McCafferty's Bar, N8

Big old pub and had an Irish feel to it.Seen better days maybe.Doombar on handpump but Guinness would have been a better option.

The Hope & Anchor is a typical looking London pub with a tower on its upper corner. Once inside there is a single L shaped room with the bar facing on entry,there is a pool table to the front right,the room extends down the left side,the front left area is raised and has comfy bench seating and normal tables and chairs,there are tall tables and chairs to the rear. There was one real ale on which was London Pride,this was a decent enough drink. There was a TV showing day time programmes. Sadly i was the only customer in on a Thursday dinner. I was happy enough having a drink in this pub. Pub visited 4/8/2016

The bus I caught from Turnpike Lane didn't go where I thought it was going to go but instead stopped opposite this pub. I took this as an omen and obviously decided to check the pub out. It's a Greene King pub, which had on Hardy and Hanson's Rockin' Rudolph and with a GKIPA clip reversed on another pump. Stifling my disappointment at the unavailability of the IPA I settled for a half of the Rockin' Rudolph at £1.80. It's actually not too bad for a GK beer. There was no sign of any food or menus when I was in at around 12.15 on Wedneday. The pub looks quite attractive from the exterior with some floral displays clinging to life in a mild but wet January. But inside it's quite ordinary. There's a fairly nondescript mainly brown or beige carpet on the floor; a couple of tall tables/tall stools and sofas; dark brown plastic upholstered banquettes and small round stools, plus some normal tables and chairs. It probably cost a fortune to create the subdued brown look, but it all looked a bit cheap to me. Obviously there are one-armed bandits and games machines here, as well as a pool table and TVs of course, on which live Sky Sports is shown. Poker nights (Wednesday) are also advertised. Like so many pubs nowadays, this one has been opened up into one fairly anonymous large space. It's clearly an old pub so I'm pleased it's a survivor, but as I'm not a great fan of Greene King ales I'll probably not be paying a return visit.