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Beer of the Week (w/e 14th April 2024) with Mobyduck
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Detail Pages
The Red Lion, Barnes, SW13
SW13
SW13 9RU
Pub Type
Fuller'sReviews (Current Rating Average: 7 of 10) see review guidelines
Pub SignMan left this review about The Red Lion
This is a nice, smartly presented Fullers pub, about a fifteen minute walk from Barnes station and handy for the nearby rugby club and Wetlands Centre. The front entrance is appropriately flanked by two bright red lion statues and leads you into the main bar area, with the servery down the left hand wall. It's a pretty smart affair with a pleasant panelled counter front and tidy mirrored bar back, but the whole servery appears to be a relatively new addition. A few comfy seats can be found to the front, where a TV screen was showing live rugby union with the sound on. Further back, some cool high tables opposite the bar have pump clip displays set beneath glass panes on their tops. Beyond the bar, the room becomes more of a restaurant space, with lots of tables and chairs formally arranged, pre-set and mostly reserved. The whole pub is blessed with amazing leaded, stained-glass windows and to the rear is a large stained glass inverted cupola. A door to the rear leads out to a nice beer garden with a patio area which is mostly given over to al fresco dining tables. Another red lion statue can be found here plus some retro gig posters which dont apear to have any link to the pub. Beyond is a grassy space with plenty more picnic benches.
Fullers ales unsurprisingly dominate the handpulls, with options on this visit comprising Fullers London Pride, ESB and Red Fox (£5.90) plus Dark Star Hophead. A decent craft keg selection, mainly from established London brewers, enhances the selection nicely and the usual Fullers bottled beer range can be found in the fridges. My pint of Red Fox was in good shape, underlining the pub's regular appearance in the Good Beer Guide.
I like this pub, which I think has plenty of interesting features, a cracking beer garden and some well-kept Fullers beer. My main reservation is that with so much of the pub and garden given over to diners, drinkers can feel a little marginalised. It's still well worth a visit though, in order to explore the interior or take advantage of one of London's better beer gardens.
Date of visit - 23rd September 2023
On 1st January 2024
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Ian Mapp left this review about The Red Lion
The Good Beer Guide entry in Barnes. A fullers house, so you know what you are getting and in keeping with the surroundings, this is a very upmarket instance, catering for dining families coming in off the Barnes Trail.
Personally, if there was only space in the bible for one pub, I'd swap it for the Watermans Arms.
On 20th January 2022
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1337 recommendations about 1323 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Bucking Fastard left this review about The Red Lion
Fullers tied house with a focus on food and an upmarket interior.To the left of the front entrance is a snug area with two chesterfield high backed chairs,some other confy seating and this area is best suited to just drinking,it has a lounge feeling.The bar is mid building while further back there is an area which looks set for dining,quite well appointed with wood panelling and considerable opulance.The food menu is quite short and equally upmarket and priced as such.
The bar sports 5 handpumps with on my trip Fullers London Pride,ESB,"Dark Star" Hophead and a single guest By The Horns Diamond Geezer (NBSS 3).The nearest pub to the Wetland Centre but more interesting as a place to eat with not much pub atmosphere.
On 19th January 2020
- rating: 6
[User has posted 2727 recommendations about 2727 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Rex Rattus left this review about The Red Lion
This is a Fuller's pub which had on ESB, London Pride, Spring Sprinter, and Oliver's Island (£2.08 a half). There were single sheet menus (plus wine lists, which went unscrutinised by yours truly obviously) on all the tables - sarnies are £7 - £7.75, with main courses starting at £11 (sausages & mash) going up to £26.50 for the 28 day aged Hampshire ribeye steak, etc, etc.
This pub doesn't look much from the outside, with its plain, drab and tatty grey painted frontage, although the two red lions guarding entrance provide a bit of colour. But inside it's a different story. Although it's branded as a pub and eating house, they've not gone down the minimalist gastro grey route, retaining the wood panelling on the walls in its original state, as well as the magnificently ornate wooden arches separating areas at the back of the pub (originally a lounge area possibly) featuring seahorses in the detailing. There are several rugs on the floor to break up the bare-boarded flooring. There is also a large garden at the back backing on to the Wetlands Centre, plus a car park at the side.
I would say that the rear of this pub is the most interesting. Here you have an attractive arched ceiling in an area between two of the wooden arches, and a very large and attractive wood-framed fireplace accompanied by the obligatory brace of sofas. There's also a clutch of sofas/armchairs next to the door to the garden, but otherwise the furnishings consist of re-cycled dining room tables and good quality normal chairs. Another remaining heritage feature is the green and yellow stained glass glazing in most of the windows.
This pub was empty when I dropped in on Wednesday morning so I couldn't really judge its "pub atmposphere". But from what I could see it's still a real pub despite its emphasis on food. I bet the garden's popular on a warm day. I really liked this pub, and would be very happy to pay a return visit.
On 29th April 2016
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2606 recommendations about 2520 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve of N21 left this review about The Red Lion
The Red Lion is a decent looking Fullers Pub close to the Barn Elms playing fields and the WWT London Wetland centre and is handy for a pint when visiting the Wetland centre.
It is branded from the outside as a “Pub and Eating House” which gives you the clue that food is quite high up on the focus for this one.
As others have mentioned it does not look that big from the outside but has the full tardis effect going on the main building stretches some way back from the main entrance to a very pleasant external patio area with large jumbrellas and then grassed garden area that then stretches the same distance again back along Queen Elizabeth Walk, making this quite a big pub for a decent summers day.
The inside space is two separate areas with the bar to the front and then a seated dining area to the back. I found the front bar section a bit bland and lacking character but the seating / dining room section to the back has a bit more character, with its darker wood, stained glass windows and large brick fire place with comfy chesterfields. But on a hot day the patio and garden or the additional external seating area to the front of the pub provide a very pleasant place for a pint.
We didn’t eat as sandwiches are not offered on a Sunday and the rest of the menu was too rich for our tastes, but the pub was very busy with people in for the Sunday roasts.
On the beer front there are seven ale taps in total with three at the front end and an additional four in the middle. Pride and Chiswick were doubled up and the ESB, Two Halves and the seasonal Summer Ale were on the others. Plus the Fullers Black Cat stout was on chrome pump.
The Red Lion was very popular on this Sunday lunchtime, and I can see why.
On 23rd June 2014
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2109 recommendations about 1991 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
john mcgraw left this review about The Red Lion
Now that the scaffolding has been removed you can see that the pub looks pretty small but inside it is like a tardis and goes a long way back ending in a secluded beer garden.Fuller's beers on offer
On 29th April 2009
- rating: 6
[User has posted 2044 recommendations about 2025 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Philip Carter left this review about The Red Lion
A Fullers pub. Sorry that the picture is of building works. Has a large garden. Real ales on sale and food served Lunch and evenings. Wheelchair access. Has wood panels in the back area and cream & green in the front. Has a real log fire, so if you should visit on a cold day, the busiest place will be around the fire.
On 25th April 2009
- rating: 8
[User has posted 757 recommendations about 720 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Alan Winfield left this review about The Red Lion
The Red Lion is a large stand alone pub that is on the main road heading towards hammersmith bridge and it is a bit of a walk to the middle of Barnes from here.
Once inside the pub was quite big and smart i sat towards the front of the pub.
This pub is a Fullers tied house and there were two real ales on the bar i had a drink of Fulers Chiswick bitter and this was a very nice drink the other beer was London Pride.
I thought this was a decent enough pub.
Pub visited 14/12/2002
On 14th December 2002
- rating: 7
[User has posted 6113 recommendations about 6113 pubs]