The Bodhran, Hendon, NW4

This is an Irish pub so obviously there's no real ale on in here. My half of Guinness was £2.30. There was no sign of food when I was in at very early doors on Wednesday. This is a standard looking shop conversion type of bar - or shops perhaps, as when you enter the counter's on the left, past which is an entrance on the left to another room that must form part of the adjacent property. There's some standard fixed bench seating on the right, with metal-framed tables and small round stools, plus a few tall tables with tall stools at the back. There's a dartboard at the back, and TVs scattered around the place, all on and muted with one of them showing the horse racing of course. There was some music radio station playing. Probably the most striking feature in here is the large mural on the right hand wall depicting some Irish musicians. On that theme, I saw live music advertised - Dublin Porter on Saturday, and Nick Connolly on Sunday. This is a standard Irish bar, named after some sort of small Irish drum. fair enough if you like this sort of place, and aren't fussed about the absence of real ale.

I found this to be a sterile pub and I was surrounded by objectionable old farts whilst being begrudgingly served by a disinterested barmaid. The usual selection of draught that you find in an Irish bar was being served up and I spotted a dartboard at the back of the pub and I heard a pool table around the corner. There are three plasma screens for the sport, but I think that I would rather watch it in the Gallery across the way.