The White Lion, Watford

A good traditional pub in Watford that had been run by the Murray family (Jim Senior and Jim Junior) for probably 40+ years. 'Young' Jim has now retired and the tenancy has been taken over by a young Irish couple Sean and Ausra. Closed for a refurb on 3rd Jan 2022 and set to reopen mid February.

This is a decent sized roadside Brewer's Tudor pub just a short walk from Watford town centre. The pub has a two bar layout, but the smaller right hand bar seemed to be closed on my early evening visit, so I was unable to explore. The larger left hand bar is carpeted and has a lot of dark wood beams, smart wood panels and exposed brickwork, creating a pleasing, almost rural feeling, traditional look. The servery is to the right and has a plain counter and intricate ironwork gantry. Padded banquettes run along the front wall under windows with a decorative obscuring pattern. A large seating area to the left has a stone fireplace on the end wall and another row of padded banquettes which have been used as partitioning from the rear section of the room. Back here you'll find a raised area with standard tables and chairs in a relatively cosy setting. Décor throughout includes traditional bits such as horse brasses, old enamel adverts, breweriana, paintings and books, but this is contrasted with several TV screens which were showing a mixture of football and rugby, with the commentary from one screen audible through most of the room. I also spotted a juke box on one wall and I believe there is some sort of conservatory space out the back of the pub, but I didn't get a look at this either. The pub wasn't too busy when I visited after a fixture at Vicarage Road, but I nevertheless got the impression that this is a popular community local with a dedicated bunch of regulars. I wasn't sure I'd find any ale here, so it was good to see Adnams Ghost Ship and Sharps Doom Bar available, with a turned Woodfordes Wherry clip on a third hand pump. My pint of the Ghost Ship was in sparkling condition and went down very easily - not bad for a beer I find is often poorly kept, even in Adnams pubs. This was a pleasant surprise for me, as I only stopped in here because it was on the way to the Southern Cross, but this turned out to be a wise move as I thought this was a nice spot to enjoy a decent kept pint in the good-beer desert that is Watford. If you're brave enough to attempt a crawl around this town, I'd advise putting this place somewhere near the top of your list.

Traditional pub, with a prominent central bay window at ground-floor level. Inside, it retains some interesting features including the wooden screen separating the two bars. The main room has several seating areas, and the smaller one houses the pool table. There is also a conservatory at the rear. Friendly barman and some good-natured banter from the locals. Three real ales on handpump: Pride, Doom Bar and an excellent pint of Wherry (£3.20). Overall, a bit old fashioned, but none the worse for that.