Lion Of Vienna, Heaton, Bolton

Excellent, unspoilt San Smith's pub with a good traditional atmosphere and their usual keen prices. Spacious vault at the rear with two pool tables, and comfortable two-part lounge at the front with real fires and extensive fixed seating.

A friendly welcome from the landlord, after I'd been thoroughly checked over by the pub dog, and I found the landlady charming and helpful too taking the trouble to check out the train time for me. This is a proper old pub, low beamed ceilings, fireplaces, tankards and bed pans hang from the beams and numerous bank notes from around the world are fixed to surfaces too. Three main areas, two fronting the street either side of the bar plus what looked like a dining room at the back. Busy decor with horse brasses, rowing photographs, hunting scenes etc, and a collection of toby jugs hanging above the bar. Lighting is subdued. A mix of seating at mainly copper topped cast iron tables but there are a couple of impractically low sofas. The dartboard is another of the unuseable type with furniture in front, there is also a piano, not sure if it is ever used though. The beer is good here, Brakspears Bitter and Oxford Gold...a much better pint than I'd had earlier in the day elsewhere, plus Wychwood Bountiful. I asked about the Wychwood as I'm unsure about some of their beers and I was given a taster....it was actually pretty good. Well worth a look in.

I visited this pub in July 2009, it was a very friendly, welcoming pub and cheap priced beer. It is a Samuel Smiths house with Alpine Lager at £1.69 a pint. it has tables outside the front, great on a nice summer evening. Prices may have gone up slightly since i last visited. But come on there can't be many pubs around where can you get 5 pints of lager and still have change of £1.55 from £10 these days.