Crouch End Crawl

I launched myself unwillingly out into the chill of night having not ventured out all day. Drinking in Crouch End preceded by a lining of the stomach in Mazgels. In the restaurant we sat next to a couple who we took to have been mother and son - he was good looking in a well groomed, manicured kind of way, she was a good 20 years older than him. He reached out and stroked her on the chin lovingly, told her she didn't look her age at all, and ordered 5 mussels each for starters. Aunt? Boyfriend, escort, toyboy? We couldn't figure it out. And over AL's other shoulder was an ugly painting of what appeared to be a penis and balls with antlers that turned out to be a woman with a large behind and a very long back (glass of wine went straight to my head, obviously). AL complained of lacking focus due to drinking too much water (I've heard some excuses).

So having planned the route in advance we headed off to Rocco's. A church converted to a bar (as they are fond of doing these days). We walked up to the door looked in at the roomful of women sitting in sofas against the walls and the one man at the bar in the centre and decided not to go in.

Next stop All Bar One (boring I know but apparently according to my Heat reading friend this is the place in Crouch End where the most C-list celebrity spotting is done (not that there were any in here today, not, of course, that we would have been looking in the first place).

From there quick cross of the street into the refurbed King's Head. Refurbed into a seventies living room complete with curtain room dividers, brown walls, geometric wall paper and japanese flower arrangements of blossom. Heavingly packed. Stood at the bar for 10 minutes while the wall of punters in front of us didn't go down at all and then ditched the joint. Nice atmosphere though.

Ice. We stayed for a drink. It was practically empty. Everyone of was obviously in the Kings Head. Finally ended up in Mono's which was also empty but by that point it was too late to go anywhere else. And the drinks were long and the stools were empty.