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Picture of The Blue Lion
Image posted by peter ashworth
Submitted on Sunday, 23rd February 2020
With picture contributions to 26843 other pubs
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The Blue Lion, Bloomsbury, WC1

133 Grays Inn Road
WC1
WC1X 8TZ
Phone: 02074054422
Correct details

Served areas

Reviews of The Blue Lion (Average Rating: of 10) Add Review 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 3102 recommendations about 3102 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 3378 recommendations about 3378 pubs]


View more reviews of The Blue Lion (7)
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Pub location see interactive map of local area
Map location corrected by Steve C
Farringdon (London), 0.65 miles, 12 min walk (show)
London Kings Cross, 0.69 miles, 13 min walk (show)
London St Pancras International, 0.82 miles, 15 min walk (show)
Latest updates View all updates for The Blue Lion, WC1
17th Feb 2022, 17:11
Review submitted by Pub SignMan
 
23rd Feb 2020, 15:17
Picture submitted by peter ashworth approved

Pub Details

Pub details supplied by members of this site to the best of their knowledge. Please check with pub directly before making a special trip.

  • Accommodation : No last updated 06 May 2016 by Tris C
  • Bar Billiards : No last updated 06 May 2016 by Tris C
  • Beer Garden : No - Bench seating to front and rear. - last updated 06 May 2016 by Tris C
  • Car Park : No last updated 06 May 2016 by Tris C
  • Child Friendly : Yes last updated 06 May 2016 by Tris C
  • Darts : No last updated 06 May 2016 by Tris C
  • Dog Friendly : Yes last updated 06 May 2016 by Tris C
  • Function Room : Yes - Whole pub available for weekend functions - last updated 17 February 2022 by Pub SignMan
  • Hot Food : Yes last updated 06 May 2016 by Tris C
  • Jukebox : No last updated 06 May 2016 by Tris C
  • Karaoke : No last updated 06 May 2016 by Tris C
  • Live Music : No last updated 06 May 2016 by Tris C
  • Live TV Sports : No last updated 06 May 2016 by Tris C
  • Micropub : No last updated 06 May 2016 by Tris C
  • Pinball : No last updated 06 May 2016 by Tris C
  • Pool Table : Yes last updated 02 January 2010 by hondo .
  • Quiz Night : No last updated 06 May 2016 by Tris C
  • Real Ale : Yes last updated 29 July 2013 by Dave McNally
  • Real Cider : No last updated 17 February 2022 by Pub SignMan
  • Wheelchair Access : No last updated 06 May 2016 by Tris C
  • WiFi : Yes last updated 06 May 2016 by Tris C
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