Holloway Road may boast neither the buzz of its southerly neighbour Upper Street (check the Ottolenghi article if you’re looking to line your stomach with something solid before you hit the beer) nor the leafy comforts of adjacent Tufnell Park, but it is an awesome example of ‘up and coming’, with appealing new venues opening up at an attention-grabbing rate. One such is Arkstar – a pub that is making ingenious use of one of the railway arches right beside the Piccadilly Line’s Holloway Road Tube station and a short walk from the Arsenal ground, if you’re that way inclined (though if you’re not that way inclined you may want to avoid match day, when the whole area turns red!).

Your pint of beer will jiggle and shake as the trains pass overhead, somehow adding to the when-cool-met-cosy feel of the place at this time of year. And what a pint it will be! There are several options on tap, and the place hosts regular pop-ups by craft brewers. I love popping in here for a quick drink and a couple of bar snacks on the way home from a long day – try the Brixton Low Voltage IPA – but you’ll easily be persuaded to make a night of it.