The Golden Lion, Camden Town, NW1

Official site of The Golden Lion - www.goldenlioncamden.com

Official site of The Golden Lion - www.goldenlioncamden.com

This large, attractive former Charrington's pub in the back streets between St Pancras and Camden was recently subject to a long campaign to save it from the clutches of a property developer, so when recently in the area, it only seemed right to pop in to see what the struggle was for. The pub has a two bar layout which has been opened into a single long room by the removal of a partitioning wall, although the separate entrance doors remain (denoting Private and Saloon bars), as does a partitioning arch mid way along the servery. The Private Bar end of the pub is mostly taken up by a pool table, but a bit of space remains for a few tables and chairs to run along the front wall, opposite the bar. This seating runs through into the Saloon Bar side, where the bare boarded room opens out quite a bit once past the end of the bar, allowing plenty of room for vertical drinking or for a game of darts. There is also an upright piano and it seems that sing-a-longs are a fairly regular feature. Large windows run along two sides of the building, screened by some notably ugly venetian blinds and there is also an unsightly bricked up fireplace at one end of the pub. Décor includes floral wallpaper and gaudy chandeliers, but there is still plenty of period detail throughout, most notably around the servery with its impressive Charrington's bar back which includes some fine shelving, an etched glass 'Private' door, a neon 'Murphy's Bar' sign in honour of the landlord's family and an ancient cash register. Music played throughout my visit and a muted TV screen was showing some sort of awful looking reality TV show. Beer-wise, most customers seemed happy drinking well known brands of lager but St Austell Tribute (£3.50) was also available on handpull, with a Sharp's Doom Bar clip reversed. The Tribute was unfortunately past its best, perhaps due to poor turnover, but the service was prompt and very friendly. Not every pub can be a top ale-house and it seems that this unassuming place is content to keep its locals happy- something it seemed to be doing very well judging by a decent turn out on a random, mid-week Winter's evening. I found the place welcoming, well kept and with a few bits of interest dotted around and am glad to see it continuing to serve the community as intended.

Great traditional pub, well liked by locals and celebrities, was used on the last episode of 'One Foot In The Grave'. If you are in the area, visit now, because the building has been sold to a developer and it is under threat of demolition. Remember to sign the petition. Friendly staff and great Guinness.

This pub has certainly seen better days (it looks untouched since the '80s) and, given a makeover, could be quite splendid. The barmaid was welcoming and the clientelle (mainly elderly and Irish from what I could make out) were jovial enough. Sadly this is just the sort of pub I can see going to the wall in the not too distant future, which would be a shame.