King's Cross · Camden
The Water Rats
Where Bob Dylan played his first UK gig
- Address328 Gray's Inn Road, King's Cross, London, WC1X 8BZ
- Websitethewaterratsvenue.london
- OwnershipIndependent pub
About The Water Rats
A pub-and-gig-venue with centuries of history, famous for hosting Bob Dylan's British debut and the first gigs by The Pogues and Oasis.
The venue, with roots going back to 1517 under the name The Pindar of Wakefield, was rebuilt in 1878 and was once frequented by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. As the Pindar of Wakefield it ran for decades as a music hall, until in 1986 the charity the Grand Order of Water Rats bought the pub and gave it its current name. Its most legendary moment came in December 1962, when a young Bob Dylan gave his first UK performance here; years later, The Pogues debuted on this same stage in 1982 and Oasis played their first London gig in 1994. After a change of management it reopened in 2015 and still runs as an independently managed gig venue, bar and restaurant, with no ties to any big brewery. It remains a cult stop for music fans wanting to drink a pint on the stage where so many careers began.
On tap
A wide selection of draught and bottled beers, cocktails and wines served at the venue's bar.
Food
Updated bar cooking, with food served until late into the night.
More pubs in King's Cross
- Skinners ArmsThe neighbourhood pub with a camel on the garage roof next door
- The Parcel YardA giant pub inside the station, right by platform nine and three-quarters
- The Queen's HeadA Grade II-listed Acton Street pub with a Victorian tiled interior and a long whisky list