please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Run of the mill Taylor Walker Pub. I was running ouy of options for food so i ventured in here. Food was OK. Not a good selection of beers, Greene King and Fullers London Pride. I tried a Camerons Strongarm £3.55, again it was ok nothing special.
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Pretty central pub not far from Shambles, cosy, country feel, with stained wood floors, a large wooden bar and pictures of old York on the walls. One of the best selections of real ale in the city. Beer tried was OK, and Food was usual pub menu and served quickly. No complaints. TVs showing sport events means the place can get very busy and a bit noisy.
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Popped in on a quiet Sunday evening for food. Pretty quiet - one large room - a refurbished chain pub like many others. Good range of 5 real ales on and the Yorkshire Sparkle pale ale has gone down well.
Food average Taylor Walker chain fare. Only one staff on so had to wait to see if she could satisfy my apparently unusual request for horse-radish sauce to go with roast beef instead of ketchup or vinegar ..., though I did get a large portion of it after a while.
Music to taste of bar staff and maybe intended clientele half my age, who aren't in here this evening.
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Went in on Saturday Night having watched Aldershot play at York .Had a few ales on i had a York pale nice pint at a good price
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The 5th Earl below appears to echo my feelings about this pub when I visited for a very brief drop-in pint around opening time on Sunday. Whilst on paper there is nothing WRONG with it as such, it did feel curiously by-numbers, and in its conservative conformity to the rather predictable Taylor Walker template, I felt it probably had had any residual character drained from it.
On the plus side, there were 4 cask ales on offer, and whilst Copper Dragon Golden Pippin was the most adventurous available, it was certainly kept properly. Service was a little sullen but affable enough - got the impression the young staff members were struggling a little to perform after what had undoubtedly been a strenuous Saturday night!
I wasn't in the market for grub but I expect the pub meals offered might have been passable. There was a TV and plenty of seating. I imagine when found in a busier state the clientele may be varied and a little more background noise may raise some semblance of atmos. But from what little I saw, the Golden Lion failed to make a lasting impression, and when one considers the strength of many of its counterparts, it is up against it.
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Anyone know the name of the band playing in the 24th Feb? They were excellent
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I wanted to like this pub � I really did, but something is just not right. It�s a one-room pub, the television was not intrusive and the there was background music playing, but there was definitely something utterly intangible about the place.
The beer wasn�t bad, but not great. On offer were Theakston �Old Peculier�, Greene King�s awful �I.P.A.�, �York Guzzler� from The York Brewery, Castle Rock �Harvest Pale� and Maxim Brewery�s �Delilah�, which at �3.19 had me pulling my hair out!
Very disappointing, with the most expensive beer that I bought over the entire four day sojourn. 4/10.
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Sadly last visit will be the last tables full of dirty plates..beer not very good ..kids all overthe place..only 1 person doing everything..shame used to be a good pub.
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My hero may, sadly, have departed BITE�s shores, but, worry not, I�m still around. Better not make separate references to a particular gardening implement and a certain black playing card suit in the same breath within MountainMan's earshot, otherwise he'll probably label you a racist!
Hon President
John Bonser Fan Club
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Mr Bonser, it is with regret that I see you probably won't respond to this comment as I note that you have thrown your teddy out of the pram and left this site due to the "abuse" you cite in relation to the reviews on this site.
I was more than likely in the Golden Lion on the day of your visit, yes. I still fail to see how you can have the audacity to complain about reservations ? In this respect, I stand by my motion that your tirade was indeed "pompous and less than acurate".
At the risk of repeating myself I will refrain sir, from calling you a fool - perhaps the term "cretin" would be more apt ?
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Mr Mountain Man is of course correct about the location of this pub - and I am happy to stand corrected on this point.
In all other respects, I am happy to stand by the factual accuracy of my review. Mr Mountain, were you in the pub when I visited ?
You can form your own view as to whether my review is indeed a " pompous and less than accurate tirade" or indeed, whether there is a "racist undertone".
Mr Mountain - you, sir are the fool, not I.
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Good range of beers and good service. Music was a bit loud.
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JohnBonser. Before you embark on a somewhat pompous and less than accurate tirade next time you review an establishment, perhaps you would be good enough to check your facts.
1) "Stonegate" is not one of York's busiest thoroughfares. Far from it. It is a footstreet. Perhaps next time you would like to investigate Gillygate, Fawcett Street, Piccadilly, George Hudson Street or Blosson Street.
2) There is no establishment trading under the name of "The Golden Lion" in Stonegate, Nor has there been in living memory. Either you are describing the venue in Church Street of that name, or you are confusing the venue with "Ye Olde Starre Inne".
3) What don't you understand about reserved seating ? I think on that point you are clutching at straws; reservations are exactly that - if you make a booking then you expect a table / area to be set aside. Hardly grounds for criticism surely ?
4) What is your point about the entrance of the international fraternity ? Are you looking for a cheap laugh at your racist undertone ?
You sir, are a fool.
The Golden Lion is a welcoming and pleasant venue for a drink whatever the time and occasion; it's not the pub it once was; but you could do a lot worse in the city centre of York.
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Went in one weekday evening last week. Looking forward to a good pint and good selection. Came out dissapointed. Beer poor quality and poor temperature. Tried 2 different and both as bad. Seem to have a tang aftertaste.
Better beer at other pubs within a short walk.
Looks like a food pub.
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Situated in Stonegate, one of York's busiest thoroughfares, is The Golden Lion.
Outside the pub, an information board tells us that the pub was first licensed to sell ale in 1771. It had a spell when it was named "The Nineteenth Hundred", but, following a refit in 1983, the pub was renamed The Golden Lion.
Inside is a rather standard open plan chain pub interior, with little of specific note. The pub is in the Punch Taverns portfolio.
On my recent June lunchtime visit, upon ordering my pint from the bar, I was told, admittedly in a reasonably polite and friendly manner, that I could not sit at any of the tables marked as "reserved" and where cutlery had been laid out. It transpired that this was effectively 95% of the pub and that drinkers such as myself were effectively banished to several tall tables and chairs by the front windows.
I should have been a bit quicker on the uptake when several serving staff started bringing out cold salad starters to all the reserved tables, but, at 12.15 on the dot, in walked a group of around 60-70 foreign tourists. In true tourist fashion, they seemed to spend an eternity deciding who was going to sit next to who and where, and then spent a further period of time taking pictures of each other standing up, sitting down, holding a beer glass, not holding a beer glass etc. It all seemed quite comical at the time.
Beers on included beers from Northumberland, Abbeydale and 3 Wentworth beers, of which the HPA - � 2.94p - was a surprisingly good pint.
A rather large buxom lady - who I presumed was the duty manageress - was wearing a black T shirt with the words " Do you love my pub ?" on the front and kept walking past bringing food to the masses, who were now all finally settled and sat down. I resisted the temptation to provide her with my answer to that question
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Popped in with the family and had an excellent pint of Northumberland Ales Fog on the Tyne from excellent range available. Maybe we caught it on a bad afternoon; no doubt pub usually very busy given it's prominence and location, but tables and surroundings were scruffy with spilt food and uncollected plates and glasses. We therefore did not eat as intended and headed elsewhere - shame really.
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Called in with friends during a quiet afternoon, and found some seasonal beers alongside the Wentworth ales. Ordered Brains Party Popper and Traditional Scottish Ales Silver Mist and was asked for �2,84. When she took my money to the till, the barmaid had to come back to ask for another 7p. She didn't know why it had gone up, but I bet Mr Darling knows! Doesn't take long for the tills to put the VAT back up. Also had Theakstons Old Peculier at �1.41 for half of 5.6% ale. Not bad.
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Popped in again to see what was on. Per usual, 9 real ale pulls and being Christmas, most ale's were of the seasonal variety. Had a good Wentworths Snowman's Revenge. I have always found the ales to be well kept here. Of course, the place can get very crowded given its locale, but the waitstaff has always been professional when I've been there. Worth a stop in for a few!!
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This pub seems to have gone over to selling just Wentworth beers, or perhaps more accurately, mostly. There is a younger, slightly more raucous atmosphere in here, but not any problems as far as we could see. A pub before the clubs perhaps. Open and a little sparce in furniture. Reasonable and the beer is acceptable.
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Clean City centre pub with a good choice of Real Ales.
Decor perhaps a little dull.
Very nice pint of Timothy Taylor Landlord.
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Nice Character pub with a choice of 6 real ales. Tried the John Smiths which was good.
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Typical T&J Bernards pub mainly catering for the masses of tourists that throng the streets round here. Called in on Friday to find a nice peaceful pub with candles on the tables. Good selection of real ales, if not particularly inventive, on the bar and a genial atmosphere. Called in again on Saturday to find a total madhouse with hardly anywhere to stand nevermind sit. This is an OK pub most of the time. Keep the unadventurous tourists here and stop them finding the better pubs not very far away.
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Busy pub in the city centre. Very popular place to eat & an excellent choice of about 9 real ales which are rotated on a regular basis. Morrisey Fox Mulled Ale & Wychwood Winter Troll were very good. Worth a visit.
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Busy city centre pub with open plan layout. Beers available during my visit were from Wentworth (WPA, Oatmeal Stout & Black Zac) as well as Wobbler from the York brewery. A bit too touristy for my liking. Although plenty of bar staff.
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This pub used to be one of the best in town, but has let itself down in more recent years owing to the slightly skanky toilets and the removal of the juke box. It seems to gear more to food these days, but even that is run of the mill bar fodder. On the plus side, it does have a good range of real ales, and is one of the few pubs in the city centre to stock Old Peculiar.
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Enjoyed a couple of Wentworth beers on our visit this time. Was busy with food and this has to be a good sign of its popularity.
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Very busy on an evening, plenty of seating and quite food orientated. Friendly bar staff, nice city centre pub.
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Excellent bar and waiting staff help to make this one of York's best pubs. The beer, including immaculate Old Peculier, is always in good condition. The bar food is variable -- we had an undercooked (and potentially dangerous Chicken Kiev) but there were no arguments about refunds and free drinks. The jacket potatoes and nachos are probably the best bet. There are two flat-screen TVs which can show ITV football matches. We don't live in York --- but will be back here on our next visit.
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Having Aussie themed things in here seems appropriate, it seems amongst the last hold outs of the all Aussie staffed pubs in these new Polish times...
We eat here often as the Wednesday night live music is usually worth staying for afterwards, and the beer is very good.
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Decent pub with a respectable range of real ales. Food was okay.
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The Golden Lion is having a Australian Beer festival apparently from 25th till the 28th of January, with great beers, and oz themed foods...
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A very busy city pub serving good ales from York brewery plus guest beers. It does have a no smoking area which I appreciated.
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Good pub with great range (9) of real ales to choose from. Pub lay out is wide open so you have plenty of room to relax and have your fill of good ale's without being bothered by any punters. Good & knowledgeable staff but the bathroom was something to be desired. Dunno what happened from one visit to the next, but the bathroom was definitely a downer to an otherwise good pub.
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this place is great, first time i've been in since the rufurbishment and the place looks fanastic, the beers are stil in the same excellent quality and in the same place(my belly) the bar is the same really, just looks less worn out. brighter and with a chilled out atmosphere. they're recent inclusio intothe good beer guide is well deserved...
anonymous - 22 Nov 2006 19:50 |
Good range of beers and well kept. The food was pretty good as well. Very busy on a Saturday night.
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I have NEVER found this place while sober...It's one of those we always stumble across halfway through a pub crawl, but I've never had a bad night there.
A great bar for watching the footie, it's spacious and there's plenty of seats.
It's tatty, worn and old-school, but I wouldn't want to change it, there's plenty other sterilised bars around York.
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I recently visited for the first time, in a long while after seeing in the local paper that it was now in the good beer guide. Has changed inside since my last visited, and I understand that they are having another refurbishment soon. Hope they don't change too much, as there was a nice welcoming feel to the place.
Had a couple of good beers from their selection.
would definately recommend
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This place now has live music on three nights a week!! Monday they do a pretty good open mike night, plenty of variety, not the same old rubbish.
Wednesday there is a regular act who is really good, a singer song writer who does her own songs and covers.
Also, last couple of friday nights there have been random guests on, individuals and small bands,
Good music, loads of different ales, no wonder i've been in 4 times in the last week!!
anonymous - 29 Aug 2006 14:50 |
a great pub for ale lovers, featuring 9 cask ales from a good smattering of yorkshire breweries aswell as stuff from further afield. whe i went the staff were friendly and genuine. none of that fake smile rubbish. i would definately reccomend it to others
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Still busy enough, but has that certain smell which means it's either closing down or is in urgent need of a re-furb. Tatty.
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Initially I was worried by this pub, as it looked to be one of those average run down joints with the stereotypical poor food. However, although the service was slow, it was friendly, and the table tiding away leaved a lot to be desired, I had some staggeringly good food in here - So would defintely recommend
TheGP - 20 Dec 2005 18:22 |
Good beer, good staff & good food. A real pub in the city centre that always has a good smattering of punters in the place. Nice one :)
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7 real ales on tap including a lovely pint of Daleside 4.1% and �2.15 a pint will be going back there.
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A really nice city centre pub, that is popular, pleasantly busy at all the right times, does nice beers and buts on live music. What more can I say, rarely quiet, and not as traditional inside as the outside might suggest, but still a really great pub to call in.
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Not so much a review...but a chance to tell you about the next SUPER event at the Golden Lion!!!
Aesthetica is a literary and arts magazine that is independent, self-funded, and not-for-profit. We believe in creativity, equality, and diversity. We promote arts for all!
Aesthetica Magazine would like to present the launch of Issue Seven.
There will be free music and poetry event to celebrate!
Acts include:Dust Bowl Central (acoustic duo, Customer 1000 (acoustic duo), Tom Euesden, Just Jon, Chris Crotty, Marck Whylie, James Appleyard, Patrick Smith, Dave Gough, Penny Broadhurst and many many more!
Tuesday, October 5th, 7:30p.m.
Cherie Federico - 27 Sep 2004 11:16 |
