The Black Lion, Kilburn - pub details
Address: 274 Kilburn High Road, London, NW6 2BY [map] [gmap]
Tel: 0871 951 1000 (ref 4994) - calls cost 10p per minute plus network extras
Brondesbury (0.2 miles), Kilburn (0.4 miles), West Hampstead (0.5 miles)
Brondesbury (0.2 miles), West Hampstead (0.5 miles), Brondesbury Park (0.5 miles)
Pub facilities/features:
- Food served
Pub suggested by John on 21 Oct 2003
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> Current user rating: 6.2/10 (rated by 58 users)
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> Local guide: London pub guide
other pubs nearby:
Sir Colin Campbell, Kilburn (0.0 miles), Good Ship, Kilburn (0.0 miles), King's Head, Kilburn (0.0 miles), Kingdom, Kilburn (0.1 miles), Brondes Age, Kilburn (0.2 miles) - see more nearby pubs
user reviews of the Black Lion, Kilburn
please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
5 most recent reviews of 63 shown - see all reviews
| I have to agree with the poor service mentioned in previous posts, it can be very frustrating here. Last weekend for instance I stood at the bar next to 2 girls who were clearly already annoyed, to wait a further 10 mins watching as no attention was paid to who might be next (if in doubt they could ask?). Now I’m a patient fellow but this was starting to get beyond a joke, bear in mind we were stood in the middle of the bar with the barmaid with glasses operating from the till directly in front of us. What really got my biscuit was when to my/our right hand side a two burley tattooed guys came in making their presence known (you know the type) and watched in amazement as she walked right past us from one side of the bar to the other to serve them right away in a speed I could only dream of. Amazing! Fine if this happens on occasion, but being local I’ve noticed it’s standard practice here, there really is no excuse as it’s never more than half full (I wonder why). It’s a real shame as mentioned below it clearly has got great potential but the staff seem to love running around like headless chickens on a Fri/Sat night, often leaving just 1 or 2 people to serve not matter how many people are waiting for service. Now some bars can operate fine this but certainly not here where service is slow even at the best of times. I find going to the North London Tavern although allot busier, the service is a thousand times better, speedy and well organised. If you don’t want to spend half your night waiting at a bar I’d recommend here instead until they improve. danoleroy - 10 Oct 2011 12:43 |
| I posted a comment about a year ago which was very positve about the Black Lion, great location, beautiful pub and the food is very good. The pub itself remains a really nice place to sit in and enjoy a pint, unfortunately its obtaining the pint which is proving to be a problem lately. As Luongo mentioned in a previous post the staff are really poorly trained. Expect very long waits and generally poor service. The staff are constantly consulting each other over the ingredients of the simplest drink or cocktail. I ordered 4 Bloody Marys on a hangover and the wait was well over 20 minutes, they didnt have all the ingredients (no worcester sauce, crucial) and the there wasnt even a hint of an apology or a 'sorry to keep you waiting' really infuriating. Also they NEVER have more than one or 2 beers/ales actually in stock so your choice is generally very limited. This place is also very expensive, you can just about handle this if the service was up to scratch but it isnt. i will be changing my local to another pub which is a real shame as this building deserves better. I write this with a tear in my eye. Im practically sobbing. adamtoll919 - 3 Oct 2011 14:21 |
| Worth dropping in to view it's ornateness but once again another pub serving dreadful ales (the Royal London and Ruddles were both appaling and undrinkable). If you are waiting for a friend to turn up you could always amuse yourself by seeing how many mousebait boxes you can spot. ("Would you like to peruse our menu Sir ?" - "er, no thanks") Snarling_Mallard - 21 Apr 2011 16:19 |
| Something of a frustrating pub: it has an incredibly ornate Victorian ceiling and generally impressive interior decor (but why are the chandeliers painted bright blue?), but the drinks selection is poor and the prices are hugely inflated. Also, the staff, friendly though they are, need some training in a) the drinks selection and b) how to serve quickly. I was left standing at an almost empty bar for around 5 minutes while several staff pottered around polishing glasses and adjusting the lighting. On the other hand, the high ceilings and grand interior do make for a pleasant drinking environment, and as their is an alarming dearth of quality boozers in this part of town it is no surprise that, despite the scrotum-shrivellingly high prices, this pub continues to be a success. I give it 6/10, with potential for 9 or 10/10 if there was an interesting, quality selection of beers and spirits (I am unqualified to comment on the wines) and the staff were a bit more clued-up. It would justify the prices too! Luongo - 9 Apr 2011 23:38 |
| I agree - the prices are extremely high: a shame as it's not really a wine bar style place. The decor is fantastic and the pub is bigger than you first think with a few interesting nooks and crannies. They now sell Aspall's Cider on draught which for me is a bonus. The place is also a hotel. I was booked in to stay there once but on entering the room was told by a carpenter that it had been trashed and the beds ruined. The staff were very helpful and put is up in an alternative place down the road in Cricklewood. Overall, a good effort and not the pubs fault that yobs had stayed on that occasion. MJEllis77 - 7 Apr 2011 13:48 |
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