The Cock and Lion provides an unusual setting for modernites to unwind in.

The Venue
The Cock and Lion, located on Wigmore Street, takes a near vintage approach to its decor. With the gold leafing of the sign and the glossy black paint of the exterior, your entrance into the classic begins.

Once you’re past the tables and chairs outside, you’ll enter the narrow pub’s main room. The bar is situated at the back, built into a solid wooden counter. The seating is social, with a long cushioned bench running along the right hand wall, and tables and chairs plopped against it at two-foot intervals. The first floor dining area provides more formal seating and makes for a pleasant sit down; however, it’s the walls below that make for the pub’s most interesting feature. A sign reads ‘London Life and Edwardian England’ and along with a big, brass framed mirror it is surrounded by black and white photos that top off that vintage museum feel here. The big screen TV doesn’t rival the pictures for attention.

The Atmosphere
The Cock and Lion is clearly a little more than your average city boozer. It may have the big screen TVs and pub grub to prove otherwise, but its clientele are a suited bunch of after work drinkers and diners predominantly with heavy laughs and deep pockets. A rugby crowd dominates possession of the TV remote and Six Nations, test matches and tours invite an excellent atmosphere as the numbers swell.

The Food
Pub food it may be, but the Cock and Lion’s fare is served to a high standard and uses fresher ingredients than the average soggy scampi some pubs chuck onto their plates. Most dishes are of the hearty, meaty sort with spicy beef koftas and barbeque ribs among the specials. Quality comes at a price though and at the expensive end of the scale is the 16oz sirloin steak, which costs £17, closely followed by the king prawns in garlic and white wine sauce.

The Drink
Stella, Becks and Kronenbourg make up the draught lager and they have four ales on tap. There is a good range of wine, which probably has a lot to do with the quality of the restaurant, and most are available by the glass or bottle.

The Last Word
The Cock and Lion has a certain formalness running through its blood, but beyond the stiff upper lip of its Britishness, its softer side is revealed like the crumbling of an Empire and it makes for excellent drinking.

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