Old Ale Emporium, Finsbury Park

Small corner-house pub with mix of students and locals. Following a renovation this pub now has a lovely atmosphere. There is a heated covered area for smokers, a polished wood floor, nice furniture, celebrity photos on the wall and a jukebox with 5000 selections.

The guest ales come from the Heineken list and can be quite varied. On a visit in March 2023 the beers were Greene King Yardbird, Butcome Bitter and Gales HSB. Basically the cellar man will choose what he thinks is a good beer and will be popular with his clientele which can produce unexpected surprises at a fair price (£4.00 a pint in March 2023). Two handpumps are immediately on your left on entering, the third can be found further down the bar.

Opened originally by Wetherspoons as the Mortimer Arms in a former shop unit in 1986.