The Golden Fleece, Upper Edmonton, N9

It's called the Capital Restaurant and looked close to opening when I passed it on the bus today. I could see no definite indication of the type of restaurant, but it's certainly true that the area is short of pubs. The one by Angel Corner seems to be a shrine to THFC rather than a pub and the Spoons further down has been abysmal on my last few visits.

Yes can confirm this Pub is closed down Noticed on passing yesterday its now some sort of Asian restaurant. Not many Pubs left in this area at all.

From the outside, this looked like one of the better pubs in the area but appearances can be deceptive. The O'Connells Ales moniker on the windows had me thinking there might just be something in here worth drinking but, sadly, just the usual old common keg varieties were on offer. The interior is divided into 2 rather bare and uninviting bars, although the enlarged doorway between them is so open that the music from the TV in one bar seemed to be competing with the jukebox in the other to make an unbearable cacophony of sound that eventually drove us out after 1 pint. The general feeling is that it is a very run down with cracked windows including one that had what looked rather alarmingly like a bullet hole through it. The blinds are nasty and the general décor appears cheap, dated and unimaginative with promotional poster randomly placed wherever there is a space. Even the bunting for the upcoming St Patrick's Day looked rather underwhelming and did nothing to brighten the place up. It is a shame because with a bit of care, attention and imagination, I get the impression that there is potential here. On the plus side, the service was friendly and efficient, the prices fairly cheap and it was not particularly busy even though Spurs were at home that night.

This is a very basic place that needs new management so that some care can be administered to bring it back from the brink. The barmaid was nice enough and my Guinness was fantastic rocking in at £2.50 a pint. All of the elements are there for a good pub, including a dartboard and a pool table, but alas it has just been neglected for too long. I will walk past next time I'm in this neck of the woods.