class Pass so it’s easy to try out, and they are also located just off the main busy Camden High Street.

The Italian bakery

Of course I had to seek home turf…. Despite being bang in the middle of the busy high street, il Botanico feels like a standout from the crowd. Beautiful display of Sicilian inspired cakes and Italian classics, from pastries to patisserie. They offer a selection of savoury items such as arancini and pies. Outside a couple of small tables, inside a wider, calmer and bright seat down area. The coffee is very good and the staff are friendly, although it’s not the cheapest of places, the quality is high.

The Italian trattoria: Casa Tua

Casa Tua popped up on my Instagram feed (clearly the algorithm works) and I decided to check them out. Definitely away from the tourist hordes and very close to the overground station, they have a small, daytime café and a slightly more formal restaurant two doors down.

I had lunch with a friend at the café which mid-week was very quiet. I had a vegetarian caponata and my friend parmigiana, both very good; I came back and tried their Aubergine Polpette, which were truly delicious.

Service was efficient if a little distant (not Italian), but the price is reasonable so I will definitely be back!

The best coffee: Stordd

I think I do Storrd a disservice itemising just their coffee. After the first few days wasting my money at Black Sheep, I decided to give this coffee a go, despite the slightly worrying price of £2 (are they sure??). I now come here all the time unless I am meeting someone and I might treat ourselves to a different place (as they only have a counter indoor and if it’s too chilly, the tables outside aren’t viable). The staff are very friendly (especially Andreia) and the coffee is actually pretty good and unbelievable value, it’s actually barista made, not press and spout automatic machines.

They do a breakfast deal for 3.99 with a pastry and at lunch they serve hot food with a multiple item selection for about £8 as well as sandwiches. Storrd is a small grocery store so I have already been able to pick up last minute items for dinner before heading home from teriaky sauce jars to free range Packington chicken. To me, this is Camden’s Best kept secret. Shhhh, don’t tell too many tourists!