The Old Red Lion

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 5 reviews

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418 St John Street,
Islington,
London,
EC1V 4NJ

(020) 7833 3053

The ViewLondon Review

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Review byRory Blyth17/12/2007
The Old Red Lion is a busy old man’s pub by Angel station. It has plenty of atmosphere, reasonably cheap drink and is a great place to watch the game. A theatre upstairs brings the bohemian spirit.

The Venue
Conveniently close to the station and almost always busy, The Old Red Lion caters for all crowds who like an old fashioned pub. Scruffy, no nonsense and with a great range of ales on tap, you’ll enjoy it for its last Century charm. Upstairs, a theatre provides regular comedy nights and productions all year round. Not just a great local, this rag tag pub oozes an arty, friendly atmosphere that’s worth travelling for.

The Atmosphere
As soon as you walk in, you’ll see this is a pub for the ages and there aren’t many like them around any more. But it’s incredibly popular all through the week and deservedly so. The Old Red Lion is undeniably an old fashioned boozer where you can happily spend an evening getting sloshed. The crowd spans the cradle to the grave, as well as city boy to actor type. Things get a bit more exciting during sporting events when plenty of TVs dotted around make for a tense and electric time. The beer garden is fine and, of course, will become any smoker’s second home whatever the weather. The tables and chairs that sprawl out onto the street make this pub feel a part of the fabric of Islington.

The Drink
Leffe on tap, Old Speckled hen – in terms of ales, the works really. A nice, varied selection of ciders and a few lagers top it up at that end of the scale. As far as wines go, you won’t find a huge selection, but then you’d be mad to expect it from a place like The Old Red Lion.

The Last Word
Pen a play, get it shown and down some pints while your literary career goes up in flames. The mixed crowd and Withnail-like setting will, guaranteed, have you coming back for more.
The Old Red Lion has been reviewed by 5 users

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