The Red Lion, Oxford

Official site of The Red Lion - www.redlionoxford.co.uk

I don't know when things here changed, but in the early '90s this was a bikers' pub with heavy metal jukebox. Well it's not like that now, for this is now in effect an overcooked gastropub/style bar that barely qualifies as a pub. Split levels, metal table tops, some covered in furry cow skin. There's a pale wood floor and spotlights to illuminate the trendy young crowd. The heavy metal jukebox has given way to muted lounge music. On the plus side, the 'pub' boasts the largest beer garden in central Oxford. Ales: Sharp's Doom Bar and St. Austell's Tribute priced at a style bar's £2.05 a half and fine. Actually, this is quite cheap for central Oxford and especially when you consider this 'pub's' upmarket aspirations. I wouldn't bother coming here again as it's not a pub in my language and the White Rabbit around the corner is far superior.

Official site of The Red Lion - www.redlionoxford.co.uk

Large attractive curved building. Previously a ‘Goose’ and Firkin, refurbed into its current incarnation in 2011. Basically it ain't far off being a full blown restaurant now, with a large opened out interior including a false separator and a small raised/sunken area to the right. Tastefully modern décor, with the odd outlandish touch such as the thick metal chain curtains. Works though. Impressively large paved beer garden to the rear (a rarity in central Oxford) with some fauna borders. Free O2 WiFi available. Fight your way to the rear bar and there are actually (surprisingly) four pumps with three ales on earlier this week (Adnams Mosaic, Liberation Ale and Brakspear Oxford Gold). The Mosaic was in fair condition and was £1.90 a half (also in a lined glass, unusual). Fairly well done for what it is.

Not very good visit told there was no hand pulls on because it was to sunny, Had a pint of heineken tasted malty dirty line had to leave it if you're not interested in food keep away. Sat in the beer garden nice plants on the tables all wilting in the sun told the waitress who was just stood there looking like a lollipop wanting to be licked they need watering she looked at me as if i was from another planet. Best to walk past in future

From the outside the Red Lion is a fine looking building situated on the corner of Gloucester Street and George Street in OX1. It's had various previous guises including a stint as part of the ‘Firkin’ chain and then a stint as one of the truly awful 'Goose' brand of hostelries. Having undergone a major refurbishment in early 2011 this is now one of those places that is advertised as ‘Pub and dining’ which basically gives you a big enough of a clue that this is now a gastro pub more aligned to being a restaurant with an interior remodelled and designed by those that think a place is made more attractive by putting lumps of dead wood and vases full of dead twigs around the place. One gushing foodie writer penned the following in a local Oxford rag just after it opened in its current guise. “The Red Lion is a typical pub by name, but by no means a typical pub by nature. Hoping for pork-scratchings, beer-mat pyramids and belching contests? Then you're better off heading to your local Wetherspoon's. This is an establishment that adheres to the new-era laws of The Gastropub - 'cosy cappuccino' paint, contemporary art and oh-so-trendy driftwood sculptures.”, which just about tells you all you need to know, which is probably to steer clear if you’re just after a pint.. Well almost. There is a very decent outside drinking area at the back of the pub and on a fine day it’s a good spot to escape the foodie interior and worth investing in a pint to sup on the outside terrace. As mentioned very much a modern gastro pub in a fine external building skin, but there are three handpumps dispensing two Brakespears beers and a decent pint of Everards Sunchaser.