This is a recommendation for an Irish cocktail bar: it is much, much better than it sounds. For starters there aren’t the plastic leprechauns that the description might suggest. In fact it’s bordering on classy, with the cocktail menu neatly divided into Heaven and Hell (no one wants a purgatory-colada, even if they’re Catholic). The inside may be small, but there’s just enough room for a bit of a boogie when the very respectable DJ talent gets involved. All this packaged up with comfy sofas and a welcoming crimson interior that swallows you up from the street outside. All in all a great, friendly alternative to the bars of Upper Street and a great place for a night out with mates.

3 Chapel Market, N1 9EZ. Tel: 020 7278 1001. Web: www.anambar.com

If you’re bored of all the bars in Islington and fancy heading slightly further a field, then veer towards Highbury where you’ll stumble upon this delightful boutique pub. With its horticultural, well groomed exterior and potted plants and flowers in abundance, the bright lights and action of Upper Street will soon become a distant memory…Step inside and you’re further embedded in country-style decadence with low amber lighting and mis-matched furniture scattered effortlessly around the room granting it a veritable vintage vibe. With rich rugs shielding the dark polished wooden floors, mahogany sideboards cluttered with crockery and armchairs inviting you to be seated, the place oozes charm and character but in a refreshingly innate fashion-to describe it as a glamorously converted barnyard would barely capture its stylish informality. The stools that line the bar are a genuine godsend for those after-work rants, when proximity to the bar is a necessity, and as the drinks repeatedly slide across towards you, you’ll see how quickly that February recession depression dissipates…

52 Islington Park Street, N1 1PX. Tel: 020 7359 6070. Web: www.boutiquepubs.com