Tucked behind Camden Market, The Hawley Arms is more than just another North London pub. It’s where Amy Winehouse felt at home, pulling pints, chatting to locals, and ordering her favourite drink, the Rickstasy. Today, it remains a place of modern music history, almost hidden in plain sight, until you go round the back..

Amy’s Local

Just off Camden Lock, on the corner of Castlehaven Road and Hawley Crescent, The Hawley Arms looks like any other old London pub. Black frontage, brass fittings, frosted glass. But inside and you’ll find something closer to a living scrapbook of Camden’s musical years.

This was Amy Winehouse’s local. She drank here, sang here, and often jumped behind the bar to pour a pint. When a fire tore through the building in 2008, she helped raise money to get it open again.

Red Walls covered in Polaroid photos inside the Hawley Arms pub in Camden

Inside, the walls are deep red and lined with photos, gig posters and old set lists. A signed Back to Black sleeve glows behind the bar lights. Nearby hangs a Libertines setlist, framed beside a run of Polaroids and autographs from bands who once called this their spot too. The furniture doesn’t match, the clock over the bar leans a little, and there’s a chandelier that looks like it’s survived a few good nights. It feels unvarnished and genuine like a proper local pub not a memorial or Macabre theme park.

Polaroids of, and signed by Amy Winehouse above and below a framed album cover for Back to Black

The Rickstasy Cocktail

Amy’s drink of choice was the Rickstasy, a mix as strong and unpredictable as it sounds. It’s made with three parts vodka, one part Southern Comfort, one part banana liqueur, and one part Baileys. Sweet, creamy, and deceptively smooth, it became something of a legend in its own right. Just don’t ask for it a the Haughley Arms as they won’t serve it.

A Place to Remember Amy in Camden

Across the road from the pub, Amy’s bronze statue stands in Camden Market, one hand on her hip, her expression. Fans still leave flowers, lipstick marks and notes.

The Amy Winehouse Statue in Camden Market

Upstairs at The Hawley Arms, the small roof terrace looks out over Camden’s rooftops. It’s said to have been one of Amy’s favourite spots to sit and smoke, away from the crowd below. These days it’s busier, but still carries that easy, slightly scruffy charm that defines this part of London.

The Amy Winehouse Mural in Camden

Round the back of the pub, a vast mural stretches across the brick wall. It shows Amy reclining, her hand under her chin, eyes fixed on the street. The detail is extraordinary — the tattoos, the eyeliner, the softness in her face.

The Huge Amy Winehouse Mural in Camden — The huge Amy Winehouse Mural behind the pub

Visiting Today

You’ll find The Hawley Arms at 2 Castlehaven Road, Camden, London NW1 8QU — just a few minutes from Camden Town Underground. Early afternoons are best if you want to take in the walls and photographs before the crowds arrive. Later in the day, it fills with the usual mix of locals, visitors, and the occasional musician back to see what’s changed.

A Last Toast

The Hawley Arms is still a working pub, not a museum. That’s what keeps it special. You can walk in, order a pint, and sit under the framed Back to Black sleeve without ceremony. It’s a small corner of Camden where the past hasn’t been polished away.

You can find The Hawley Arms, along with other stops on London’s musical map, in our guide to the city’s rock and roll landmarks.

Amy Winehouse’s Favourite Pub in Camden – The Hawley Arms