The Golden Lion, SW1

In the heart of St James, and wedged between tall modern office blocks is The Golden Lion, a pub that is immediately noticeable for its attractive curved bay frontage with frosted leaded windows portraying a crested golden lion and several theatrical masks. The interior is narrow and slightly cramped and features much polished dark wood and a mahogany bar counter that, rather unusually, contains some green leaf motifed tiles as part of the bar gantry. Like many pubs of this ilk, seating inside is limited with a few high stools and circular tables and a shelf with stools opposite the bar. Note also the fine dark burgundy ceiling. A familiar looking framed potted history of the pub reminds us that it was once a Nicholsons pub. Pleasingly, the new owners, The Capital Pub Company, appear to have left the attractive traditional interior largely untouched from those days, although I did notice 2 silent TV’s – one on the bar gantry and one above the door – and a rather large electronic games machine. Outside in the covered passageway, there’s several stools for outside drinking which, I can imagine, are well patronised at busy times. The opposite wall here exhibits a plaque telling us that here stood The St James Theatre, until it was controversially demolished in 1957, despite a protest led by Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier. On my recent Saturday lunchtime visit, the pub was initially heaving, but the bar quickly emptied upon my arrival, not, I hasten to add, due to any inappropriate behaviour on my part, but because there was a large pre booked party about to take lunch in the imaginatively named Theatre Bar upstairs. There’s 2 banks of 3 pumps which were offering Hogs Back TEA, Batemans Miss Lapland, Doom Bar and Greene King Golden Glory. A decent pint of Hogs Back TEA - £ 3.70p was enjoyed. Well worth dropping in when in the area

The tall, slimline Golden Lion was built in 1900 on the site of a similarly named pub that dated back to 1762. Until 1957, when it was controvertially demolished, the St James Theatre stood next door and its presence is still celebrated in the Golden Lion (the upstairs bar was originally the Theatre bar). The main bar is a small, bare floored, narrow room with the bar taking up about a third of the total floorspace making it a bit cramped but not without plenty of character. The rich burgundy patterned ceilings stand out as do the spectaucular curvy bay fronted windows that contain some fine coloured glazing depicting a Golden Lion crest and comedy/tragedy masks in line with its theatrical past. The bar canopy also contains some fime tiling. A coat of arms adorns the wall at one end of the bar and a tapestry hangs over the arched wndows that gaze into the narrow passageway outside where overspill drinkers converge. The 6 hand pumps contained 4 real ales on my most recent visit; Adnams Explorer, Hogs Back T.E.A., Gales Seafarers and Harveys Sussex Best. Quality was fine, service prompt, and prices about average for the area. There are not that many pubs in the immediate area but those that you can find are generally very good with the elegant and quite secretive Golden Lion being among my favourites.

This is a fairly small Capital Pub Company pub. It features some rather impressive leaded lights windows, but it was not clear to me whether they were original features or a more modern addition. It also had an unusual tiled gantry that was no doubt a fairly modern addition. But it’s a nice enough little pub with some fairly decent ale – Sharpe’s Doom Bar; London Pride and Hogsback Summer Ale (I had the Sharp’s Doom Bar, which was fine). The only really negative point for me was the fact that the only seating was high stools around either ledges by the windows or high tables. I just don’t like this type of seating, but that is just my opinion – I suppose there must be some valid marketing justification for it as the trend seems to be spreading. It’s good for vertical drinking though, if that’s your preference. OK for a pint if you happen to be passing, but it won’t become one of my regular haunts.

Very narrow inside with limited seating consisting of a few high tables with stools and a drinking shelf opposite the bar on a side wall. I liked the leaded windows with the stained glass inserts including the golden lion motif in the curved front bay. Further windows above the shelf face onto the side passage. The bar is attractive with carved detail and a green tiled gantry with flower/leaf designs. There is what appears to be a Royal coat of arms on the side wall next to the bar almost hidded from view. I'm not aware what the significance of this is unless someone nips in now and again for a sharpener or two! Two banks of handpumps, in three's. The choice of two was repeated, being Twickenham Grandstand and Gales Seafarers, with the third reversed. I didn't visit the upstairs theatre bar.

There has been a Golden Lion tavern at this location since 1762, and this one was completed in 1900. It is a very attractive pub from the outside with exquisite lead lined windows with the large bow front being the centre piece. Then inside, a dark wood panelled interior which, although probably not original, still gives the place a very traditional feel. Not very big inside but benefits from the covered passage way outside for al fresco drinking. The St. James's Theatre was situated next door until demolished in 1957 but the theatrical theme is represented in the pub, especially in the Theatre Bar upstairs, which houses some of the artefacts from the former theatre. It used to be a Nicolsons House and I believe it still is. The beers on during my visit were Sharps Doombar and Red Ale, Admans Green beer and one other I cannot now remember, and the Adnams green Ale made a pleasant change. All in all this is a good place with a bit of character and probably preferable it to the other Lion in the nearby Crown passage, but it's a very close thing..

What this pub lacks in size it more than makes up for in looks as it is a lovely little well kept traditional boozer. The barmaid was extremely friendly and my pint of Guinness was spot on. Sussex Best, Seafarer and Doom Bar were the ale options and Amstel was available alongside a standard draught selection. There is a ‘Theatre Bar’ upstairs which I did not investigate, but I did utilise one of the high tables located in the alley down the side of the pub whilst I had a smoke. There is a plasma screen which was showing Sky News which was muted to give way to some sedate background music. This place is well worth a visit, especially for traditional pub fans – check out the impressive lead lined windows!