The Golden Tooth, Newington Green, N16

Official site of The Golden Tooth - www.goldentooth.co.uk

Official site of The Golden Tooth - www.goldentooth.co.uk

This pub doesn't seem to have changed much since Tris' visit a year or so ago. Inside, if I'm being generous, I might call it shabby chic. as you would expect of a totally madeover pub, it's got exposed brickwork, sofas, tall tables and tall stools, metal ducting along the ceiling - but most of the seating seems to be tubular metal-framed chairs that look a bit like Antic rejects. There's an open to view kitchen that was dishing out heaped plates of food in industrial quantities to a private party at the back (probably a wake by the amount of black being worn) when I was in at around 4.0 PM on a Wednesday. There were however two ales on - Timothy Taylor Landlord and Enefeld London Pale Ale (£2.30 a half), with a couple more pumps unclipped. I also saw some beer specials advertised: Sol, Corona and San Miguel all £3 all day. Seems a bit overpriced, but what do I know about what those beers are worth? It's not really my sort of place, but it's still a pub of sorts and I guess the regulars like it that way. But I doubt whether I'll be back.

Originally The Royal Oak, this was renamed The Leconfield in 2013, reasons unknown. This is an attractive rebuild dating from 1926 with some very fine Courage tiling to the north side and trademark cockerel straddling the sign bracket. Inside, this isn't quite as upmarket as The Cellars, Lady Mildmay or Alma but is positively Downton Abbey compared to The Weavers down the road. Inside it's all quite a distressed mix with a bare boarded floor (parquet to the rear), chunky rustic or old school tables, hosting candles in bottles and tubular steel chairs, the kind of things that were commonplace until the arrival of Robin Day's polypropylene chair in the '60s. There are some bare brick walls and some exposed RSJs. Lighting in part comes from some spun brass chandeliers which look a bit out of place. There's a shelving unit holding some bricks and to the rear, table football (I didn't see a pool table). The gent's loo is just two cubicles and no urinal which could prove problematic at peak times. There's at least one TV which thankfully was off. Customers were young, less hip than some in neighbouring pubs and were few in number. Some were eating but the food looked fairly basic and not high end. Live music was playing but after a while it was abandoned in favour of piped which was quite loud. The barman was very friendly and presided over an unused pump, thereafter one each dispensing Timothy Taylor's Landlord, Hammerton's N1 and East London Brewery's Pale Ale at £4.20 a pint which was fine though stiffly priced for the area. This pub seems unsure of its identity. It's not really a trendy pub, it's not a gastropub and it's not really a live music venue either. Nevertheless it's worth a visit if passing.

A busy open plan pub, a mix of gastro and boozer. Live football was on no doubt adding to the crowd along with those partaking of a late Sunday Lunch, there is an open kitchen to one end of the large bar area. Beers on were T.T Landlord,Hogs Back TEA, New River London Tap which was good along with a couple of Ciders. It was OK here.