Adding to Kentish Town’s growing reputation as a dining destination, the recently refurbished Bull & Gate gastropub is providing stiff competition to established local watering holes. The venue was once renowned for live music, seeing The Sex Pistols and Blur perform, and its transformation into a stylish pub, dining room and cocktail bar wasn’t initially well-received by die-hard locals. Nevertheless, the quality of the food, cocktails and interiors is slowly bringing them round. The sunny ground-floor dining room serves a menu of modern British classics, including an excellent smoked lamb shoulder and burnt-leek shepherd’s pie, and a tender slow-roasted pork belly with smoked pork-cheek croquette. Upstairs, the Victoriana-style Boulogne Bar offers potent cocktails (sometimes created rather slowly) and live piano music. With its squishy velvet sofas and (in winter) an open fire, we can’t think of a better spot to spend a lazy afternoon in Kentish Town.