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
Black Lion Hotel, Aberaeron
Aberaeron
SA46 0AD
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 5 of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve C left this review about Black Lion Hotel
The Black Lion retains a public bar to the left with plasma screen and dartboard and a smaller lounge bar to the right that also has a plasma screen. At the rear is a third room/walkway that houses a pool table and gives access to the toilets. Out the back is a small beer yard with seating, some of which is covered. My recent visit was on a Monday night when only two other customers were present. Sky football was on both TVs, but this was muted in favour of some background music from the jukebox.
A standard keg range was available from the bar and the lone hand pump was drawing Worthington’s Cask Ale. I didn’t spot any food advertisements, but it is reported that there is a restaurant on the 1st floor. I found the service to be polite but thought there were better options in Aberaeron.
On 5th September 2018
- rating: 6
[User has posted 5228 recommendations about 5196 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve of N21 left this review about Black Lion Hotel
Old style pub that retains the two bar set up either side of a central serving area. The bar to the left is wood panelled and wood floored whereas the lounge to the right is carpeted and wallpapered.
I think Quinno has slightly underdone the sport memorabilia comment though. In both bars there is so much sporting pictures et all on display that it is actually difficult to see the walls. The lounge is largely a shrine to Welsh rugby with a collection of signed Welsh country and club shirts and a Lions shirt from the SA tour of 98 worn by the then Welsh captain, plus plenty of B&W pictures of Welsh players from the 60's and 70's when they used to dominate the sport, including several of the wonderful JPR Williams.
And then the bar room is clearly the unofficial club house of Aberaeron FC as it is covered with team photos going back to the 1950's. But what really interested me was the large mural given pride of place on the wall which was dedicated to the football club in 1999 by Mike England, the former Wales and Spurs captain.
I really enjoyed browsing the walls, but sadly the same cannot be said for drinking the beer. There were two ales available on the three pumps one being Worthington Shield. This I ignored in preference to Fine tuned Brewery Mash Up which was available on one of the others. Sadly it was on the turn but with nothing else really available I persevered.
I guess as nearly all the rest of the male dominated clientele were on Lager it probably doesn't have the pull through for ale to be kept properly.
I also found out that the long term landlord is retiring and like a lot of property in Aberaeron, this pub is up for sale.
That either means it will shut down or someone will come in who can make use of the prime position by the show ground and football pitch and turn it into something decent.
I hope it is the latter because, despite the shit beer, I quite liked the old school nature of this one.
On 10th September 2016
- rating: 5
[User has posted 2110 recommendations about 1992 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
philip smith left this review about Black Lion Hotel
Plenty of atmosphere here but in real need of a make over.
On 29th May 2013
- rating: 4
[User has posted 30 recommendations about 30 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Quinno _ left this review about Black Lion Hotel
Comprises two dark and long narrow bars with a room at the back. Husband and wife team serving a poor real ale (Cottage) and a quiz machine that doesn't work, along with sports TV. Notable for a random wooden Tardis in the back of the pub by the pool table (no reason for its presence given). There's a few old pictures of the town's football team dotted around and it's the pub of choice for the half a dozen fans on matchday.
On 10th October 2010
- rating: 4
[User has posted 5072 recommendations about 5055 pubs]