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Detail Pages
The Red Lion, Leytonstone, E11
E11
E11 3AA
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 7½ of 10) see review guidelines
Tris C left this review about The Red Lion
This pub started life in 1670 as the Robin Hood, the current name dating from the mid-18th century and rebuilt in 1891 as this grand gin palace of an edifice. It was once a noted live music venue, with an early performance by Led Zeppelin, Yes, Genesis and Roxy Music; it was acquired by Antic in 2011.
The interior is very palatial with many columns, but overall Antic has stamped its trademark all over it and there’s now a boutique hotel upstairs, as well as a ballroom hire venue; you can get the idea from my pics, but there are vestigial traces of a glory passed, such as glazed tiles and wood panelling but now a mass of knickknacks and fine bar back with décor in the form of eclectic prints. Furniture is totally mixed, including a sofa which appeared to have been savaged by a pack of wolves. Customers were mixed in age and local, with a good soundtrack playing on my arrival: Propaganda’s Duel.
Aside from two unused pumps there was an impressive cask lineup which yielded Volden Session and Pale, ELB Hopside Down, Five Points Derailed Porter and Green Hop, Sharp’s Sea Fury, Thornbridge Katsura and Jaipur at £2.80 a half, on top form, served by a floaty barman.
I’m not a massive fan of the Antic format but this is one of the better ones; the cask choice ups the score by a point, but I’d still prefer the North Star. Or just visit both.
On 20th January 2024
- rating: 6
[User has posted 1985 recommendations about 1951 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve of N21 left this review about The Red Lion
Impressive Victorian corner pub exterior and the usual shabby chic Antic interior but perhaps not as shabby as some of the others of their chain I visited, and it was good to find it still in rude health some eight years since Antic took it over. Open plan internal space mainly for drinking but with a smaller dining area separated behind a half wall partition, and then a large enclosed courtyard garden area out back with bench seating.
It was being well utilised on my mid week visit and I would say comfortably full compared to moby’s recent visit below and I had no trouble bagging a small table off to the side.
Eight of the Ale pumps were on the go for my visit and alongside Sharps Atlantic and the house Volden Session I noted Twickenham Four Grains, Slaters Premium, Great Heck Treasure IPA , Burning Sky Plateau Pale Ale and a very pleasant Wild Beer Co. Millionaire Mild Stout. And alongside these were modern craft keg offerings from Sirencraft, Five Points, Arbor and Franklins Brewing Co.
On 16th April 2019
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2110 recommendations about 1992 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Moby Duck left this review about The Red Lion
Large corner pub, opened out inside with a bit of a gastro feel. Ten handpumps on the go and my Five points Pale was decent enough. The pub itself was ,on my visit far to rammed to enjoy.
On 23rd March 2019
- rating: 6
[User has posted 1872 recommendations about 1845 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Robin Baldwin left this review about The Red Lion
I have been to this pub several times, and enjoyed myself. I have never got too drunk (luckily) and found the staff and other pub goers friendly. I would say that it is good to have at least one professional pub in an inner city area for those like myself. That is not to say other pubs are particularly rough, but not always entirely welcoming or appropriate. Anyhow, this pub is recommended.
Thanks...
On 7th May 2017
- rating: 8
[User has posted 7 recommendations about 7 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
john gray left this review about The Red Lion
Liked this this pub a lot.Usual wacky mix of Antic furnishings.Loud music ,a young crowd and a 20 beer festival.Amazing and massive outside space that was mobbed.Tried six beers and all were excellent.Fast service as well.
On 27th October 2014
- rating: 8
[User has posted 1023 recommendations about 1009 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
hondo . left this review about The Red Lion
Stripped out rough n ready style interior although still has the old bar gantry with an outside area at the rear. 10 real ales and "craft keg" served. Food available. With reference to the review below steps to the toilet didn't seem to bad and I was asked if I wanted dimples or not.
On 22nd March 2014
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 2883 recommendations about 2820 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Aqualung . left this review about The Red Lion
I arrived here today completely by chance as the buses from Wanstead to Leytonstone seemed to be disrupted so I got on the tube to Leytonstone. The first thing that struck me was how similar the exterior of the building is to the Leyton William IV and the Walthamstow Bell. Perhaps they are all by the same architect.
There was a selection of beers on that I had mostly never heard of but on seeing the local ELB Quadrant Stout I went for that. It was £3.85 for a 5.8% ABV beer whuch to me is ridiculously expensive and not JUST compared to local Spoons. The quality of the beer was fine and I was relieved that they didn't serve me it from one of those horrible dimple mugs.
I really think that the stressed decor thing has gone way too far when the steep steps down to the Gents look like they've been put together by a local school's woodwork class and the cracked wash basin looks like it has just been rescued from a skip.
Given that this is an old Victorian pub I rather doubt that the original Gents or Ladies were ever on a different level to the main pub.
Overall I don't have any major gripes with this place other than the price so if I was here again I would be tempted to pop in for a quick pint on the off chance that they had something on that I was really keen to try, but I would never come here for a session.
On 20th April 2013
- rating: 8
[User has posted 2143 recommendations about 2143 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Quinno _ left this review about The Red Lion
Imposing street corner pub recently taken over by the Antic pub company, who specialize in re-opening failing pubs in often dubious areas. They have reverted back to being the Red Lion from Zulus, a South African theme bar. The A-board outside proclaiming ‘Ale. Cider. Food”. is, I assume, an attempt to ape the Southampton Arms slogan of ‘Ale. Cider. Meat.”. Aimed squarely at the young urbanites that are beginning to colonise the area, the décor is best described as ‘shabby chic’ (sometimes too shabby for my liking) with a large LION spelt out above the rather attractive (presumably reclaimed) bar back. The interior is a large open space which is broken up by the addition of an odd shelving unit or two and is quite light due to the large plate glass windows at the front. I was pleased to see a working bar billiards table though sadly for me a couple of other customers nabbed it before I could get my beer in. And on the beer front it certainly impresses on the selection – concentrated on the London and South East brewery scene there were some weird and wonderful cask ales (10) and ‘craft’ keg. The ales weren’t in particularly great shape, truth be told – a bit flat all round, probably suffering from a lack of turnover, which hopefully will improve in due course. The keg stuff proved a bit more fruitful though. Prices weren’t too bad either as I was expecting hyper-rates. There was also a good selection of wines and bottled beers, as well as a few boxes of the promised cider. Exotic-sounding food was offered which the rest of my party went for and they were pleased with it. Staff were generally well-trained and helpful, where I was expecting the opposite.
Overall this is a brave venture that looks like it’ll pay off. Ale quality notwithstanding, I’ll be booking a return visit sooner rather than later.
On 24th March 2012
- rating: 7
[User has posted 5089 recommendations about 5072 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about The Red Lion
This Victorian street corner pub has recently reopened as part of the Antic pub chain after previous incarnations as both a South African and Australian themed bar. The interior is open plan with the bar to the rear left and a large shelving unit extending towards the middle of the room which breaks the space up a little. There is a good range of seating throughout and the place has been given the usual Antic touches, such as the typical pastel shaded paintwork, a few quirky artefacts towards the rear of the room and the odd bit of undressed masonry, but it certainly doesn't feel formulaic in any way.
Our visit coincided with a North vs. South beer festival, whereby five of the ten hand pumps were given over to beers from up North, whilst the remaining five dispensed beers from the South. Every time a barrel of beer was polished off by the customers, the corresponding region was given a point, with the North leading 6-5 at the time of our visit. I tried the Mighty Oak Simply the Best from the Southern half, which poured a little hazy, but tasted okay, and the Allgates Twitter and Busted from the North, which was very good. The bar staff were friendly and happily gave tasters on request.
I thought this pub was a nice enough spot to spend an evening and I enjoyed the chance to try some beers from some less frequently seen breweries, although I do wonder if ten beers would be the norm in here once the festival has finished. A welcome addition to the local scene which should be able to appeal to a wide range of people.
On 13th November 2011
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Red Lion
New addition to the Antic pub mini-empire, with several interesting features both inside (e.g. the pillars supporting the high ceiling) and out (such as the embossed red lion high up on the corner tower). The large windows may have had etched glass at some stage, but are now plain (as is much of the other decor and furniture). Good selection of unusual real ales from ten handpumps for their 'North vs South' beer festival, all priced at £3.00 per pint. Didn't rate my pint of Grain Bramble that highly, but the Allgates Twitter & Busted was an interesting riposte to the much more common Harviestoun Bitter & Twisted (which was also available, albeit in keg form). Overall, I thought the busy atmosphere pretty good for a newly-reopened pub so it looks like this one should do well.
On 24th October 2011
- rating: 8
[User has posted 8117 recommendations about 8117 pubs]