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Cambridge PuG Crawl, Friday 5th April 2024 with Gann on the Pub Forum

Old Red Lion, Kennington, SE11

42 Kennington Park Road
SE11
SE11 4RS

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Reviews (Current Rating Average: 7 of 10) Add Review see review guidelines


Tris C left this review about Old Red Lion

The Red Lion – as it would once have been – dates from around the mid-18th century, this incarnation built in 1933 as a Hoare’s swansong, grade II-listed and included on CAMRA’s inventory of pubs with historic interiors, this being of Exceptional National Historic Importance; a comprehensive description is included on both CAMRA’s and Historic England’s websites.
Certainly, the exterior is as fine an example of brewers’ Tudor as you’ll ever see, with the name Charrington still visible to the sign and to a metal band on the lantern. No longer part of the Antic stable, ‘baronial’ doesn’t do the interior justice, with roughhewn wooden members, the name in wrought iron to the pot shelf, leaded stained-glass windows and heraldic shields, a copper shield displaying the Charrington’s Toby logo to a wall and depiction of Bonnie Prince Charlie’s return to Scotland, all to dark mysterious lighting; I wouldn’t have been surprised if Simon Shama had emerged from a nook. There was a good soundtrack, featuring the likes of Billy Idol, Alice Cooper, Slade and Rainbow, playing to a mixed crowd.
With no mead on offer, ales amounted to Brockley’s Pale at a very competitive £4.90 a pint and their Summer XPA then Portobello’s Westway and Star at £2.20 a half and on fine form, served by friendly bar staff.
This is a must-visit pub for SE11 and certainly worth a look if in London.

On 9th August 2023 - rating: 8
[User has posted 1955 recommendations about 1922 pubs]


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Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about Old Red Lion

Interesting-looking ex-Charrington house with a brewer's Tudor façade and an 'olde worlde' two-bar layout. Also has a single-storey rear extension with a number of brick-built booths and a patio beer garden. Although now run by Antic, they don't appear to have done two much 'distressing' (perhaps because little had changed over previous decades so they didn't need to?). Total of six handpumps on the two counters, with a typically diverse selection of real ales ranging from the Volden Session to Lucid Dream cream stout from Turning Point (£4.30) and a 6.0% IPA.

On 10th September 2017 - rating: 7
[User has posted 8061 recommendations about 8061 pubs]


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Quinno _ left this review about Old Red Lion

Old skool Tudor-esque pub, not seen much change over the years and the interior is CAMRA National Inventory listed (dates from 1929). An ideal candidate, then, for an Antic takeover. There’s a two bar split at the front, with a narrow left side uninhabited (the blaring music probably didn’t help). The right side is done in a mock Tudor style. As noted below, the two rooms are connected by very small, low doorways and there’s some stained glass and leaded windows to be seen. The front two rooms are ‘atmospheric’ AKA dim, with candles on tables and a feeling of Sunday. To the rear is a strange extension which I assume was the old lavatories. Some of this has been subdivided into booths with random old tiled walls remaining from the presumed pissoir, with a mish-mash of retro bric-a-brac sourced from Steptoe’s yard. Beyond here is walled rear garden. It all feels bit run-down but is characterful nonetheless. A good range of ales as you’d expect in an Antic outlet; Volden (fair), Wild Beer Bibble (good), Arbor Yakima and Thornbridge Marples, plus Gwent y Ddraig cider. Prices were notably sensible for London. Two minutes from the Tube and it's worth a visit. Would be even more so if they spent a quiet Monday doing a doing a deep-clean and applying lick of paint here and there.

On 26th October 2016 - rating: 7
[User has posted 5043 recommendations about 5026 pubs]


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Bucking Fastard left this review about The Old Red Lion

A very interesting and quirky interior together with an eclectic choice of real ale mark this out as a pub to visit when in the area.The island bar serves two distinct rooms,to the left quite small but with an opening onto the kitchen,while to the right is a larger room with two blocks of chesterfield sofas and some more traditional wooden furniture.The two rooms are connected by very small,low doorways most unusual and above one there is a stained glass toby sign ,I assume dating back to it's days as a Charrington tied house.There is a collection of dolls houses at the entrance to the rear room which is worth investigating for two charming alcoves set off in white tiling.This area leads to a substantial beer garden.
Food is served from a short menu with scotch eggs at £3,pork pies,six mains between £10 -£12 and a single pudding choice.However most of the punters were just drinking and the pub has attracted a lot of hipster types,creative and sampling the ale.The candle lit interior was atmospheric and fun.The bar staff were young too.I was pleased to see a "no loitering" sign on the bar ,good idea to deter bar blockers when busy.
The four handpumps in the main room were serving Wharfbank The Ghoul,Belleville Trick or Treat,King Old Ale and Late Knights Full Moon (6.4%,decent but £2.20 the half).I discovered two more handpumps on the other side serving Cottage Golden Arrow ,while a Cats brew was "available soon" It was halloween which had influenced the ale selection,but I was disappointed there was nothing sessionable (apart from the boring Cottage brew)and therefore sloped off next door for a nights serious quaffing.However that a minor wrinkle,it's a really interesting pub and a great double header with Oaka .

On 1st November 2014 - rating: 8
[User has posted 2709 recommendations about 2709 pubs]


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Alan Winfield left this review about The Old Red Lion

The Old Red Lion is a nice looking black and white pub that is next door to the Oaka at the Mansion House pub.
Once inside there were two oblong shaped rooms,i had a drink in the room to the right,this room looked quite cosy and was dimly lite with candles being lite on each table,the floor is bare boarded and the seating is a mix of different types,with some chesterfield settees and normal tables and chairs,a bench seat faced the bar.
This room extended to the rear where was another drinking area which then lead to an outside drinking area,the room to the left is smaller.
There was a decent choice of real ales on the bar,i tried a drink of Cottage Sticy Wicket which was a pretty poor beer,i then had a drink of Twickenham Naked Ladies which went down very well,the other beers i noted were Bradys Heavy Industry and Revolutions Pretty in Pink.
This is a very nice pub which knocks spots off the pub next door.

Pub visited 2/8/2014

On 2nd August 2014 - rating: 8
[User has posted 6113 recommendations about 6113 pubs]


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Moby Duck left this review about The Old Red Lion

My find of the day, this pub had somehow slipped under my radar and only visited as it was next door to the targeted Oaka at The Mansion House. A mock Tudor exterior gives way to two traditionally laid out rooms inside, each of which can be accessed from different doors from the street but are adjoined inside via a tiny doorway. although there is very much a tradition feel to the interior there is also a modern twist to it I find hard to define, it does however work very well.Of the six hand pumps I saw four were in operation and all interesting beers, Head In A Hat - Honey Brown Ale, Brighton Bier - Underdog, Cottage -Battle of The Blues and my best beer of the day Late Nights- Hop O The Morning,a great choice of beer and a great pub, one to revisit.

On 10th April 2014 - rating: 8
[User has posted 1868 recommendations about 1841 pubs]


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Pub SignMan left this review about The Old Red Lion

This traditional pub presents an attractive brewer’s tudor façade on approach and once inside, it is possible to admire a relatively unspoilt two bar layout. The front door takes you into the public bar – a rather dark and atmospheric space on my evening time visit – with dark floorboards and beams dominating the room. The servery is to the left and also serves the smaller lounge bar the other side of the partitioning wall. A few sofas have been arranged underneath the front window whilst bench and standard chairs make up the seating options in the rest of the room. There is a nice fireplace opposite the bar, a few old pictures lining the walls and a bizarre collection of doll’s houses scattered around the rear part of the room. Two tiny doors at either end of the servery lead you into the lounge – a very similar set up to the public bar, but carpeted and with an open kitchen at the rear. Some more sofas can be found here and there is another nice fireplace, out of use during my stay. Beyond the main bar, there is a third room at the back of the pub. This has bare floorboards, a skylight and a mix of seating, including some small tables and stools in a series of tiny, candlelit, tiled ‘snugs’ on either side of the room. I have no idea what these are – it felt a bit like drinking in a cupboard – but some have nice stained glass windows, others old dressers and one was being used to store somebody’s bicycle. The rest of the room has been decorated with odd bits of porcelain and some wonky pictures, and I also spotted a pile of LP’s stacked up in one corner. I noticed at least one TV screen, but this was turned off throughout my stay, with a decent alternative music soundtrack playing in the background.
This is an Antic pub, so a decent ale range was expected and I was pleased to find Late Knights Morning Glory, Twickenham Naked Ladies, Cottage Endeavour, West Berkshire Old Father Thames and one other Twickenham brew which I forgot to note. Five bag-in-a-box ciders were stood on the bar as well. I gave the Morning Glory a try and thought it was probably a bit past its best.
This is a nice twist on the classic, traditional boozer. I’m a little surprised and disappointed to read that Antic’s actions have caused it to drop off the National Inventory of Historic Pub Interiors, as I thought there were still plenty of interesting features remaining, as well as what I assumed was the original layout. I think the pub would still please the traditionalist and the ale range and general vibe will help it attract a diverse customer base. An enjoyable visit and a good double header with the neighbouring Mansion House.

On 6th February 2014 - rating: 7
[User has posted 3102 recommendations about 3102 pubs]


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paulof horsham left this review about The Old Red Lion

The Old Red Lion could hardly be a greater contrast to the shiny Oakham outlet next door. It follows a familiar Antic formula of furniture apparently from a down-at-heel antiques shop's closing-down sale and decorations and fittings seemingly out of a skip*.

The bar is on the right-hand side of the main room on entering, behind which is another, smaller bar area. There's more space at the back of the main room - I didn't venture that far, but it seems that they'll be able to handle the crowds here without too much trouble.

The lighting's kept low, in traditional London style; the tables illuminated by candles in pint mugs. Pint mugs is also how you'll get your ale - there are 4 on offer, typically from microbreweries in London and further afield. A pint of Truman Emperor slipped down very nicely.

I'd recommend a visit if you're in the area, but I see no need to cross London specially.


* Legal note: I'm not suggesting that they do anything of the sort; it's just the impression.

On 25th January 2014 - rating: 7
[User has posted 446 recommendations about 418 pubs]


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Malden man left this review about The Old Red Lion

The external tudor style frontage and leaded windows with stained glass inserts suggest a building of some age, however the pub was rebuilt on the site of a previous one by Charrington's in 1929. Inside there is a beamed ceiling, timber framed walls and low duck through doorways between the two main rooms either side of the bar. The red lion motif and Charrington's toby jug feature on the internal glazing and the rear room has a couple of small booths with tiled walls which can only be converted toilets. Beyond here there is a courtyard garden area.
The pub has received the Antic treatment so now contains a variety of 50s and 60s furniture, dolls houses, net curtains, a standard lamp, school photos and so on. I don't mind that but if the alterations have caused the pub to be removed from the CAMRA list then I'm unsure about how sussed Antic are about such issues. The building is still Grade II listed so they need to take care.
As ever with Antic the beer choice is good and contained at a sensible number, Arbor Hoptical Delusion, Roosters True Grit, Rudgate Volsung (very nice), plus Twickenham Ales Vanguard. The ale pumps are in the right hand side on entering, the other room has a cider and perry on by Weston's.
Food menus were on the tables in printed sheet format, rather unusual it must be said, Octopus, potato and Pea Chowder is £8, for the starving hungry the "Surf and Turf" contains half a lobster, crayfish tails, crab claw in garlic butter, sirloin steak, a lamb chop and colcannon mash. Probably good value at £14. There were also less unusual offerings plus snacks eg scotch egg with pickle at £2.50. There's a TV high up on a wall, off at the time while jazz and blues played quietly, the back room was set for a Thursday quiz and folk music was also advertised, also once a month on a Thursday I believe.
A new venture, I liked it and in marked contrast to the equally reborn uber modern Mansion House next door, both worth a visit for those who like their ales.

On 16th March 2013 - rating: 8
[User has posted 1707 recommendations about 1681 pubs]


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Rex Rattus left this review about The Old Red Lion

At the weekend I paid my first visit since this has become an Antic pub. Obviously it's been tarted up a bit and quirkified somewhat. Odd things like dolls houses litter the place, and the right hand room has a large bookcase that also has games available. It now has an open to view kitchen at the back of the left hand room, and the back of the right room opens out into a light conservatory style are. Unfortunately the changes that Antic have made have led to it losing its place on the CAMRA London Inventory of historic pub interiors. Nonetheless much of its original structure remains, with the two rooms connected by small doorways to the front and rear of the central island servery.

Noteworthy features include the glazed panels above the two small doorways, one featuring the Charrington Toby Jug symbol, and the other a red lion, and the fireplace in the left hand bar with the Charrington architect Sidney Clarke trademark spiral brick columns. Dark wood abounds inside, and the exterior facade is as distinctive an example of brewer's Tudor as you will see anywhere.
There were four ales on when I visited on Saturday afternoon, as specified by John Gray below, and my pint of Twickenham Vangurd was in fine nick. Food is served during the evenings on weekdays, plus at lunchtimes at the weekends. The all day (well 12 - 4) breakfast was available on Saturday for £7.50, and although the main menu isn't heavy on pub grub (mains £8 - £12) snacks did include Scotch egg/pickle and pork pie/pickle for £2.50 and £3 respectively.

This is still a decent little pub, and in my view far superior to the Mansion House next door.

On 11th March 2013 - rating: 7
[User has posted 2606 recommendations about 2520 pubs]

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