Camden Mulled Wine Bar Finder After a Winter Canal Walk

Some of the best mulled wine is the glass you have earned. This mulled wine bar finder follows two old friends who meet once a winter for a long walk and a long catch-up. Their route is the Regent's Canal towpath from Little Venice to Camden, a stretch of water that runs past painted narrowboats, the edge of a zoo and grand white villas before arriving among Camden's markets and music pubs. By the time they reach the locks, their hands are cold and their conversation is only half done, which makes a warm glass of spiced wine the obvious next step.

Most people arrive in Camden by Tube and step straight into the crowds of the high street. Walking in along the canal is a gentler introduction. The towpath was built for horses pulling cargo boats, back when the canal carried timber, coal and goods across north London, and it still feels like a working route rather than a tourist trail. It is quiet, flat and lined with things to look at.

In winter the walk has its own character. Smoke rises from the chimneys of the narrowboats, frost settles on the grass by the water and the trees are bare enough to see the big houses behind them. Arriving in Camden this way makes the noise and colour of the markets feel like a reward, and the first warm drink taste even better.

Start at Little Venice, where the canal widens into a small basin surrounded by moored boats. From there the towpath heads east past the edge of Regent's Park and along a stretch where you can glimpse the zoo's aviary from the path. It is an easy walk for most people, mostly level and well used, and you can take it slowly.

Go in the morning or early afternoon, while there is still good light. Winter days in London are short, and the towpath is far more pleasant in daylight. Wear proper shoes because the path can be muddy, and bring gloves even if it seems mild when you set out. The water makes everything feel a few degrees colder.

The friends in this story packed a flask of tea for the halfway point and saved the real treat for the end. It is worth doing the same, because a long walk with nothing warm until the finish can feel endless on a grey day.

The canal reaches Camden at its famous locks, where boats are raised and lowered by hand and a small crowd usually gathers to watch. It is one of the best free shows in the area. Stand on the bridge for a few minutes and watch a narrowboat work through before you look for a drink.

From here, Camden opens up in every direction. The market stalls start right by the water, the old stables and warehouses are full of shops and food counters, and pubs line the streets nearby. It is easy to feel overwhelmed after the quiet of the towpath, so have a rough plan for your first stop before you arrive.

Take a moment to look at the old buildings around the locks as well. Many were stables and storehouses for the canal trade, and their brick arches and iron details are a reminder that this busy market started life as a place of work.

In winter, many food stalls around the market sell mulled wine in paper cups, often from big steaming pots. It is the quickest way to warm your hands, and drinking it while you look around the stalls is part of the fun. Pick the stall that smells most strongly of orange and cinnamon, and ask whether they have a non-alcoholic version if anyone in the group needs one.

For a proper sit-down, head to one of the pubs near the canal. Several have windows over the water or small terraces where you can watch the boats, and in winter they often warm their mulled wine to order. A table by the window gives you the last view of the canal you walked along, which is a nice way to close the circle.

Camden's pubs are also deeply tied to its music history, and many still host bands upstairs or in back rooms. Even on a Sunday afternoon, you may hear a sound check drifting down the stairs while you thaw out.

A long walk leaves you hungry, and Camden has one of the widest spreads of street food in London. Grab something from the market before or after your mulled wine. Hot noodles, grilled cheese sandwiches, spiced stews and freshly fried snacks all go well with a warm glass and help balance the sugar in the drink.

Eat standing by the water if the weather allows, or carry your food into a pub that welcomes it. The friends here shared a tray of dumplings by the locks, then moved into a pub for a second mulled wine and the rest of their catch-up.

Leave a little room for something sweet. Churros, warm doughnuts and spiced cakes turn up on plenty of winter stalls, and dipping one into the last of a cup of mulled wine is a small, slightly messy pleasure that suits the end of a long cold walk very well.

If there is still light and energy left, walk up nearby Primrose Hill. It is a short climb from Camden, and the view south over the city is one of the best free views in London. In winter, as the sun drops, the city lights begin to come on below you.

Wrap up for the top, because it is exposed and windy. A final hot drink from a cafe in the pretty village streets at the bottom of the hill is a gentle end to the day before heading home.

Sundays are the busiest time for the markets, so arrive early in the afternoon if you want space at the stalls. Saturdays are similar, and weekdays are noticeably calmer. Whatever day you choose, keep to one or two mulled wines over the afternoon. It is a long day on your feet, and the canal is not the place for wobbly steps.

Most of all, take your time. The point of a winter canal walk is to slow down and talk properly with someone you do not see enough. The mulled wine at the end is the reward, but the real joy is the hours of conversation it rounds off.