The White Lion, St. Albans

Cosy backstreet pub of some age, with low ceilings, small windows and beams, the latter sadly painted in shades of green and grey. There is a separate snug bar to the right, and a back room, with a fairly rustic garden at the back. Some good ales on offer, including a couple from the XT brewery at time of visit, and in very good order.

6 real ales and good food. Oakham JHB in great condition. Very friendly service - bar man is also the waiter but was doing a sterling job. Lots of choice in St Albans but this did things well. Visit blogged at http://bit.ly/2x7wj5w

Traditional style pub.Quiet.Tribute and Castle Rock -harvest pale which was in good nick.

Although this is a decent enough pub, my visit was slightly spoilt by the strong smell of cooking fat which pervaded the air. I didn't see anyone eating, but they may have been in the other room, which has no direct link or sightline from the room on the left in which I found myself. Or the smell may have persisted since lunchtime... There were five beers and a cider listed on the blackboard, with the relevant hand pumps apparently split between the two parts of the centrally situated bar. Tring Ridgeway and Side Pocket for a Toad were the local beers, with Fullers London Pride, Adnams Broadside and Youngs Special making up the numbers, plus Westons Old Rosie. My half of Ridgeway was as good as can be expected, given the cooking fat smell; I'd only return here if I knew for sure they had remembered to turn on the extractor fan in the kitchen.