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The Golden Lion (JD Wetherspoon), Newmarket
Newmarket
CB8 8LB
Pub Type
J D WetherspoonReviews (Current Rating Average: 5½ of 10) see review guidelines
Danny O'Revey left this review about The Golden Lion (JD Wetherspoon)
Rather bizarre Spoons, unassuming small room with a part given over to a gaming area, but with down n outs sitting at the machines, not playing. Beer served in plastic glasses. Toilets are a mess, which is very unspoons like. All a bit weird and crap!
On 26th July 2023
- rating: 3
[User has posted 1456 recommendations about 1434 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Delboy 20 left this review about The Golden Lion (JD Wetherspoon)
Good looking spoons on the High Street. We called in early for breakfast which was pretty decent. Seemed a better than average spoons to me!
On 12th May 2022
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 1656 recommendations about 1556 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Golden Lion (JD Wetherspoon)
This 18th-century building, which has always been a pub, stands out in Newmarket's High Street due to its distinctive brickwork. Sadly, one finds little of note within the extended interior apart from a wood-panelled side lounge area about halfway back. Also has a rear patio beer garden. Unsurprisingly in these post-lockdown days, just an unadventurous selection of six real ales available from the two banks of five handpumps - the usual trio plus three other nationals.
On 2nd August 2020
- rating: 6
[User has posted 8117 recommendations about 8117 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Aqualung . left this review about The Golden Lion (JD Wetherspoon)
I was surprised to discover that this was an original old pub as I'd written down on my scrap of paper "rectangular shop conversion that narrows at the rear". Well, that's what it looked like to me and there is an extensive patio at the rear. The horse racing was on the TV in the central bar area, hardly surprising being Newmarket.
The bar has ten hand pumps which had a reasonably good choice of the JDW Trio Of Doom, four ales from the recent festival, Adnam's Broadside, Elgood's Greyhound and Bowman's Quiver. I went for the Greyhound (£2.29) which was excellent and had time to stay for a few.
I thought this was a good Spoons and deservedly is GBG 2017 listed.
On 7th April 2017
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2143 recommendations about 2143 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
hondo . left this review about The Golden Lion (JD Wetherspoon)
Old style exterior but with a modern styled open plan interior. All in all pretty formulaic.
On 28th October 2016
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 2883 recommendations about 2820 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
john mcgraw left this review about The Golden Lion (JD Wetherspoon)
All in all this is not a bad pub. As you walk in there is a small drinking area to the left and it then opens up into a larger area at the back. There was a good selection of real ales on with Adnams Ghost Ship in very good form and at £1.99 a pint was very reasonable. As previously stated by a reviewer it's nice to be in Suffolk and not have to drink the bilge water that comes from not far down the road.
On 4th July 2015
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2044 recommendations about 2025 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve of N21 left this review about The Golden Lion (JD Wetherspoon)
The Golden Lion is the Newmarket outlet of the Wetherspoons chain. Unlike a lot of them it is housed in a former pub building and kept the original pub name when it was converted to a ‘Spoons in 2001.
And as such it has one of the more attractive external facades of a Wetherspoons outlet.
Unfortunately,on entering through the solid dark wood doors, you soon realise that the interior has been completely ‘spoonified’ and any original fitments have been replaced by the usual bland open plan layout, red Axminster pattered carpet and copious amounts of identical characterless tables and chairs filling the space opposite the long bar which fills the right hand side.
As previous reviewer has commented, there is a tardis feel as it stretches back a long way from the entrance area and for me the only saving grace I could see is that it has a decent exterior patio area out back.
The bar supports the usual two banks of six hand pumps and there was a decent choice of festival ales on. Not overly busy for my early Saturday lunchtime visit, so the service wasn’t too challenged and my pint of Butcombe Haka was in good form.
Not one of the best ‘Spoons I have been in and frankly decidedly average once you are inside. But, unfortunately, in the GK dominated town of Newmarket, it represents probably the only place to get a decent choice from the Bury St Edmunds brews.
On 28th October 2013
- rating: 5
[User has posted 2111 recommendations about 1992 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Roger Button left this review about The Golden Lion (JD Wetherspoon)
An extremely spacious but not particularly endearing Tardis like Wetherspoons that seems to go back for miles.
The section to the left of the main door is the most attractive area with oak paneling, an open wooden surround fireplace and a flat screen TV to one side. There are built in seats around window bays and plenty of sofas for the lounge lizards and a further screen at the larger rear section. The low plain ceiling with built in lights and multiple air conditioning grilles don’t add much to the character of the place and the rear section is particularly depressing. On the bright side, it is easy enough to get a seat and, if you can walk that far, there is a patio at very back.
The usuaul snippets of local history, characters and connections are surprisingly not very horsey given that this is primarily horse racing country.
Naturally all the Wetherspoons food and drink selections are available at the usual discount prices and that is probably the pubs redeeming feature. It’s not the greatest ‘Spoons I have encountered but I called at an off-peak time and whilst it served its purpose at the time, I suspect that it may be a bit more hectic when a race meeting is on.
On 23rd September 2010
- rating: 5
[User has posted 1239 recommendations about 1233 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Tony Langley left this review about The Golden Lion (JD Wetherspoon)
This used to be a really good boozer. It's now a Wetherspoon's and has been extensively knocked about, still has good ales but I only visit now on race days.
On 1st November 2008
- rating: 6
[User has posted 38 recommendations about 38 pubs]