BITE user comments - adamtoll919
Comments by adamtoll919
I posted a comment about a year ago which was very positve about the Black Lion, great location, beautiful pub and the food is very good.
The pub itself remains a really nice place to sit in and enjoy a pint, unfortunately its obtaining the pint which is proving to be a problem lately. As Luongo mentioned in a previous post the staff are really poorly trained. Expect very long waits and generally poor service. The staff are constantly consulting each other over the ingredients of the simplest drink or cocktail. I ordered 4 Bloody Marys on a hangover and the wait was well over 20 minutes, they didnt have all the ingredients (no worcester sauce, crucial) and the there wasnt even a hint of an apology or a 'sorry to keep you waiting' really infuriating. Also they NEVER have more than one or 2 beers/ales actually in stock so your choice is generally very limited.
This place is also very expensive, you can just about handle this if the service was up to scratch but it isnt.
i will be changing my local to another pub which is a real shame as this building deserves better. I write this with a tear in my eye. Im practically sobbing.
3 Oct 2011 14:21
Definitely the best pub in the area (Cricklewood). Really nice interior with open fire. Purists will bemoan the sofas and fancy chairs but it looks good and the outside area is a real winner. Such a plus in the spring/summer months. Staff seem very friendly and I really hope this place doesnt go under. I see the Wetherspoons across the road selling pints for �1.80 and I do weonder if this place will get enough custom.
One complaint would be the menu, but its not that bad just not a great deal of choice. But then its a drinking pub more than an eating pub. if you want that then get down to the Black Lion or London Tavern.
14 Feb 2011 16:17
Great pub, great character. Food was good if not exceptional.
14 Feb 2011 16:09
The Black Lion is a really great pub in my opinion. I have eaten here 3 times now and the food has been excellent every time. The staff are very friendly as well. I spilt an entire pint at one point during the meal and the bar staff replaced this free of charge. Excellent service, beautiful pub. Edges the London Tavern for me.
14 Feb 2011 16:06
I like this pub a lot. Its beautiful inside, service has always been good enough and lots of different beers to try. However, this pub is a winter pub, it has no garden whatsoever and this REALLY detracts from the place. As its summer now, there'snothing Id like more than to drop in on my way back from work but there is no garden here, or ANYWHERE down Green Lanes. Oh well, helps me save money.
15 Apr 2009 17:04
Went there this weekend after a very long walk from Houghton way and have never been more happy to get to a pub. The weather was amazing and so was the place. Very friendly staff and helpful staff. Some really nice ales and cider. Favourite being the Arundel ale. The food was absolutely perfect for what we wanted. Probably the best sandwich Ive ever had, anywhere. Can highly recommend the bacon and brie sarnie. Thought it was very reasonably priced but then I am used to London prices. All in all one of the best pubs Ive been to. 9/10. God I wish I was there now in the sun.
9 Jun 2008 13:07
This place is great! Was our favourite haunt when we went to Berlin earlier this year. Really friendly staff and nice atmosphere. Really quiet in the day if you want some brekkie or lunch and really buzzing in the evening.
hint - in the evening if you need a pick me up, go out of the bar and take a right, then another right straight away up some stairs. Looks intimidating but someone will greet you.
3 Jun 2008 15:12
This is a nice little bar tucked away from the usual Reading clientele. Its just off Friar street which is renowned for its drunken townies and �1.50 a pint Wetherspoon type places. This place seems to be in a different town let alone a different area and offers a bit of sanctuary. It is a very small place but in saying that you do always seem to get a seat. Its never too busy or too quiet, but just about right. Really nice atmosphere, kinda feel like you're in a friends front room, albeit a very, cool and trendy friends front room. They play excellent music which ranges from breakbeat to xen cuts style music. A definite must for those wanting to avoid the usual unpleasantness of the Friar Street hamptons. A few downsides are the beer, it only comes in bottles, no draughts, which i know for most is a big downside. As with all places that only sell bottles, its expensive for what you're getting. Also, in my opinion, it doesn't open late enough. I think it shuts at 11pm every night, normally the time I like to go there to get away from the hordes of Vicky Pollards. Saying that, if you fancy a beer from 7 til 11 and I don't mind paying a bit more its absolutely perfect. Staff are always friendly too. and happy to chat, especially about the music playing at the time. One of Readings few plus points as far as bars/pubs go. Another one being Cafe Iguana, although that gets very very crowded and busy later on. Woah!
3 Jun 2008 14:42
The North London Tavern, Kilburn
This is a great pub with one of the best selections of ales I've seen in a pub in London. Very efficient staff and very friendly too. The food is good and reasonable cost for a gastro. Its a real shame the owners of the Black Lion dont take a few tips from this place. Service is awful there and one very poor ale on offer. Always choose this place over the Black lion.
18 Dec 2012 11:22