Toolans, North Finchley, N12

As shop-conversion pubs go this is a good one and like many it is a lot bigger inside than the façade would suggest. It is well decked out with a nice sized bar with the usual selection of draught available that you will find in most Irish pubs. I counted three plasma screens and spotted various signs dotted about the pub advertising Sky Sports and Setanta. There are two or three tables under an awning on the high street outside and there is also a small decked L-shaped area at the rear that backs onto the alley. It is covered for those rainy days and it also has a couple of heaters for the colder months. There is a sign by the entrance stating that there is no admission or readmission after 11pm and there are also blackout blinds on the windows suggesting that this can be a very late bar. I was wondering the usefulness of the Victorian dressing screen with some scantily clad woman painted on it that was placed in the middle of the pub, anything goes I suppose. Along with the jukebox and some pictures there are also some frames with the words to the old Irish songs like Danny Boy etc. which I thought was a good touch. I found the barmaid to be extremely friendly and the locals, although engrossed in the racing, seemed like a nice enough bunch. To top off my visit I found the toilets to be modern and clean. I will definitely visit here again and I may pop in on Thursday for the weekly quiz.