Craft Beer Co, N1

Far removed from the chic, trendy bars that have sprung up in Islington, the Lord Wolsely is a basic traditional type of pub where the less refined elements of the community tend to gather. The Main bar is partly carpeted with plain and nondescript décor. Seating consists of a couple of sofas and a few stools at the bar with a darts area and large flat screen TV seemingly the focal points. A smaller basic TV sits by the door and there are a few trophies dotted about. A couple of steps lead to a side room with a TV, displays of old game pieces, cigarette and tobacco boxes, some modern artwork and a wall of old photos including some portraits of Lord Wolseley whose connections to the area I am uncertain of. Leading off to the rear is an extended section with exposed brick walls, another TV and sofa. At the side is a small patio and there are a couple of benches to the front on the pavement. The beers are from Greene King with IPA (£3.20) and Ruddles County (off) being the choice(s). The Thai food seemed quite popular with dishes around £7 although I didn’t try any. The customer base was a bit earthy with some choice language on display although I didn’t get any real feelings of intimidation. In an area of makeover pubs and constant name changes, the Wolseley does offer a degree of stability and if you can handle the rough edges and aren’t over fussy with drinks then I suppose it does offer a bit of an escape from the pretentiousness of some of its neighbours. That said, it isn’t a place that I would head for too often.

There was a disco playing in here on Saturday night two weeks ago and what looked like a wedding party was in attendance so I think that I gate crashed their reception. The menacing looks that I was getting from one gentleman that I would imagine was the father of the bride became apparent as I took sips from my Guinness so I decided to finish up outside. I didn’t have long to survey the scene but I did spot a hand pump that was drawing Green King IPA in amongst the standard draught selection. I also spotted a couple of plasma screens for showing Sky Sports and the pub website mentions that all Arsenal games are shown, including the 3pm Saturday afternoon kick-offs. If this was a private function there should have been someone on the door to say so and if it wasn’t the locals leave a lot to be desired as unlike the bar staff they were rude and obnoxious. I have given this pub a low rating based on this experience, but I will make a point of revisiting soon when the Arsenal are playing to check out the atmosphere and if it is any good I will up my rating to show this.