Red Lion, Mayfair  

Over the last few years, this place has improved in our estimation, returning to the decent boozer it used to be. There's a good range of good beers on the hand pumps and they're well-kept. The service is friendly and efficient, the wine list is pretty decent and cheap (especially for the area) and there's good, honest, relatively inexpensive pub grub. The self-important suits, we used to find so off-putting still frequent the place and the pub is still usually crowded just after work, but these crowds tend to go home after a pint or two and the pub settles down to being a quiet local (especially nowadays after 9:00 pm when drinking outside is no longer permitted). The taxi rat run in the lane outside is still as irritating as ever - so an alfresco drink in summer is often laced with particulates and accompanied by the clatter of diesels. But at quieter times - usually later in the evening - this pub's a pleasant place to be.

reviewed:
24/7/2008

pub features:(click on an icon to see an explanation)

real ales

separate restaurant

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