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Beer of the Week (w/e 28th April 2024) with trainman
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The Blue Lion, Bloomsbury, WC1
WC1
WC1X 8TZ
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 6½ of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about The Blue Lion
This is quite a pleasant pub with an opened out interior that wraps around what is now an island servery. The bar has a nice traditional dark wood counter front with a modern stone top and a partly retained bar back which still bears a few decorative features including a fine pub mirror and has a good little pump clip collection that suggests some interesting guest beers have passed through the pub in the recent past. Tables and chairs fill much of the room, offering seating for groups of various sizes, through a series of areas that each have their own feel. There are a few high tables in the rear right corner as well, whilst much of the left-hand wall has smart bench booths along it, which look like the best seats in the house. The whole pub has dark floorboards, white low wall panels with plain upper sections studded with a hit and miss collection of portraits. The booths to the left have some nice dark wood and obfuscated glass partitioning screens, whilst the entire right-hand side of the room is hidden behind the retained section of bar back, which helps to create quite a cosy space with a nice fireplace to one side - one of two fireplaces along this wall, the other having a stack of London Drinker magazines on it’s mantle. Some leaded windows along the rear wall appear to be an original feature, although this effect is off-set somewhat by the presence of a pool table that fills the slightly opened out rear left corner of the room, where a low brick arch fireplace with a lion motif brick can be found, as well as an unused TV screen.
The row of four handpulls that greets you on entry, was sadly only operating at 25% capacity, with three unclipped and a sole ale choice of St Austell Tribute. A friendly enough barman poured me an adequate pint and I noticed they also had a couple of Camden beers on tap alongside the usual global brands. There was a good mid-week crowd who generated a lively atmosphere, but sadly I didn’t spot any shrill tourists or avid knitters, despite looking out for both.
This place didn’t really do enough to stand out from the masses of mediocre pubs in this part of town. I suspect a visit here might’ve been better if they still had their pre-pandemic ale range, but a single, uninspired option isn’t likely to tempt me back and whilst the pub itself is just about worth a visit to check out its remaining original features, there’s not much else that calls for a revisit.
On 17th February 2022
- rating: 6
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Brainy Pool left this review about The Blue Lion
Well this one was certainly eye opening. The clientele included a group of girls knitting in a corner as a much older man watched them (???) and a shrill American girl talking to everyone in the pub with the squeakiest voice I have ever heard. London is like a different planet sometimes. The pub is very modern and bright although you can still imagine how it probably used to look. It was also very busy. a very good selection of beer is available at citu prices. It’s worth a visit to see some of London’s more colourful characters, though I don’t know if it’s always this offbeat.
On 14th May 2019
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1058 recommendations about 1023 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Real Ale Ray left this review about The Blue Lion
We were on our way to the Indian restaurant two doors up 'The New Little India', so decided to pop in here for one on our way. Once through the doors the bar front faces you, with a choice of four hand pulled beers. Our choice on the day was Bedlam Brewery Wilde, Exmoor Wild Cat, Hammerton No. 7 IPA and Blue Lion, a house beer brewed by Greene King. We went for the Bedlam Wilde, which was in excellent condition.
The pub was busy and there was a lively atmosphere on our Thursday night visit, seemingly a lot of after work revellers, most probably from ITN. The interior had some interesting features such as the 1930s style fireplace over on the right hand side of the bar and the rear windows had some original lead work and some stained glass panels. We quite liked this pub and would defo return, plus the curry house was also top notch, so a good double header here.
On 8th November 2018
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3382 recommendations about 3381 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about Blue Lion
Attractive pub with some bold exterior detailing that somehow only catches the eye close up. Inside, it has been opened-out at some stage to leave a rectangular island bar with a counter on three sides. There is a row of small booths along one edge, and a generally uncluttered arrangement of plain wooden furniture elsewhere plus a pool table at the back. Decor is also quite restrained, but there is a good display of pump clips on the bar-back. Four handpumps offering a better-than-expected choice of Exeter Ferryman, Truman's Scorcher and the dark ruby Reunion Beardtongue (£4.30) in addition to the 'house' (Greene King) ale.
On 25th August 2018
- rating: 7
[User has posted 8117 recommendations about 8117 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Tris C left this review about Blue Lion
A pub in this vicinity has existed since 1627 - it obviously has a very old name - but was rebuilt in 1938. The interior's quite modern painted white with some part t 'n' g panelling. Furniture is mixed and there's a pool table to the rear. Music is muted and there's a mixed crowd, probably being drawn from the ITN headquarters opposite.
Ales included Titanic's Iceberg, Timothy Taylor's Landlord and Harviestoun's Bitter & Twisted which is how I felt once I'd handed over £2.95 for a half!!!
I'd come here again as there's not much around here, but note that it's closed at weekends and on Bank Holidays.
On 6th May 2016
- rating: 5
[User has posted 1986 recommendations about 1952 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve C left this review about Blue Lion
This is a big pub with a large island bar and a pool table and plasma screen can be found at the rear. Greene King IPA and Ruddles were both available on my visit along with a standard and premium draught selection. I found the barmaid to be very friendly and my Guinness was very good.
This is the sort of place I would go with a group of mates for a night out rather than a quiet pint on my own.
On 2nd January 2010
- rating: 6
[User has posted 5254 recommendations about 5222 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Clive Thompson left this review about Blue Lion
At first I thought this was going to be one of those pub to bar conversions that rip out the character and replace it with pretentiousness. However it's not, there's clearly been a bit of money spent and it's been spent well. It's now a clean, attractive pub with comfortable seating, i.e. they haven't rushed headlong for the sofa and low table concept and have some high tables with stools for drinkers. In fact none of the seating is laid out for food so the overall impression is of a pub rather than a bar. There are a few hand pumps and you can usually find something outside of the standard offering. Good place to stop off for a beer.
On 11th April 2009
- rating: 7
[User has posted 777 recommendations about 697 pubs]