F is for the Faltering Fullback

The first location on our treble pub day was the Faltering Fullback. Apparently a bit of an institution in Finsbury Park and the surrounding area, and is close to Lager Boy's flat, so was chosen as the starting point, particularly as I had never visited.

The Pub

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Where to begin with the Fullback? From the outside it looks like a fairly small corner boozer but once inside it resembles a TARDIS/Mary Poppins' Bag/Narnia in the back of a cupboard, being huge. Part of the size is given by a large room that resembles a garage or youth club, with screens and a serving hatch for Thai food and the terrace at the very back that wouldn't be out of place on a Thai beach. The rest of the pub is equally eclectic, with various local and sporting memorabilia displayed on the walls. Partly due to this, and partly due 
to the weather, our guest Gary suggested that it reminded him of the bar in a foreign hostel, and that it was maybe busier than it strictly deserved. Prices were fine, and the service was pretty good, and in hindsight I think the Fullback was a better pub than I thought at the time.

The Beer

• Hoegaarden - served with a double slice of lemon, Lager Boy favours a Hoegaaarden, and on this occasion described it as "summer in a pint glass".
• Fullers/Gales Seafarer's - Both our guest and I went for this initially, and found it very easy to drink, even on a hot day. Fairly middle of the road, but certainly a good opener, it retained its head, and ended with a fairly zesty taste, which suited the weather perfectly.
• Peroni - Our guest went to get a beer for me and him, while Lager Boy popped home, and this is what he returned with. We all know a Peroni, but it did provide a freshener on a hot day.

The Verdict

Although we would agree to an extent with our guest's comments, there is definitely something about the Fullback that seems to encourage a return visit, so they must be doing something right.