The Green Man, Islington, N1

This is an Essex Road hostelry with most customers probably drawn from the estate to the rear - it's very much a locals' pub. It has recently undergone a substantial refurbishment, now much different from the original which had an illuminated Courage sign incorporated into the bar back when the bar was to the rear of the pub. All gone now, the pub has been opened out to provide space for two pool tables to the rear with the bar moved to the right-hand side. The floor is now modern pale bare boarded with much matching solid modern pale wood furniture, both high and low, with mushroom colour leatherette benches running along the windows. There's also some bare brick, at least one games machine and as before, loud music; I didn't spot any obvious décor. The barmaid was friendly enough and served me with a half of Caledonian's Coast to Coast at £2.20 a half which is expensive for this area and especially a pub of this calibre. There's no real ale. This is by no stretch a great pub and I didn't feel entirely comfortable in here either, so it was down the hatch and off to pastures new.

Uninspiring corner pub with nothing in the way of beer selection. Won't be returning.