The Black Lion, Leighton Buzzard

Facebook page of The Black Lion - www.facebook.com

Facebook page of The Black Lion - www.facebook.com

Official site of The Black Lion - www.blacklionlb.com

Official site of The Black Lion - www.blacklionlb.com

This pub is a real gem and served a range of top class ales, six in all on our visit. The line up was Stamps Rum Porter, Oakham Bishops Farewell, Bass, Cotswold Best, Heritage Oatmeal Stout and Nethergate Suffolk County. The interior is traditional in style and the open log fire down on the right hand side of the bar was a real treat whilst supping away. The staff were so friendly and helpful and the pub had a decent and relaxed atmosphere. There was also a large Gin bar at the rear of the pub and an extensive range of German beers on our visit.

Enjoyed our visit to this friendly 2019 Good Beer Guide pub entry where we found plenty of cask ales on offer. Elgoods Mortal Wombat and Cambridge Bitter, Nethergate Eons Milk Stout and Suffolk County, Butcombe Gold, Oakham Bishops Finger, Black Country BFG and Bass. If that is not enough choice over 100 bottled beers both British and Continental.

This place consists of a single room with a wooden floor and a peninsula bar. It's been more than well described below. It was packed on my early Thursday evening visit. The eight hand pumps had North Cotswold Tumbling Jack, Beartown Black Bear, Nethergate Five Rifles Red, Lincoln Green Hood, Windmill Deckhand, Partners Stout & About, Bass and Oakham Bishops Farewell. Sadly as noted below nothing from any local microbreweries. I went for the Bishops Farewell (£3.50) which was in good nick. I thought this was a good pub but not a great one.

A comfortable old fashioned pub with eight hand pumps crowded onto the small section of bar which is facing on entry. Round the corner is another section of bar with a board listing the beers, which is handy if bar leaners are obscuring the pump clips. The beer list is diverse, from many parts of the country between North Yorkshire and Cornwall, but on the occasion of my visit there was surprisingly nothing at all from local brewers. Local CAMRA Pub of the Year 2015.