The Jolly Sisters, Lower Holloway, N7

Proper, old-fashioned locals boozer in the housing estates surrounding Pentonville Prison. Narrow, two-part bar with a bit of breweriana and other semi-traditional tat, with a few benches out on the pavement too. No cask beer of course, and even my pint of John Smith's cost £4.30. Freehold advertised for sale on boards outside so I hope it keeps going, but I'm glad I called in if it doesn't.

In some ways this is a charming little pub, little being the operative word. When I dropped in here on Sunday I was informed that Spurs had gone 3-0 up, and conscious of my proximity to the Emirates staidum I tentatively enquired whether that was a good thing or not. There was a jovial bunch of well oiled regulars in here watching the football who didn’t take my uncertainty amiss, and one even offered me one of his crab sticks. This looks like a house conversion that’s been given the brewer’s Tudor look on the exterior, and the so-called brewer’s rustic inside with black beams on the walls and ceilings interspersed with white-painted false rough walls. There are a few tables and chairs, but no room for much more. On the back wall there’s a dartboard, with a shelf near it bearing sporting – darts presumably – trophies. Unfortunately there’s no real ale – just keg John Smith’s and keg smoothflow GK IPA. There was no sign of any food on Sunday afternoon. This is a friendly backstreet locals’ boozer, but the lack of any real ale would deter me from making a return visit.