The Tollington, Holloway, London

For food, avoid on Arsenal home match days. Good selection of Thai and British food. Some odd occasions have had meat still frozen when served, but this is the exception.

Usually a relaxed crowd and mostly you can have a conversation without shouting. Perhaps this reflects the influence of the staff who are friendly, relaxed, quietand efficient.

Still to try the traditional Sunday lunch.

I’ve always avoided The Tollington when there’s a match on, but the rest of the time it’s always been pretty quiet. The staff are lovely, the decor is simple (think wooden floors, plain wooden benches and candlelight) and there’s plenty of outdoor seating.

The location is a bit of a letdown as it’s on the corner of the very busy and noisy Hornsey Road, but it’s certainly one of the nicest pubs in the area.

This pub is a completely different beast on match days (when they take out all the seating and furniture!). In the week / non-match weekends, it is fairly quiet, with good decor and seating. The beer is good, with Abbott Ale and IPA on tap, plus the usual lagers.

Food wise, they offer a Thai menu, as well as more traditional British pub food. Everything I have had off both sections has been very good, and excellent value.

The staff are nice and always happy to chat. Definitely one to take the Mrs to (not on a match day though, obviously!) as it can verge on the “wine bar” side of things.

A nice, clean, well-meaning modern pub and a good local, too.

This a great pit stop for me and the lads to get a few pints before and after the game. It’s only small but the decore is nice and the staff are superb. they deal with the rush of people fabulously and with a smile