Not already a member?
Join our community and
- Rate & review pubs
- Upload pictures
- Add events
JOIN for free NOW
Chat about:
Disappointment of the week with Real Ale Ray
on the Pub Forum
Detail Pages
The Red Lion, Bromley
Bromley
BR1 3LG
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 7½ of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Real Ale Ray left this review about The Red Lion
A traditional back street pub, that is well supported by the locals, it certainly was on our Thursday night visit. The Manager and his wife were old style publicans, who were very smart in appearance and greeted you on arrival and wished you well on leaving. The décor consisted of a patterned red and gold wallpaper and oddly enough green painted ceilings. The bar area looked original and had a pot shelf running along the full length of the counter. Five pumps serving Boondoggle, GK IPA, Abbot, Harveys Sussex and Hogsback Tea.
On 22nd November 2019
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3382 recommendations about 3381 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Rex Rattus left this review about The Red Lion
Again the previous reviewers leave little for me to add. This is the sort of backstreet local that I really like. The ale selection was very good for a Greene King pub, and I thought that the pint of Box Brewery Piston Broke was an excellent drop. The food was exceptionally reasonably priced, with what sounded like down-to-earth sandwiches (ham and cheese mainly) at just under £3 a pop.
The Brewer's Tudor frontage suggests an inter-war pub, and the emerald green painted guttering, drainpipes, and ceiling inside the pub suggests an Irish themed pub - but it isn't. Anyway, it was comfortable enough inside with a carpeted floor in the room at the front and normal tables and chairs throughout. The clock set in a wood surround above the entrance to the back room on the right might just belong to the pub (although I doubt it), but the "Bottles & Jugs" framed glazed panel displayed on one of the walls can't have belonged to this pub. But they are delightful features nonetheless.
On 3rd December 2017
- rating: 8
[User has posted 2606 recommendations about 2520 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Malden man left this review about The Red Lion
This is an attractive traditional old pub tucked away in a back street away from the town centre, the L-shaped main area is carpeted at the front, boarded in front of the side bar counter then tiled in a rear area up a step where a narrow recess houses a dartboard. Front the front area to the side where the pump clips are there is a kind of arched opening with a magnificent clock forming the centrepiece. On the right as you enter there is a full wall bookcase with probably something for everyone to read. A high shelf houses bottles, jugs, steins and other artefacts. The front area has a fireplace with a fine etched mirror above, other interesting items of note were old B&W framed photos of the barrel coopers' trade, an etched "Bottle and Jug" glazed panel and the bar back which states "Beard's of Sussex".
It's a GK pub which might normally put me off a bit however there are guest ales here, our visit found GK IPA, Abbot, Harvey's Sussex Best, Wadworth's 6X and a fine Box Brewery Piston Broke. Two pint take out cartons available.
Good value food from an honest down to earth menu with meals generally between £4.50 to £6.95.
The consensus from our quintet was that this was probably our pub of the day from our tour of Bromley, recommended. It gets a 7 but nearer to a 7.5 from me.
On 29th November 2017
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1707 recommendations about 1681 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about The Red Lion
Tucked away down the back street to the North of Bromley town centre, this is a very pleasant Greene King pub with a nice community feel to it. You enter by passing through a well appointed front patio seating area with a good deal of seating under bright flower boxes and into a carpeted front bar with standard tables and chairs around the perimeter and the servery to the rear. A nice fireplace stands on the left hand wall with a spectacular etched glass mirror above, sadly obscured by various A4 flyers stuck to it. A grand row of bookshelves cover much of the right hand wall and they are packed full of various well thumbed paperbacks. The bar follows the room as it extends rearwards down the right hand side, broken midway by a pillar with a board details the regular ales. The servery has a dark wood counter and mirrored bar back topped with panels that read “Beards of Sussex, Established 1797”. The canopy is topped with hundreds of pump clips and the walls have been decorated with some tired looking, peeling patterned wallpaper. A door leads through to a tile floored rear room with a rather spartan feel to it. The minimal decor includes tankards and pots on a shelf above a doorway, old black and white photos here and there, a juke box to the right and a dartboard to the left. Music played quietly, except for when the bar staff cranked up ‘Happy Birthday’ by Stevie Wonder for the benefit of a group celebrating someone’s birthday in the rear room, and TV screens were showing muted cricket.
There was a decent selection of mainstream ales on the bar, comprising Greene King IPA and Abbot Ale, Harvey’s Sussex Best and Wadworth 6X and Farmer’s Glory. I was served by a very pleasant barmaid who said “enjoy your pint” when she handed over my change and I’m pleased to report that I did enjoy a very nice pint of the Harvey’s.
This is a very nice little local’s pub with well kept ale and a friendly welcome and I thought it was well worth the short detour from the town centre to check it out. The pub seemed to be doing a good trade on a Thursday night and I can certainly see the appeal. I’m sure I’ll be back to this one in due course.
On 21st September 2017
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Alan Winfield left this review about The Red Lion
The Red Lion is a decent looking pub that is a very short walk from the Freelands Tavern.
Once inside there is a single oblong shaped room which runs to the rear,the front area is larger and square shaped,there are normal tables and chairs here,the bar is to the mid left,there are normal tables and chairs facing the bar,the rear area is down 1 step this area has a tiled floor and a darts board to the left.
The pub is a Greene King tied house,there were five real ales on the bar,i had a drink of Harveys Bitter which went down very well,the other beers were St Austell Tribute,Brains Reverend James,GK IPA and Abbot.
Food is available and was very cheap for London with the most expensive meal being £5.95 and the cheapest at £2.00.
I quite took to this pub despite the lack of bench seating and background music.
Pub visited 14/2/2015
On 14th February 2015
- rating: 8
[User has posted 6113 recommendations about 6113 pubs]