Buck's Head, Camden  

The Buck desperately wants to be kooky and jazzy in that oh-so-cutting-edge Camden way, so desperate in fact that it pulls off the remarkable trick of trying too hard in certain areas and not enough in others. Some misguided soul has clearly spent a lot of time attempting to create an interior that is, well, erm, we're not really sure, but the result is an over-cluttered and under-lit dogs breakfast complete with glitzy towering bar and fluorescent fixtures that should have been left in Pound Shop's bargain bin. These "quirky" touches are very neatly placed at odd angles to accompany the occasionally strange drum and base music, but unfortunately so much brain matter has been spent on crafting this F-grade art student's lounge that some of the basics have been allowed to slip. The cheapish furniture is showing signs of decay and most alarmingly the toilets are a couple of spillages away from becoming a cesspit. The prominent signs warning against drug dealing on the premises don't exactly add to the ambience either. In the Buck's defence, the clientele, despite warning posters, are generally laid back and there is nothing that can be criticised at the taps, which are cheap and offer a pretty wide selection. However, the Buck is hovering pretty close to being nasty.

reviewed:
14/8/2007

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