Cock & Lion, Marylebone, W1

A quiet Monday evening and I entered to a smell of bleach and the sight of a Timothy Taylor Landlord pump clip. I'll tolerate the bleach in some circumstances, but not when I'm in London and the only beer is from Yorkshire. Maybe another time.

A small interior ,with the bar at the rear left side.Traditional tables and chairs but proceedings were dominated by flatscreens showing the Six Nations.The first floor restaurant and bar was closed for some reason.Strangely there were an inordinate number of buggies and prams with offspring of young professionals and some very inefficient use of the limited space from these selfish parents. Two pumps clips were reversed ,leaving just St Austell Tribute.On ordering the barman said he could not serve me unless I was prepared to drink outside in the freezing cold.No option was given to drink vertically until space became available inside. I took the hint and departed ,never to return .It's another very poor London pub.

Iong narrow interior serving 4 real ales.

Previous reviews are pretty accurate descriptions. Boasting a name that’s unique, this is a long(ish) narrow pub with conventional furniture and conventional tourists in search of the Ye Olde Londone pub experience. Carpeted, two TVs showing something of no merit with the sound down, mid-level music, unattractive sauce bottles on the tables, dated 1960s/’70s bar furniture and historic prints on the walls. Ales: 1 pump unused, Sharp’s Doom Bar, Fuller’s London Pride and Timothy Taylor’s Landlord at a smarting £4.70 a pint but good. The pub’s website reads ‘Yet as soon as you enter its premises the first thing you notice is the ambience - something money can't buy… you cannot help but grin on entering’ – indeed you can’t buy the ambience if you’ve blown £4.70 on a pint and that’s not a grin, it’s a grimace. The Cock & Lion serves a purpose of sorts but is a bit of a dreary backwater tourist pub serving expensive ale in dated surroundings, so I won't be returning though opening times are generous which is a bonus.

One room with bar to the left. Four real ales - all weak. Not worth the visit.

A pretty typical single roomed pub common in this part of London,a rather pedestrian set of beers,Doom Bar, Landlord,Pride and Tribute, the latter being cold and bland.

Interior as described below. 4 real ales and food served.

Official site of Cock & Lion - www.cockandlion.co.uk

Official site of Cock & Lion - www.cockandlion.co.uk