Golden Lion, Salford

The Golden Lion is a Holts pub with a large car park to the right. Food is served daily until 20:30 and the right hand main seating area was very busy with older diners during a recent Thursday evening visit. An L-shaped bar faces some seating at the front of the pub and to the left is a small raised seating area that houses a couple of televisions, that were both off, although there was some low background music playing. This left hand side feels more like a pub so I was surprised to find myself the only person in it. This pub must be dead when the kitchen is closed. The bar supports the usual Holts keg range and the four hand pumps were all badged with Holts Bitter. I didn’t find the service to be very friendly and there was no atmosphere so I don’t plan to return in a hurry.

A Holts pub, modernised to within an inch of its life. It's now one bland room in which the right hand side was all set up for dining even at 3:30 on a Friday afternoon. Drinkers are welcome at the left hand side though. Lots of generic prints on the wall, no doubt bought in a job lot from a Pubs R Us warehouse. 4 handpumps on the bar, but only Holts Bitter available along with Fullers London Pride. Very expensive for a Holts pub with my pint costing £2.76, it was in good nick though.

A Holts pub that has been modernised. Now similar to hundreds of eatery pubs nationwide. It does however have 4 handpumps serving Holts Bitter, Hat Trick and Two Hoots plus a guest ale called Lion on today. The pub is much cleaner than the others in the area but also a lot more sterile in atmosphere.