Simply my favourite pub in London bar none. I can’t add a lot to the comments already made, other than to wax lyrical about the black pudding and fried egg butties. Which reminds me, it’s been a while since I’ve been…

Possibly the best real in the north of London. Just ignore the exterior decor.

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On paper this pub could be awful: hidden off the City Road and hard to find, its in an area filled with factories, warehouses and a council estate. Inside, the décor doesn’t appear to have been updated since England won the World Cup and it’s full of locals who know each other’s names. But, once you’ve found it, it’s a gem. Boasting the largest selection of real ales in North London, you’ll easily find quirkily-named, rare brews from obscure companies. The turnover is pretty high, so the selection could well entirely change between visits - even in the same week. Weekend nights are especially popular, with a trio of elderly gents usually in residence playing some fine jazz, while the Thursday quiz night attracts the crowds to an already very busy pub. The locals create a genuinely friendly atmosphere, just like a real pub should. Highly recommended - just don’t flash your 2,000 quid laptop around on the way there.

Tucked away between Angel and Old Street Underground stations, the Wenlock Arms is a renowned real-ale pub in Islington.

Thoroughly unpretentious (in an area where the pubs can be suffocatingly so), this is a real, local pub, where the emphasis is on superbly kept real ale. They have twelve hand-pumps, so you are assured of finding at least one to your taste.

As well as selecting a range of different breweries, they ensure there is also a choice of beer styles, such as porter and mild, as well as the more common bitter and IPA. There's also real cider and a proper continental lager on tap.

Unsurprisingly, it has featured in the Good Beer Guide every year since 1995, and has gained a host of awards over the years. As well as the beer, there's regular live jazz music, a pub quiz and all the other activity you'd expect of a good community pub. The pub even has its own soccer and cricket teams!

Bar food includes pasties and generously-sized sandwiches, served 12-21h daily. The web-site is excellent - among other things, listing the current ales on tap.