The Lion Inn, Thornton Heath Town, Croydon

Official site of The Lion Inn - www.thelioninn.webs.com

Official site of The Lion Inn - www.thelioninn.webs.com

Randomness Guide to London - Lion entry

Randomness Guide to London - Lion entry

One of a number of pubs tucked away in the backstreets of this part of Thornton Heath, this place is probably the pick of the bunch for the ale drinker. The front bar is a very smart and clean area with a mix of plush sofas and standard pub seating. The main stretch of bar runs down the side of the pub where there are vast numbers of bar stools and some more tables until the pub opens out again at the rear where there are pool tables and a dartboard. Most of the ales were located in the front room and on my visit I could choose between Shep's Spitfire and Kent's Best, Old Speckled Hen, Greene King IPA and St Edmunds, Sharp's Doom Bar and Hepworth Dark Horse (£2.20). There was also a comprehensive selection of lagers and ciders, although nothing out of the ordinary. The Dark Horse was a lovely pint and it was served by a charming lady who initially mistook me for her grandson! The pub has quite a few interesting features, including a number of lovely mirrors, an upright piano and a signed photo of Tom O'Connor. It was a pleasant surprise to find a pub with a decent choice of ale in this part of town and it would be my first port of call for future visits to the area.