please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
John, for Gawd's sake, come back to the Warrington and show that f...in' idiot Ramsey how to run a pub.
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The current proprietor here has an unenviable task of following a top act from previous, this was CAMRA's London Pub of the Year 2007. However, after a couple of visits including the August Beer Fest and BBQ, the real ales are well kept and we still have a great local. With 5 pubs a week disappearing in the UK, local gems like these can't be taken for granted.
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Had't been since change of landlord earlier this year; used to go regularly for the live bands on Saturday evenings, and sorry to see no sign that that continues. Worse, they now play some pretty awful, and unnecessary, muzak. This alone can be enough to drive me out of a pub, and knocks one point off my rating. On the positive side: the food is still excellent, the staff friendly, quick and competent, and there's a good range of well-kept beer.
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As promised,made a return to the Lion on Saturday to check out the beer festival thing.had some mates along this time and all agreed that it was a top night. Staff were all first rate and the atmosphere was well 'holiday' I suppose. we even got round some of the real ales (anyone fancy putting on a lagerfest)! Seriously though people of Teddington, you have something to roar about in the Lion. Proper local, well done.
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To set the facts straight about Teddy_Boy's 'aka': my name is David, I live in the road behind the pub and I'm not a pseudonym for John the landlord. However, I want the pub to do well (as, I am sure, does Teddy_Boy)and am happy to read that people are enthusiastic about the festival. A word to the wise - try to get there on Saturday if you want to have the choice of the full range of beers, since in previous years quite a few barrels have been empty by Saturday night. Cheers!
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i've recently discovered the Lion, and have to say it's ticked all the boxes for me. although we didnt take part in the quiz it sounded good and the atmosphere was just right.I'm far from local but will be making return visits food great and the LAGER well kept
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Glad to hear you're putting on the festival, John (aka Trevor 111, DJH and Ted2). Could just be the turning point the pub needs.
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Great News about the Beer Festival at the end of August
This is a truly great community Pub.
Serves great food and well kept Beer.
Always a brilliant atmosphere
Well worth another visit !!!
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I'm glad to say that there WILL be a beer festival at the Lion this year, on August 29th, 30th and 31st (from 6pm on the Friday, all day Saturday and Sunday). There'll be 25 ales, half-a-dozen ciders, BBQ and live music. Let's hope John inherits Don's good weather luck.
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Excellent pub. Had lunch here on Sunday with my mates from the running club.
Had to wait a while for a table for 5 as they were a bit busy, but the staff was freindly and the beer went down a little too well.
Good Atmosphere, beer and service.... Bad Carpet !!!
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Sorry guys, but this pub is now on the slippery slop downhill. It's rapidly losing its custom. My last two visits were Saturday lunchtimes. On was yesterday, when there were 12 customers at most in the middle of the lunch period. No sign of the landlord. The other was a sunny day, yet I was able to take my pick of several tables outside, with most of the others occupied by solo drinkers (unheard of under the previous management). The same's true of Wednesday's quiz night; previously you had to get there an hour early to bag a seat, but now you can just turn up and take your pick
The beer's still in top notch condition and there's a little bit more rotation including a second Twickenham Ale (albeit just a stronger version of the ever present Sundancer). But there's more to a great pub than just keeping good beer. It's about personality and atmosphere. This pub had it in spades. It doesn't any longer.
I'm decamping to the Jolly Coopers in Hampton. The landlord of the Lion could learn a thing or two from them.
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Good range - 5 pumps so 5 beers. All round good pub, with one exception. £3+ for a pint is hard to swallow.
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Went for the first time last Saturday and apart from the loud carpet I really liked it, good ale (Doom), decent food (touch expensive but decent amounts) and a lovely safe space for the kids. In fact all it really needs is that function room incorporated into the rest of the pub and it would be a real winner.
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Anyone else thinking there won't be a Beer Festival this year? I agree - I'm spending less time (and money) there now. I've even started to make the odd trip to the Tide End for a change of beer, which was never necessary before.
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Well - I have been biding my time and letting John, the new and clearly very experienced Governor bed in. But I have to agree with, and build on, the previous post: while reasonably happy with the "if it ain't broke don't fix it approach", the place is a bit stagnant, particularly the beer range. Apart from the absence of Twickenham guests, Brakspears Oxford Gold was the guest long after its sell by date and has now been replaced by Hobgoblin - which is nearly as exciting as the replacement of Abbot by Old Speckled Hen, the only other beer change that I have noted. Bearing in mind the pub's recent history, particularly the fact that I sampled Hepworths Old and a spectacular Fullers Vintage before Christmas, and the fact that May is Mild Month, things could be better - indeed, at one time, the guest changed weekly and was invariably from a micro. All I can say is that I am spending less money than I was there - which cannot be an entirely good thing!
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First signs under the new management are reasonable. In fact, to be honest on the surface you'd not notice the difference - the kitchen and bar staff under the previous regime are all still there and the new landlord (John) clearly knows how important it is to look after his beer.
Whilst I'm a great believer in 'if it ain't broke don't fix it' I was hoping that he might freshen things up a little and impose something of his own personality. It's a bit like moving into a show home and keeping all the decor and ornaments exactly as they are! He even seems reluctant to rotate the beers - the (admittedly delicious) Twickenham Ales Sundowner has been stuck there all through the winter and spring and the opportunity for the likes of Gothick, Strong & Dark, etc passed up.
Still, I'm also a great believer in 'Be careful what you wish for - you might come to regret it.' So maybe we should be happy with our show home :-)
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This is a lovely Pub! I went here this Wednesday, and it was quiz night. The pub was packed but we still maanged to find a table. Atmosphere, food and service were all first class. They advertise bands every Saturday so we will be going back at the weekend to check it out !
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Been here several times with the missus, for lunch and a drop of real ale, in the last year. Always had excellent food and service but this was under the old regime. Yet to see how the new owner(s) bed down.
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A deceptively large pub, apparently under recently new management. Not a bad range, Abbot Ale(cough), London Pride, but also Brakspear Oxford Gold-the guest-Sharp's Doom Bar, and the local Twickenham Sundowner. Pool table in a seperate area, pull down screen assumed for sports events. A large array of bottled ales on display behind the bar.
The beer was good, Blues bands are still advertised, bit foody; lets hope the new management maintain previous standards. No reason yet to suspect they won't.
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The news of the owners imminent departure is a real blow. Let us hope that their successors are like minded.
In response to the posts below, I would not want this place to become more family friendly than it is but have to say that I have always found the landlady to be very pleasant to my children and to me. Perhaps it is badly behaved children/parents that she objects to? I have absolutely no problem with that!
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A person who hates kids can't be all bad!
I like them myself, but I couldn't eat a whole one.
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This is the nearest pub to me and I have to say I feel blessed to have such a boozer as my local.
If it were a cricketer it would win best Teddington all-rounder. There may more attractive, more comfortable interiors and there is undoubtedly better food. But to be honest you'd be hard pushed to find better kept or more varied a range of beer (even draught mild, occasionally) and the staff are among the friendliest in the area. And the whole package adds up to the perfect local community boozer.
There's a dark cloud on the horizon though, as the owners are selling up to move abroad; let's hope it doesn't become another soulless gastropub. On the plus side, though, it might just become a bit more family friendly, since the current landlady is hilariously rude to children - and to anyone who has them.
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Been coming here for some years. A bit expensive perhaps but you pay for what you get locally. Beer range (5 real ales) does not change quite as much as it once did but there is usually something of note. A slightly surprising winner of CAMRA London pub of the year 2006 to my mind but an excellent pun nonetheless.
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Excellent pub - nice choice of ales and a friendly atmosphere
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This is a fantastic pub with friendly staff, good ale and very good homemade food. THE best pub in the area.
anonymous - 5 Jan 2007 11:18 |
A nice pub with some friendly locals. Was a bit quiet when I was there but enjoyed a couple of ales. I wouldn't say it was a traditional pub at all but all the right ingredients are there. I don''t think I saw any of the owners when I was there but the staff were very pleasant. Has live music with some good blues bands and has a website www.thelionpub.co.uk
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This is rapidly becoming my favourate pub. Every time I go, the beer is spot on and the landlady and staff very pleasant. Nice friendly crowd in there too.
Can't quite remember all beers but they included atlantic IPA and a seasonal Twickenham beer. Didn't try the food, but it did look good. Oh, yes, there is a pool table as well.
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Great pub, five ales on tap, small but good food menu, friendly atmosphere. Hidden away down a back street away from the main Hampton Wick pubs and also a bit of a hike from Teddington. Also has live music on Saturday nights. I'll be back!
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Returned to the pub this year for the beer festival and really impressed I couldn't fault any of the beers except for the fact that some had sold out! Vast improvement in food since the first review (mine)over 2 years ago. Go find it!
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Surprisingly hidden down a back street, nowhere near anything in particular, this great little pub offers a very interesting selection of 5 cask ales, wonderful home-cooked food with fresh vegetables cheaply priced, and a friendly landlord and landlady who keep a watchful eye on everything. What more could one ask for? Even the additional bar staff, who are not quite so competent, are very charming and friendly.
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This is our favourite pub in London, and recently winner of 2006 CAMRA London pub of the year. The bar staff are always really friendly, and the beer (many changing varieties of it) is always well kept. I have just read the previous review which said the beer was off - and I am really surprised by that - sometimes the beers they bring in for the beer festivals are really obscure so maybe they weren't off, just different?? The food here is always really lovely - home cooked and fresh. For anybody wanting a traditional pint in a traditional setting, this is the place for you.
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This is normally a wonderful pub, and I've complimented it a few times over the years.
But I went to its three-day beer festival at the beginning of September and had a truly rotten experience.
Both the pints I had were roaringly off - one was overpoweringly yeasty and the other was horribly metallic.
They weren't meant to taste like that - they were just off. I'd have complained, and I know the staff would have been okay about it. But it was my birthday and I wanted a nice time.
Normally this is the most perfect pub in the area, and you can guarantee excellent bitter. But don't expect the 40-odd barrels they get in for the beer festival to be any good. I've been to their beer festivals in three previous years, and I've never had a pleasant-tasting beer, although this is the first year I've had anything that was off.
Next time I'll stick to their very good London Pride.
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I assume, Squatter, you're a smoker? I reviewed the pub, I like it, I sat in the no smoking section, I said the smoke wasn't a criticism of the pub, just a little whinge that we still have to pollute our lungs cos the law's not come into effect yet. What's wrong with that? Have you never eaten in a pub before?
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The clues are all there...'Beer in the Evening' not Food in the Evening . Lets try and keep the reviews aimed at the correct websites . God pub , good beer , enough said .
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There is a non smoking section I believe at the rear of the bar area.
"To eat go to a bloody restaurant??" ..
or a Pub that sells food .. smoking NOT a priority to those who don't.
PS plug for the annual Beer Festival .. September 2nd 2006
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At the end of the day its a pub - drinking and smoking are the priority , to eat go to a bloody restaurant !! Good pub though with good beer......
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Nice place this, is in a trendy modern 21st century pub way (you know - sofas, bare wooden floors, nice lights etc etc). A lot bigger than it looks, don't be fooled by the deceptively small exterior, it's very spacious. Food was lovely - ordered steak and it was cooked as I'd requested, rare (ha - geddit?!) that you get that in places, it's a good yardstick to the talents of the chef. Service was excellent, very friendly, fast and with a smile. Had a shandy made with the Twickenham summer ale (whose name escapes me) and it was the best shandy I've had in a very long time, sooo refreshing. Beer itself was great when I opted out of the lemonade too. The only complaint I had was that the second our food arrived, the considerate people on the table behind us decided to light up so the first few mouthfuls of food had that delicious fag flavour as an added extra. We were sitting in the no smoking section and the smokers weren't but you know the score - no smoking and smoking have to cross over somewhere in open plan places. This isn't especially a criticism on the pub tho - selfish smokers will insist on polluting our air with their disgusting habits at every available opportunity. The ban can't come soon enough.
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Not sure what pub pinot went to .. The Lion is my local .. and I'm a musician .. who plays there!!
Don and Myf are wonderful tenants .. the beer is fabulous .. it's not smoky (I'm a non smoking nazi)..
The key "musically" is he hasn't tried it on the weekend .. with the combination of Live Music in the bar plus the Bluescene in the function room good music is NEVER in short supply. BTW The Lion just won CAMRA London pub of the year .. well done!!!
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I won't have a word said against The Lion. It does what it is supposed to which is supply an invaluable service to the local community who don't want to schlep down to the pubs down in Hampton Wick which are nothing to write home about.
There's always a good atmosphere down there most nights and the garden is full of local families enjoying the Summer.
I've always found that if you are polite and considerate everyone down there will spare a word and the bar staff are always quick to have a word if you are on your own.
Try it again if you didn't like the people last time...
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I really like this pub. Its a bit out of the way and quiet but it's well presented and clean, the beer is fantastic as well. a good find, worth investigating.
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It's been done up nicely. Maybe they need more promotions or some good music though. Haven't tried it on a weekend yet, but evenings in the week are lacking in atmosphere. When the football is on it's pretty depressing too. Also really stinks of stale smoke, and as a smoker I don't usually notice but this was worse than most pubs.
pinot - 16 Mar 2006 12:03 |
(oh yes, it also won a SW London CAMRA pub of the year award)
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Decent loval pub, well kept good selection of ales. Little pricey, but what do you expect from SW London? You pay for quality and no less than some god-awful trendy bar. I was impressed and contrary to some comments, it was very friendly...with a friendly bunch of regulars.
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Once a rundown back street pub, this has been transformed into a thriving community local. There's a regular supply of well kept real ales and the food's not bad either. A small garden with amenities for the kids and a recently added extension make this a haven for families at the weekend. The function room is home to an annual beer festival where
the best from the GBBF can be sampled. Off the beaten track, this is worth the effort to find out how a real pub should be run.
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I have been a regular at The Lion throughout the reign of Don and Myfanwy and it is because of them that I returned to my local, the previous landlords drove me away! As a local and now a regular you could say I am biased and I probably am, but I really enjoy drinking in The Lion. The welcome is genuine, the atmosphere is always jovial, the ales are kept superbly and the food is great pub food. There are not many pubs I feel comfortable drinking in as a women alone, but The Lion is definitely a venue where I can relax and enjoy the surroundings and I have made a lot of good friends there. Some say the prices are high, but no higher than high street prices, but when the pub is as good as The Lion I don't mind. I would recommend this pub to anyone who enjoys a perfect pint in a good social scene.
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As a lay about student I'm not a massive fan of the prices, but the revolving guest ale keeps me interested. However, did a whiskey challenge with a mate and it cost a fortune. Quiz machine has the superb 'Magnificent 7', and the so called pikey elements are always good for a game of pool. Does have proper locals and is better than the Anglers, which is a shadow of its former self - too many bloody candles. Also alot better than a soulless 'Scream' pub and their limited choice of drinks.
H-bomb - 1 Nov 2004 22:04 |
Thanks Mike - however PB was wearing a suit & just wanted a quick pint & read of the paper before collecting my daughter from the child minders. Not to be welcomed by a bunch of big fish in a little pond yokels. Shame as good beer & revolving guest ales. One customer left. No wonder pubs like these are forver closing!
PB - 7 Oct 2004 11:37 |
I've been to the Lion about 20 times in the last 4 years, and I think it's one of the best pubs in the area.
So I'm a bit puzzled by some of the comments from other reviewers.
I think the beer is very well kept, Jim, and there's always a choice of at least two interesting bitters other than London Pride. Although I agree with Chris that the prices are high - £2.70 for whatever guest beer I chose last Friday, against £2.50 or £2.60 for London Pride.
And I don't understand Tim & Dave Ball's dislike of foul-mouthed pikey regulars - people are considerate, tidy and predictably middle class whenever I go (early-late evenings).
It's got a nice garden that's perfect for small kids. Reasonable food available in the evening. Pleasant decoration (except for a hideous new carpet that must have been salvaged from a Berni Inn). It's not noisy (I don't remember a juke box), although they have live music on Saturdays or Sundays; not too smoky (a bit, though); you can usually get a seat.
And the staff seem perfectly okay to me. In the last few months they seem to have switched to the usual Oz/NZ/SA types, but they are polite. The landlord seems to spend his time with customers. The landlady spends her time serving or delivering food.
So I can't think why PB met with such rudeness - unless he was that rather drunk transsexual with hairy legs, Tourette's and a leaky colostomy bag who kept trying to cadge drinks off customers back in June?
Seriously, I think this is one of the best pubs in the area - on a par with the Wych Elm in Kingston.
Mike - 29 Sep 2004 14:25 |
nice pub, ok beer - shame about the dodgy characters hanging out there. Landlord/staff show no inclination to try and discourage the pikier element.
Dave Ball - 15 Sep 2004 17:10 |
Popped in to the new Lion a couple of weeks ago to check out the "improvements". Pub looked great but still suffers from the same unpleasant, foul-mouthed, drunk-by-six locals and Central London prices. Also, not wanting to be rude.... but I think we must have met a different Landlady than Raver below - We found her cold and aloof (and a little scary!!!) Sorry! Trying to be an upmarket bar (with upmarket prices!) but actually can't quite shake off it's past...
Tim - 10 Aug 2004 23:37 |
Up-market,well presented back street boozer.Pretentions, but not quite a wine-bar.
Beautiful Landlady. (worth the trip).
Raver - 9 Aug 2004 21:08 |
Great Pub with a good selection of well kept beers, the food is also worth trying. A new extension has just been opened.
Bob Silver - 14 Jul 2004 15:36 |
Unimaginative beer selection and not that well-kept either. It's an ok pub... But there are many better, so why bother?
Jim - 12 Jul 2004 05:01 |
Great pub, serves (quite regularly) one of the best pints of deuchars I have ever had. Has a slightly cramped pool table with some comedy cues to make up for it... including a curtain pole with a tip on it?!?! Good quiz too.
Nice place to finish a Hampton wick pub crawl in.
Tom - 9 Jul 2004 17:10 |
I used to pop in once a week for a pint and I can confirm that, yes this is a genuine local, containing genuine locals & the beer is very good.
However I have decided to stop going after I said"Goodbye" last time I left & the barman/landlord mumbled "Good riddance & dont come back". I presume the Hampton Wick can afford to me so fussy despite the Rose & Crown recently closing & the fate of the Foressters unclear (I've heard it's to be bulldozed & converted into flats).
PB - 23 Jun 2004 12:43 |
A really good pub - a genuine local, containing genuine locals. Great staff, beer and food, and good music on Saturdays.
Jimbo - 14 Apr 2004 11:55 |
Very busy back street pub! This is due to the quality of food,ales and service. I will always pay that little extra for these!Even if i do moan at the time!!
JON - 17 Dec 2003 16:47 |
Oh dear. I used to really like this place but having just been charged almost three quid for a pint of Stella I shall never return again. I don't mind paying a bit extra for a pint now and then but this place takes the p***
I think they need to realise its Hampton Wick not central London.
Chris - 17 Dec 2003 00:40 |
Good real ale and food. Back street pub, friendly staff. Music as well some nights.
quizman - 12 Nov 2003 19:47 |
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