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Disappointment of the week with Real Ale Ray
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Golden Lion Hotel, Northallerton
Northallerton
DL7 8PP
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 4½ of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Blue Scrumpy left this review about Golden Lion Hotel
The Golden Lion was a bonus pub for us. We were staying here and left it until last, not knowing if the bar would still be open.
Luckily it was still open late on a Sunday evening and I was pleasantly surprised by the range of 4 real ales on offer. These were Wensleydale Semer Water, Cameron's Strongarm, Copper Dragon Golden Pippin & York Guzzler.
I chose the Strongarm, as it is a drink I have enjoyed before, especially when I've tried it in its home town of Hartlepool. However, on this occasion, the beer was in a poor condition, verging on undrinkable. I suspect none had been poured off during the day and my half had been sat in the pipes for at least 24 hours.
Determined to finish on a better beer, I tried the Semer Water too. That was much better. Although, there was still a strange film on the glass.
We were the only customers in the nicely appointed, but dull lounge bar, with little natural light. A well can be seen near the bar.
Better than I had expected. But the quality of the real ale left a lot to be desired.
On 31st July 2021
- rating: 5
[User has posted 2452 recommendations about 2451 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Old Boots left this review about Golden Lion Hotel
This bar has improved a bit, the choice and quality of the ale is much better but the staff are still a little "chocolate teapot" however it is an hotel bar so much as expected. We also noticed the well in the middle of the floor covered by a sheet of very thick glass and home to countless spiders. Beers from Black Sheep, Grey Hawk (naughty they've gone I believe), Theakstons, Caledonian and Marstons(Wychwood and Tetleys)
September 2010
One of the most famous coaching inns on the Great North Road housed in a magnificent Georgian building with a golden lion sitting atop the entrance porch. The interior has been tastefully modernised in an interpretation of georgian/victorian splendour. The bar is labelled as the Coachman's Tap and you are directed through the archway rather than the front door in some equivilent of using the tradesmen's entrance. Once inside all the ground floor public rooms interconnect anyway, there is the large bar and to its side a large dining room although the bar tables are laid out for dining and were fully in use as such. As you may expect the service is restaurant cum large hotel in style so you should expect a wait to be served. There are two banks of two pulls dispensing Theakstons Best and John Smiths Cask, given the nature of the establishment and the clientele I suspected the ale wouldn't be up to much however it was worse than expected. Sadly the unsmiling east European barmaid was unable to translate an order for a half so I ended up with a pint of rather dreadful Theakstons. There was also an odd smell in the room possibly of fresh silcone sealer.
On 25th February 2018
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 3230 recommendations about 2939 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
custodian 42 left this review about Golden Lion Hotel
Large sprawling place. Six hand pumps, one off. Nothing strength wise. Rest keg.
On 20th July 2017
- rating: 4
[User has posted 1693 recommendations about 1691 pubs]