The Red Lion, Sittingbourne

Long, thin coaching inn on the High Street in Sittingbourne town centre. The inside was reasonably busy and so was the outdoor courtyard, where the roof of the building seems to overhang it in a rather perilous fashion. But it probably appears to be straight after a few too many. Three handpulls all had the clips turned round when we arrived. But after enquiring, London Pride & Landlord were revealed to be on. They had been turned round by somebody concerned about how lively they were! Locals were quite boisterous and were quite excited about a rather unpleasant smell coming from the gents. Apparently one of the traps had been rendered unserviceable by somebody with serious stomach issues. I elected to hold my bladder until the next establishment. Much has changed since the previous review. This pub now feels comparatively average, when there are 3 decent micropubs in town.

I was a little disheartened as I pushed the front door to gain entry on a recent midweek evening and found it to be shut. Trying not to panic I looked for the opening times and spotted a sign in the door telling prospective customers to use the side door for access. I made my way around to the cobbled courtyard where there is some outside seating and did indeed find an open door that led to a long thin bar at the front of the pub. Standard draught was available and I counted six hand pumps. Two of these were unused and two had there handles missing so only Doom Bar and London Pride were available. The well-kept décor of the pub led me to believe that the handles were probably being cleaned rather than permanently being a missing feature. Halfway up the pub is a doubled sided burner that separates the bar from a rear dining area where pricey mains can be purchased for around £15 a pop. I didn’t eat or see anyone eating, but the food must be good to warrant those prices in this area. I did raise a smile when I read a notice on the side of the burner that said ‘please do not touch the fire’. There is a jukebox on the wall that was silent and the plasma screen was showing a muted wildlife program. People averse to televisions in pubs will be glad to hear that the plasma screen is tucked away at the end of the bar. Children are permitted with dining adults during lunch service only. At all other times the red Lion is over 21s. I found the service to be very friendly and the London Pride was spot on. I would have no problem returning as I thought that this pub was the best Sittingbourne had to offer after my crawl of the immediate area.