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Submitted on Monday, 6^th April 2009
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The Old White Lion, East Finchley, N2

121 Great North Road
N2
N2 0NW

Phone: 02088836459

Correct details

Pub Type

Castle (Mitchells & Butlers)

Served areas

East Finchley

Tweets by The Old White Lion

The Old White Lion Retro Wednesday's returns tonight! Take a step back in time with our board game and video game selection. From 7pm https://t.co/oQjbfbq4lf 12:41 PM Jun 28th 2017 from Twitter for iPhone

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Reviews of The Old White Lion (Average Rating: 5 of 10) Add Review see review guidelines

Please Note: This review is over a year old.

Will Larter left this review about The Old White Lion

Handily placed for the tube, and a not unpleasant walk from the Five Bells on East End Road, where I had been attending a post-funeral party. So I called in for a contemplative pint before getting a train elsewhere. It was the pre-dinner lull, with fewer than 10 people in the pub. I neglected to make a note of the beers on offer - I think there were four, with one more having a "settling in our cellar" tag attached to the hand pump. I decided on St Austell Proper Job, which was in fine condition. It's not my first visit here, though on the previous occasion I was in company and didn't write a review. The pub is interesting, being fairly well preserved and retaining original windows and wood panelling. I would be happy to return, while bearing in mind the previous reviewer's hints about busy periods in summer with the kitchen going full blast.

On 15^th January 2020 - rating: 6
[User has posted 4273 recommendations about 3935 pubs]

Please Note: This review is over a year old.

Tris C left this review about The Old White Lion

This pub would seem to have changed little since the reviews below, save that you'd never get Hoorays in here as they specifically live in Chelsea and its environs. This pub has been here in some form for at least 300 years with the current 'brewers' Tudor' incarnation dating from 1938, possibly designed by John T. Quilter. The pub's close proximity to East Finchley station doesn't bode well but it's far more upmarket than you'd expect and not necessarily in a good way with the two side rooms primarily made over for dining though some drinkers were seated, unmolested by the rather amateurish bar staff (some things haven't changed then). It's certainly more appealing than some so-called 'upmarket' pubs like the Freemasons and Old Bull & Bush, both NW3. In all it's quite attractive inside with two impressive brick fireplaces in the side rooms (probably unused), a good boarded floor which may be original and 'heraldic' stained glass windows with some fake rafters painted white along with the ceiling. The walls are part bare brick otherwise clad in either field panelling or t 'n' g and are painted a pale mushroom colour; on balance the interior and furniture is fairly conventional aside from the square section tubular steel bar back. There's also an open kitchen which I don't like as they add to the noise and generate a lot of heat in summer and speaking of heat, I wouldn't want to go in their lavs on a hot day given the smell on a chilly November afternoon. Out back, there's a large attractive half-covered garden/patio with some cabinas.
Ales: Sharp's Doom Bar, St. Austell's Proper Job, Timothy Taylor's Landlord, Oakham's Citra and Purity's UBU which was decent enough though I didn't clock the price as we were in rounds.
This pub is much better than expected and the late licence is a bonus though apart from The Bald Faced Stag, to say that there's not much around here is an understatement. I wouldn't make an effort to return but would be happy to visit if in the area. Better staff would up the rating too.

On 4^th November 2017 - rating: 5
[User has posted 2207 recommendations about 2164 pubs]

Please Note: This review is over a year old.

Alesonly . left this review about The Old White Lion

I went in here late on Monday night on the way home from a CAMRA drink up in town and just got off the train and thought Id have a few pints and give this place a try to see if its improved instead of walking up to the Bald Faced Stag. Tried several ales all of which seemed to be in excellent condition including UBU. The pub itself has been wreaked over the years by modernisation loosing its three separate Bars now having just one large rather dark soulless room with just a small Bar in the centre making it feel cold and empty. Pub was very quiet only around 5 other customers in. There were two woman just talking over empty cups one guy non stop gassing on his mobile with his feet on the table and just two customers drinking but staff attitude was absolute terrible no manners or please & thank you and Twice getting short changed once can be a mistake but twice in the same visit.? Overall a good Pub but its still badly let down by untrained staff that don’t seen to have any customer skills or give a monkeys maybe I was just unlucky as it was a late Monday night.

On 15^th January 2013 - rating: 3
[User has posted 132 recommendations about 105 pubs]

View more reviews of The Old White Lion (7)

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