The Red Lion, Leytonstone, E11

This Victorian street corner pub has recently reopened as part of the Antic pub chain after previous incarnations as both a South African and Australian themed bar. The interior is open plan with the bar to the rear left and a large shelving unit extending towards the middle of the room which breaks the space up a little. There is a good range of seating throughout and the place has been given the usual Antic touches, such as the typical pastel shaded paintwork, a few quirky artefacts towards the rear of the room and the odd bit of undressed masonry, but it certainly doesn't feel formulaic in any way. Our visit coincided with a North vs. South beer festival, whereby five of the ten hand pumps were given over to beers from up North, whilst the remaining five dispensed beers from the South. Every time a barrel of beer was polished off by the customers, the corresponding region was given a point, with the North leading 6-5 at the time of our visit. I tried the Mighty Oak Simply the Best from the Southern half, which poured a little hazy, but tasted okay, and the Allgates Twitter and Busted from the North, which was very good. The bar staff were friendly and happily gave tasters on request. I thought this pub was a nice enough spot to spend an evening and I enjoyed the chance to try some beers from some less frequently seen breweries, although I do wonder if ten beers would be the norm in here once the festival has finished. A welcome addition to the local scene which should be able to appeal to a wide range of people.

Randomness Guide to London - Red Lion entry

New addition to the Antic pub mini-empire, with several interesting features both inside (e.g. the pillars supporting the high ceiling) and out (such as the embossed red lion high up on the corner tower). The large windows may have had etched glass at some stage, but are now plain (as is much of the other decor and furniture). Good selection of unusual real ales from ten handpumps for their 'North vs South' beer festival, all priced at £3.00 per pint. Didn't rate my pint of Grain Bramble that highly, but the Allgates Twitter & Busted was an interesting riposte to the much more common Harviestoun Bitter & Twisted (which was also available, albeit in keg form). Overall, I thought the busy atmosphere pretty good for a newly-reopened pub so it looks like this one should do well.

This pub has been completely opened up, and probably has been for many years now. In its current incarnation it achieves a rather endearing mix of modern touches, such as the sofas at one end of the room and candles on the tables, and a basic scruffy pubbiness. I guess it might benefit from a bit of TLC here and there, such as a lick of paint on the Victorian cast iron pillars, and the bit of bare concrete where I suspect another door might have been positioned at some stage could do with either being disguised or covered. But I like this pub. It had ten ales on during my visit on Wednesday, which is most definitely a big plus. I’d like to visit again.

Randomness Guide to London - Red Lion entry

Official site of The Red Lion - www.theredlionleytonstone.com