please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Nice old pub that welcomes dogs but bars children! The inside is rather dark, but we enjoyed our beer and some very tasty (if slightly pretentious) lunches.
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Back to it's position of no 1 pub in St Albans.
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Another classic pub in St Albans. How spoilt they are!
Two rooms and I always seem to pick the one where the action isn't.
Tonight, I missed out on joining the Hertfordshire Whisky Tasting society!
Made do with an excellent Paradigm Win Win.
Visit blogged at http://bit.ly/2tMDBNJ
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An excellent pub with a good selection of beers.
I was the only customer there and got served immediately. The barman then disappeared and shortly after, a couple came in and waited at the bar. After about five minutes with no sign of the barman, they walked out. This was about 3pm.
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Now seems to be absolutely back on form. Cosy, friendly pub with good food and excellent beer from local breweries. My pint of 3 Brewers mild was superb. Ticks every box and back to being one of St Alban's finest drinking establishments.
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Excellent traditional old pub serving 6 real ales, including local brews. Most of the tables were taken by diners, however, which gives the place more of a restaurant feel. The food looked and smelled good, e.g. slow-cooked venison with red cabbage for £11.50. Definitely worth a visit, and in the attractive old part of town near the abbey.
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Fishpool Street has to be one of my favourite streets for a pub crawl in the country and the Lower Red Lion is a key part of it even if the 'front room' nature of the atmosphere deters one from singing ditties like 'Luton 'til I die'. Dark Star Hophead was as good as always while Tring Brewery's Redshank was also great and the beam, both horizontal and vertical, are pleasingly gnarled.
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Still a good pub, but nowhere near as good as it was 10 or so years ago when we first used to go here. Quite where they get off on charging £3.60 for a 3.5% beer I'm not sure.
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My favourite pub in SA. On the way to St Michael's village (also worth a visit due to The Six Bells). Definitely has more a villagey feel to it. Bar and Lounge with an open bar area in between. 5-6 decent ales. Not staffed by the typical 18 year olds who are more interested in the phones. Top pub
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it was good to see the garden full for the 1 day beer festival and a great hog roast ,a dozen beers and ciders on offer. a nice clean pub back now with proper management fills a gap between upper town and st.micheals at the lower end.
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JHB and Three Brewers on excellent form. Is improving now that David is back in charge. One of the barmaids has very good posture!
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Outstanding selection of lovely beers on, 2x Oakhams JHB & Inferno also Tribute & Blue Monkey BG Sips & another I forget. Just round the corner from the Cathedral.
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2 bars 6 casks and 2 cask ciders. Pub with considerable charm and character, though heavily given over to eating so it feels too much like a restaurant on my January 2012 Sunday lunchtime visit. There is space and a warm welcome just for drinkers, so that's fine, though you'll drink to the sound and smell of eating. Lovely big fireplace in the Ver bar, and a second room has been exposed to make a large space leaving exposed black painted oak beams. I like this place, and the service was very friendly and helpful, even if we did get our halves and pints mixed up.
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Good selection of beers and a nice atmosphere. We should have stayed here instead of venturing further into St Michaels!
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Never seems to have any atmosphere, and the beer quality is hit and miss. Earlier in the year I sat in the garden and had an excellent pint. Today, the beer tasted as if it had seen better days - and the pub and garden looked the same way.
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Still maintaining a high standard with a good range of often unusaul ales (XT on my last visit). Still prefer it to the Six Bells.
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RED! Very Red. If you don't like red decor, leave now. Otherwise, had a local brewery on tab (XT). Not many in despite seperate dinning to bar area. Six bells is better but I think this is worth a visit purely to try something different. I quite liked the red decor though.
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Excellent pub. Roaring fire on the go when we visited on a Saturday afternoon and a good range of ale. Bar staff were very friendly and welcoming.
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Great pub this one. The beer selection was fantastic and they even had a Perry on tap which was lovely. Word of warning though, if you enter via the right you might think the pump clips at the bar are the beers on offer (which would suffice) but check out the ones over the other side (you can see them from where you are).
Been a few times, always found the staff and clientele very friendly, love it.
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Boring pub. full of drunk old men who have naff all else to do but sit at he bar and leer at you as you walk in. no atmosphere whatsoever, although the barmaids are very pretty, landlord must have chosen them well. food is alright, but avoid the chips. overcooked and taste like wood chippings.
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Spent a very nice evening in hear on Friday night, friendly staff and locals, good choice of beer and nice traditional interior. Used to be rated very highly on this forum (in the top ten best pubs) - should be again.
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The nicest pub in St Albans and it's cheaper than the Six Bells.
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Not in the new GBG - shocking. CAMRA really do seem to have it in for this pub. If it closes I shall put a Fatwah on the heads of the local branch.
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Oddly, although the local CAMRA branch has been trying for several years to close this place down, Roger Protz regards it as one of the top 25 pubs in the UK and presumably he belongs to the local branch. If you're reading this Roger, please explain.
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Pub No. 4
Excellent pub
Excellent beer
Good service
Highly recommended: 9/10
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Well said Baxter. I can confirm that certain elements of the St Albans CAMRA do indeed have a vendetta against this pub and would hapily see it close when they should be helping to restore it's former National Treasure status. This is still a great pub and should be in the GBG.
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On the face of it this is the perfect pub - lovely, cosy old building with an excellent range of reasonably- priced( �3.10 ) real ales, a real perry, an American Craft beer and the barmaid was very welcoming. It does, however, lack one vital ingredient - customers! This is apparently due to an ongoing childish vendetta waged by the local CAMRA branch and certain previous regulars based on the behaviour of a PREVIOUS landlord. I was personally put off a year or so ago by the high beer prices, but these have now been reduced to a reasonable level, so I will be coming back on a regular basis.I travel from Southampton a couple of times a month and this pub has always been a favorite. I understand that the former regulars have deserted to the Six Bells (nice pub but has a smaller range of beer at higher prices) and the Blacksmiths Arms ( excellent beer but hardly atmospheric). The Lower Red is better on the whole than both these pubs and deserves to survive. As a CAMRA member, I am especially disgusted by the local branch who should concern themselves with beer choice and quality and not any squabbles they may have had with the landlord, past or present. If this pub does not make it into the forthcoming GBG, then the St Albans CAMRA branch need to have a long hard think about what they actually stand for - would they really be happy for this wonderful Free House to close?
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Having read the comments left by others I thought I'd add my own comments. As the current landlord of the Lower Red I'm always keen to get feedback good and bad so that I can try to improve the pub to the benefit of all. The comment posted by Normalperson is of concern, but for the record I was not present on that evening as my youngest daughter had been taken into hospital, if I had been there the situation would not have arisen, however I can not put right the experience, but have been trying to identify the culprits. Thanks for the support Pubgirl.
Ringhome, your comments are of course your own opinion, but the support of CAMRA has not been present since the departure of Kevin, other that a few regulars who have suck by the pub. The pub has had 2 managers since Kevin not the procession that you have presumed. As to treating the pub as a cash cow, ha ha, the pub was left with hardly any customers and a tarnished reputation, it has taken a lot of time and money to keep the pub going in a time when many great establishments are going to the wall.
Thank you however for the praise ref Fish & Chips and beer. The Children are the children of the regular customers that have continued to support the pub through the roughest of times, and without the patronage of their parents there would not be a Lower Red Lion to leave comments for.
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The travails of The Lower Red are enoughto break your heart. The pub was once a true gem of national note. It was managed by people who cared about the business and took pride in the reputation. One bar was CAMRA beards, the other locals of all generations.
That all drifted away over the years and every time it looks like it is moving forward it falls back again. Manager after manager has come and gone, some better than others. This pub needs a long lease to a tenant who is left alone to build it back up again, not be treated as a cash cow.
The beer is fine, the friday fish and chips great, and even the replacement of beards by haords of children might be progress to some. However, because of its decline it just isn't a welcoming place to be. Please somebody buy it and make it better again!
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Obviously all experiences are very personal and I cannot account for the previous post. What I can say is that I live next door but one to the Lower Red and whilst I would not describe myself as a regular I do go in there and everytime everyone is extremely friendly. I do know the mature group at the bar from another pub in St Albans and they are as lovely as can be. I know that they would be as they know me but I felt on reading the last review that I ought to defend this place. Friday nights have a lovely and buzzing atmosphere and the fish and chips which is what they do on a Friday looks delicious.
My other half loves the JHB and I think that the wine list is exemplerary and the glasses are not the usual pub types. All in all I would say that the fortunes of this place are going up and good luck to them they have worked very hard to achieve this. I am not biased either living so close by as some may think as my best friend owns another local pub and I tend to go there more as I get to see her as well.
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Obviously all experiences are very personal and I cannot account from the previous post. What I can say is that I live next door but one to the Lower Dead and whilst I would not describe myself as a regular I do go in there and everytime everyone is extremely friendly. I do know the mature group at the bar from another pub in St Albans and they are as lovely as can be. I know that they would be as they know me but I felt on reading the last review that I ought to defend this place. Friday nights have a lovely and buzzing atmosphere and the fish and chips which is what they do on a Friday looks delicious.
My other half loves the JHB and I think that the wine list is exemplerary and the glasses are not the usual pub types. All in all I would say that the fortunes of this place are going up and good luck to them they have worked very hard to achieve this. I am not biased either living so close by as some may think as my best friend owns another local pub and I tend to go there more as I get to see her as well.
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This pub purports to be a nice beamed cottagy place with open fires. Inside you will find an aged crowd of extremely drunk obnoxious and very loud clique of old men at the bar, insulting customers as they come through the door. One of these may even be the landlord. A truly ghastly experience. Avoid.
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In there with five others on Friday for beer and fish 'n' chips. Absolutely superb food and excellent service from pleasant staff. On top of that the usual wide selection of well kept quality ales, and not too crowded. Still one of the top few in Stalbans.
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Dropped in a couple of days ago. The LRL continues to be solid and reliable, if not back to it's former "national treasure" status. Not to be missed on any beery night out in Snorbens.
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Probably the best of the 11 pubs sampled in St Albans yesterday. Located near to the cathedral in an old street, this two-roomed pub is also fairly characterful inside with exposed brickwork and plenty of dark wood and brasses. The beer range was Rebellion Red & Upswing, Sharps Doom Bar & Cornish Coaster and Oakham JHB. A further beer had just gone off. Westons Vintage Organic and Hecks Perry were on for those with a fruitier palate. A pub I would certainly return to when next in St Albans.
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As ever a good range of well kept beer available. Friendly lady behind the bar. My requested pint of JHB bitter coughed and spluttered whilst being pulled and was replaced by a pint drawn off from another barrel in the cellar That is good service. My beer and the Oxfordshire Ales Pheasant Bitter purchased were superb.I noticed a draught perry and a cider were available as well as several other microbrewed ales. As I left I made a mental note to come back (several times)
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Plenty of good beers to try and quite friendly
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The best pub in St Albans or my name's not Titarse Pokeferret III.
Needs character behind the bar, imagination when sourcing beer (yer a free house ffs) and someone to remove the smell of acetic acid from the dingy room in which they host their "beerfest". A quick JHB if it's raining, then on to more uplifting territory.
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My God, it was Saturday night and quite busy. The pub was full of various locals and some stag dos and loads of hot girls. We had possibly the most friendly and quick experience that you could expect in a pub of such an intimate nature. Look out for the hot barmaids that have tv shows, and that are just generally cool people to chat with. The beer was good too, lots of choice but I recommend the JHB.
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Came back for the beer fast, 20 or so beers to sample and only 1 day! No purple sprouting anywhere in sight, but a vast range of ales from all over the country, and all in good shape. My personal favorite was the Fat Cat Marmalade.
BBQ was good too, and as to Foghorn's comment the name is "Beer in the EVENING" and my comment was regarding the afternoon!
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The Bank Holiday beer fest was excellent, though sadly still not the thronging event it used to be. The barby amazingly had (good) options for veggies.
The Lower Red is definitely on the up again after the depredations wrought by the last tenant, I just hope it doesn't go bust before it regains it's former popularity.
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Beer is good, but I would avoid the left hand bar on Friday nights if you don't want to kick a toddler on your way to the bar. It is like a creche.
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F**k the sprouting broccoli... what's the 'kin beer like for chrissake???????????????????????????????????????????
In case you haven't noticed, this site is called BEERINTHEEVENING
not 'kin carrots in the afternoon.
I wish all you poncy foodies would get your own bloody site!
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I've read with interest the comments below. The Lower Red Lion has had it's problems in the past and the damage done by the last guy is having a lasting effect.
That said the pub is up and coming, beers are still varied, and ever changing, I also noticed 2 ciders on hand pump, 1 by Millwhites �Rum Cask� which although I only tried a sip as it was 7.5% was surprisingly good.
The Sunday lunch was as Chowhound says �Blinking heck the food was absolutly amazing� I couldn't agree more, I chose duck which was a full half duck presented with fresh purple spouting broccoli (from a local allotment), carrots and mediterranean vegetables, both new and roast potatoes, less that a tenner! My partner opted for the salmon which was obviously fresh. Add the decent Sauvignon Blanc well chilled it was a great afternoon, a perfect summer's afternoon sitting in the garden.
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I believe the Lower Red Lion was first dropped from CAMRA�s Good Beer Guide in 2009, when the pub was under different ownership. The present owners usually stock an ever-changing and interesting range of 5 or 6 real ales, as well as locally produced ciders. They�re currently advertising a beer festival to be held this coming bank holiday, 28th to 31st May.
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Another fine St Albans pub this, situated in the conservation area of the city close to the school and the cathedral. It's a 17th century coaching inn which still provides accommodation.
There's two comfortable bars either side of a central entrance featuring blackened beams, horse brasses, exposed brickwork and some old pictures of the pub in days long gone.
There's no music or TV's and a quiet traditional atmosphere.
On my recent Saturday afternoon visit, the pub was noticeably quiet compared with previous pubs visited earlier on in the day.
Beers on included Oakham JHB and 2 beers from Sharps.The JHB - � 2.80p - was in good form. This pub has not been in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide for several years now.
On the basis of my visit, I'd want to include this one in any St Albans crawl.
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Woah, steady! Some of the ales last night were definitely below par, and it was disappointing that on a busy quiz night there was only one person serving behind the bar. The quiz itself still hadn't started by 9.15, so we despaired and left. All a bit shambolic, I'm afraid.
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Came here for a Sunday lunch just passing by. Blinking heck the food was absolutly amazing. I have spent more than double that for the same quality. The wine was fine no problems and the ale my partner drunk was first class. We shall be back to this pub regulary.
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The Lower Red Lion used to be THE real ale pub in St Albans but went through a slightly tricky period which has now thankfully passed. The pub is now looking spruce and the great range of ales are in tip top nick. We had been travelling some way out of town for a roastie on a Sunday as finding one in St A which was in a place which wasnt either over priced or packed out was a nightmare. Look no further the roast dinner in the Lwr Red is up there with the very best in the area. Well presented and very reasonable. With the spring thinking about spinging and the garden looking in great shape lets hope a great mixture of folk come and enjoy this pearl of tradition public houses in St Albans.
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This did seem very quiet at the tail end of the Saturday evening on which we visited, I must say. Another two-room affair either side of a central bar, this is a spacious pub which perhaps exacerbate quietness. Quite a number of ales available, including some microbrews: I forgot to note what we had but think it was pretty good.
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yes the lower red is quiet now and then - why? because people are like lemmings and if one person goes they all go. as well as that camra (who slated the previous landlord yet he now holds a senior position on the board) have for some reason taken them out the real ale guide. considering the dross of pubs that they put in that guide to exclude the lrl is as absurd .. it still has a fine selection of ales (possibly the best in st albans) so why? perhaps a senior camra member would like to comment on this? in any event for all the criticism (it's too quiet?) the place is starting to pick up , with a new younger crowd of locals from fishpool st and other local streets . nice people and a good mixture too with a few of the loyal older locals in the mix . neil is cooking excellent fish and chips on a friday (proving very popular) - food is going to go on monday to thursday . there are good times to be had there, the staff a friendly and they are making an effort to give the customers what they want.. like any new business ( i say new as they started from a low base the previous tenants departed) it will take years not months before things get totally back to normal. - if it's quiet when you go in come back again and it might be busier - it's an important and iconic pub - thats why there are so many passionate comments on here . will the defectors come back ?- who cares - they will soon be superfluous to what should be a thriving business over the coming years.
lyrec - 21 Jan 2010 15:23 |
Still painfully quiet - we were the only customers. Why do the locals dislike it SO much, and why is the Six Bells SO much more preferable? I have happy memories of the pub and want it to stay open.
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A great pub to visit in the winter and sit by the fire. Good beer, I like this place
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had sunday lunch here today for the second time it was great so tasty i had turkey my brother had the beef its a shame we were thr only people in there till some guy came in i would say if you want a very good meal come i will again
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came here awhile ago for sunday dinner they just started to do it the landlord said it was very good then i heard they had stopped doing roasts on a sunday now i hear they are doing them again so may be going there on sunday let you know
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Quite like the fact that it is sometimes quiet - I don't go for the nightlife, if I did I would be a the Boot. And I wouldn't say it was expensive either; Whippet for �3, JHB less than �3 sounds about right to me.
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I agree with the other comments, excellent quality ale but so deadly quiet it is impossible to have a private conversation!
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Seems to be improving with quite a few customers on the last visit. Drinks still expensive, however.
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Interesting to see TWG's comments below - I had a similar experience in there myself when I visted a couple of months back. The pub is a tradtional two-room/two-bar affair with dark timber pannelling and 6 ales (Doombar, Cotleigh, Harveys Best, Oakham JHB, Querus and Springhead) plus a real cider in very good condition.
Sadly, we were the only punters in there - bad news for a Sunday lunchtime! Where is everyone? Place was like a morgue. The basics are all there - clearly something has gone awry as in almost any other town there'd be plenty of customers on a Sunday afternoon. Why not here?
If you like your beer, it's well-worth the visit but you may need to bring to your own atmosphere.
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I was intrigued to read about the ups and downs of this place since the turnover of tenants began. I was last here in September 2007 and found it to be nothing less than an excellent, down-to-earth yet characterful ale house, in a charming location and, crucially, with plenty of custom.
I am bound to say that I found quite a few of the positives still intact - the LRL clearly still occupies a berth in the town's Top 3 pubs for cask ale, both in breadth of choice and quality of conditioning. A superb selection of about 5 or 6 were on, 3 of which I'd seen nowhere else save for festivals. The JHB demanded a second pint, and despite being on a crawl that aimed to take in an ambitious 12 outlets, the lot of us felt 2 or 3 drinks at this place was merited. I should also make mention of the lady behind the bar, who was unassuming but very pleasant.
But evidently, something had gone wrong. Something crucial to developing a pub's atmosphere to its greatest potential regardless of how many and how good the beers are, how efficient the service is, how pretty the building is etc, was missing: yes, customers!! Dear oh dear. It was a Saturday lunchtime and yet only a handful of punters had emerged - mostly to eat in the garden which I believe has recently been opened up (incidentally the grub appeared to be reasonable although not out of the ordinary). The pub itself was pretty dead, which tells me that not all is well here anymore.
This is undeniably a shame, but given the wealth of positives I found still to be in place, not an irredeemable situation. All it needs is a steady hand on the tiller from someone who can embed themselves in the business of running this excellent local facilitym and hopefully, whoever is currently in charge is that person. When I next go in which could be a year from now, I expect I'll find out.
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Visited on a Thursday afternoon, all was fairly quiet. Whilst I can't see it being restored to the real-ale Mecca of St Albans it once was, it certainly seems on the way up. Speaking to the owner [since 1983 apparently] she did comment on the state the place had been left in by Mary and Alan's successor, as mentioned by Soodlum below. I was pleased to drink a beer by Quercus, never having seen one outside of a CAMRA beer festival, and am trying to persuade my scooping acquaintances to give the Lower Red another chance. Maybe there will be an August Bank Holiday festival, didn't think to ask, and their website seems to have disappeared.
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Very disappointing. Hadn't been in for a while but went in last weekend only to find the place completely deserted. Found that the prices had increased significantly from last time we were here - probably why the place was empty & the choice of beer wasn't as good. Such a shame as it used to be so good.
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Has definitely improved since the new licensees took over in January. Now friendly, clean and welcoming, with excellent beer and a relaxed atmosphere. If it carries on like this, it will soon be back in the Good Beer Guide. 8/10
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Prejudices? Perhaps, but you only need to read the reviews here to see that a great many others would appear to have shared my prejudices. And, of course, under the previous management the LRL's BITE rating slid from more than 9/10 to 6/10. Whilst being in the majority does not prove that one is right, it's definitely not a good sign for a pub when people vote with their feet.
As to whether The Mermaid is going from strength to strength, dozysharp's opinion should be taken with a pinch of salt given that he/she was one of the few who actually liked the LRL when Fat George or whatever his name is was running the place into the ground. But it is of no moment to me, because I for one will certainly not be visiting The Mermaid while that crew is in charge.
And if we are going to get pedantic, there were once at least four Red Lions in St Albans (yes, all at the same time). The one opposite the top of George Street was the most recent to close.
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Actually there were two other red lions - the Great Red Lion and the Little Red Lion, which was why they had to be quite inventive with the name of this one!
Contrary to the prejudices of the previous poster, the Mermaid is going from strength to strength. Which is a good thing for the drinkers of St Albans.
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Dropped in yesterday lunchtime to find out whether the new tenant was showing any sign of restoring the Lower Red to it's former glory, and soon discovered that there is no new tenant! I already knew ('cos I asked him) that Dave Worcester had been unable to agree terms for the place, and it turns out that it's currently being directly managed by it's owner.
She has given the place a thorough clean and a lick of paint (even the brasses are sparkling) and hired some very polite, friendly bar staff (a welcome change from the hostile bunch favoured by the last tenant). There's "only" six ales and one cider on tap, but really, how many do you need? There was a Bank Holiday special ("Ffiagra") at �2-a-pint, and the Red Squirrel slipped down very nicely. There was also a BBQ, which we didn't sample. 10-out-of-10 for effort. The only thing missing was customers, so I would exhort anyone who, like me, was put off the Lower Red by the previous nasty regime to get down there again and help turn it back into the gem it once was!
The owner's views of the last tenant are pretty much the same as mine, and she is depressed at the damage caused to the reputation of this once-fine institution (not to mention the filthy state in which they apparently left the place). The cuplrits are now "running" The Mermaid (into the ground, probably). You have been warned!
Incidentally, there *was* an "upper" Red Lion (it was actually just "The Red Lion"). It was a big place right at the top of the hill on the site now occupied by the Zizzi's pizza joint.
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I cannot remember if I had ever been here before. The other evening I had met up with some friends who live nearby and we popped in here. It was very quiet and for a change I felt the youngest person in the pub rather than one of the oldest. Anyway the staff and customers were all very pleasant. But the highlight of this pub is the beers! There was quite a selection on tap, many from local breweries. I tried three and all were well kept � the Tring Brewery offering (sorry forget which one) being particularly pleasant.
This is a great pub and I will be back as soon as I can. Hopefully business will pick up a bit for the landlords as the current level of business (for a relatively large pub) must make it borderline in the current climate.
By the way - was there ever an Upper Red Lion?
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Puzzled by some of the comments below. Popped in twice recently and everything seemed fine. Beer was excellent and bar staff very friendly. Just wish I lived nearer. Still the best pub in town.
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You can certainly rely on the quality of the beer (and) cider. There is regularly a good cider on tap, and if you are driving (quite unusually) a nice ginger beer on tap. I was in again (after a bit of a gap) recently and had all of the above and a meal. Yes, it was quiet, but the quality is still there. The food is good home made stuff too, none of your frozen Makro crap. Hence - my good rating.
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The LRL seems to be on a state of shell-shock, but maybe it will recover. On Sunday afternoon it was very quiet. The old "library" of real-ale books was gone, and there was no longer any urgency to have 20 trillion beers on the pumps and then replace them all tomorrow. Instead there were 2 regular beers, JHB and London Pride (as before), plus 4 guests. Better still, the pub is now open all day and they serve lunches. Give it time and the LRL will be back on its feet. I'm no fan of this place but it is too good to lose, and I hope it survives.
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Turns out David Worcester didn't sign the lease. I don't know the new management.
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I was shocked to find this pub shut at 7pm yesterday (Sunday). It's been going downhill for quite a while, and the recent (temporary?) change of management appears to have had no effect so far. Well, tish and pish, there are loads of decent pubs in St Albans and if the LRL doesn't want to compete then too bad. If David does return then it will be a different story, but that hasn't happened yet.
anonymous - 12 Jan 2009 18:31 |
The best pub for beer selection out of the 8 pubs we visited that day. London Pride (yawn) and 5 interesting micros - we tried a nice pint of Tring Mansion Mild. Sat in the rather sparse part in the left bar so not much to write about, but amen to the beers.
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The missus went here at the request of some work colleagues recently and reports that things are no better than when we stopped visiting a couple of years ago. She was particularly struck by the filthiness of the glasses.
I am delighted to hear that it is changing hands, and will be even more delighted if it is true that the estimable Dave Worcester is returning. I shall give it a few weeks to settle down and then give it a try.
I read elsewhere that the current LRL management is taking over The Mermaid. If so, then it goes straight to the top of my list of Snorbens pubs to avoid (it's already a dump that smells like a toilet).
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Rumour is that David Worcester from the White Lion will be taking over (again!) in January 2009.
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7/10
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The present licencees leave at the start of December. No idea who the new ones will be, but it will be a hard act to follow the last two sets of lease holders.
If you want to say goodbye to Alan, Mary and Kevin, your last opportunity will be at the beer festival on the weekend of 30 November.
Good luck!
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A wonderful structure with a great tradition of good food and varied, well kept beer. It's not half the place it used to be - what a terrible shame to see such a venue heading South. Let's hope for a turnaround...
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I felt a bit guilty cos there was a man already on the opposite bar waiting to be served, but as soon as the large bar guy saw me, he came over and served me. He'd been talking to a mate about football, and since there were quite a few used glasses lying round the pub uncollected I felt that this pub is quite poorly run, or at least on my visit.
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Not in this years Good Beer Guide! Only a few weeks ago Roger Protz had an article in the Independant highlighting this pub as one of the best in the country but its not in the 2009 guide. Whatever your your arguments on this pub are I cannot accept that anyone thinks it is as good as it was.
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I was actually being sarcastic, but thanks for the thought!
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I forgot to add that I know it can be a cultural shock, especially moving from the North to the South. I myself found it difficult drinking in the North of the Country, there were cultural differences, the language was off putting at first but eventually after the help of two friendly locals, and with time, I found that I could communicate and thoroughly enjoy a new cultural experience...I hope you can too, it will just take time. Good Luck...
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matt_k, welcome back to snorbans,of course you are entitled to your own opinion....It is great that you are able to share with us your honest opinion of Southern drinking establishments. We may not share your opinions and like short heads on our pints but it would be nice if you were felt to made welcome...feel free to comment. By the way the LRL had a great beer fest, v enjoyable, some pints under �3 aswell!
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Sorry Magnus, but apparently you're quite wrong about that. I tried saying something similar myself a few months back, but I was immediatedly put right by my betters (see earlier comments). How silly I felt afterwards - fancy me thinking I have any right to my own opinion!
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Has to be the best pub in St Albans, nothing else comes close.
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Unfortunately this week the beer has been rubbish, apart from the JHB.
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On the last 3 occasions I visited this LRL (i.e. last week), the beer was excellent and only �2.60 a pint, and the pub was clean. Still one of the best pubs in St Albans.
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You have only got to look at the posts on here to see that this is/was a pub that people say good things about and has a loyal clientelle. But i, for one (or two), won't be going back until someone tells me the pub is someone else's hands and they at least make an effort to serve beer in a reasonable condition. A once great little pub has been turned into an unfriendly, grubby, dump.
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I stand corrected, "Captain".
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On the last three occasions I visited the LRL this year, this once busy and friendly pub was deserted, unwelcoming, and the beer was poor to undrinkable. I suppose I could have been very unlucky but some of the comments here make me think these weren't an unfortunate series of "one offs".
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'Matt K' appears to bear out the change that has taken place at the LRL recently. The Landlord is most certainly rude and abusive, as several contributors here have noted. The beer's no longer 'all that' either. There are better pubs in St Albans.
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For the record, no-one suggested otherwise regarding the licensees geographical origins! I was just making a facetious observation on the whining nature of some of the comments on here is all. Personally I like the place, there are far worse pubs in St A than this one.
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For the record, the Lower Red Lion is one of the cheapest pubs in St Albans, and the licencees are from Wolverhampton and Barnsley! What rubbish some folk post ....
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Oh I see, you're paying a bit more for your pint and yet you're being "made to feel uneasy"...[imagine some mournful violin music here]...
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Dear, dear, dear Matt_K old boy....this is St albans, don't you know, not some working mens club in Halifax, sources close to me advise you can still get a pint for under two quid in some pubs north of the watford gap....now that is worth putting up with rude landlords....in the Lower Red, pints there are near if not over the three pound mark and you're still made to feel uneasy....pah!
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Christ, you people are sensitive. You wouldn't last 5 minutes in a pub up North. One cutting comment from the bar staff and you'd be crying into your beer!
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Shame of shames, what used to be an amazing pub has changed incredibly for the worst. The Rude Landlord, expensive poor beer have made the place one to avoid which is a great pity. I shall be taking my dosh, time and patronage elesewhere..
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This place used to be a gem. Now the 'new' owner and his staff treat customers with disdain and rudeness. Even the beer's rubbish - too many off pints, which they refuse to change. This would never have happened under the previous ownership. Somebody on here says all the (many) bad reviews are people who have 'issues' with the landlord - too right! Rudeness and beer in poor condition are big issues for a pub in my book. If this was one of the chains, he'd have been sacked as soon as the customer numbers and revenues sank through the floor ...
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I couldn't agree more with the previous post. I was in there the same day and had very similar experience. It's all got a bit "cliquey" and I didn't feel very welcome at all. And when i questioned the condition of my pint...... Sad. So different to my visit to The Mermaid up the road. I'm giving it a 5, but it's living on past glories.
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There was a time when this was the only pub in St Albans a real Ale lover would go to, sadly this is no longer so. For some reason about 2 years ago the very personable current landlord started hiring bar staff who saw their role as confrontational in place of the excellent staff who preceeded them. I recall from previous visits that the 1st of these managed to annoy everyone who posted comments and has mercifully moved on - RIP, The current incumbent is even worse- he seems to think rudeness is an essentail part of the craft and couldnt do any better at showing no interest or enthusiasm for serving, which interupts his "yeah man" conversations with his student friends. I will not be going back until I hear of a change- even the normally wide range of ale has diminished. Kevin please sort this out
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Went in here last Friday night for the first time, I thought it was outstanding. I quaffed a couple of pints of a hefty porter called Lycanthrope, sat by the open fire...lovely. How refreshing to find a real, non-poncey pub in St A. (The evening was marred only by the gobshite student and her gobshite family blathering on about their pathetic lives loud enough to exclude every other conversation. But that's hardly the pub's fault.)
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The best selection of real ales in St Albans and priced very reasonably. Nothing like the Lwr Red in the winter with real fire in a proper pub. Its not always perfect in every respect but thats in many ways its charm. Its a real pub warts and all and alot of the complaints here are from people who seem to have some beef with the landlord. Unfriendly staff ??....were you friendly ? and the person who says they have been in 10 times in 2yrs and there was different staff? thats less than one visit every two months .. what do you expect them waiting for YOU?.
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I think the last post about price is unfair. The JHB for example is �2.50 a pint, whereas the price of a pint in the other decent St Albans pubs is 2.70 or 2.80 for a similar strength (Wetherspoons excepted of course). I can't comment on the price of lager or cider as I never drink it.
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Not the same pub anymore, the quality of the ales offered is highly variable, still some very good beers but also some poor ones. It seems to depend if Wolves are playing on a saturday. No more cellar runs after 7pm which is a shame as the best beers are down there.
Beer seems to be 10-20p more per pint than other pubs in the town and the atmosphere is slowly disappearing.
Absolute shame as this pub was the standard on how to operate a quality free house to suit all ages and tastes.
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Very quiet the last times I've been in. Had an absolutely rank pint of cider served by the rudest barman I've encountered in a while on the last occasion.
It's still a good pub but I'm worried.
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So nice to have a pub where a free buffet is provided on new years eve for the customers, rather than having to pay fifteen quid for the priviledge of getting in the door!
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Great beer, decent food, but if you're not a local forget about getting any decent service. I've been in probably ten times in two years, seen different bar staff each time and not once have any of the miserable bastards ever thanked me on the way out, despite taking glasses back each time - pig ignorance must be a company policy
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I hear this place doesn't even open for lunch during the week - its not long ago the place was bustling.
The previous posts were dead right the problem is the landlord. These days its pure luck if he gets back from the footbal in time to change the beers before they run out on a Saturday night.
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Excellent beer last Sunday (one Salamander, one Fernades), and a mystery beer with a prize for guessing the beer. The Sunday roast lamb and 10 veg was very good too.
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The last poster has it right when he says the issue is with the present landlord. He's got a poor attitude to customer service, from my own observation, and also it appears from other posters here. Nothing wrong with the clientele - but if you treat people badly they're unlikely to return. I reckon profits must be well down and price would have been governed by previous good business - I give it 12 months ...
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let's get a few things straight on the lrl - firstly if it's decent beer you want there is no better place in st albans and possibly the home counties. this place is a free house and can pick and choose what it brings in so if it's micro brewery real ale that is your passion do not hesitate in visiting.. the building is historic and imprortant with a large open fire . that's the good bits.
the problems started when the previous landlord "david" left. the pub was put in the hands of the "tickers" or real ale nuts (who cannot be described as mainstream society) and almost immediatly the eclectic mix of young and old , male and female from different social backgrounds was replaced by a majority of male unwashed middle aged creatures who would be more at home in an adaptation of the "hobbit" than a regular boozer. so in time the girls stopped coming in , the bar staff on the whole became as unattractive as the customers and regular folk have gone elsewhere. the present landlord is a nice chap but i think there is a conflict of interest with him owning the brewery. he pushes his own beers over champion beer faves to the people looking for a recommendation and in my opinion (not being a fan of alehouse) this dosen't seem right. so be warned if you don't know your beer!!!
anonymous - 15 Oct 2007 17:18 |
Anonymous - the Lower Red Lion is the Alehouse brewery tap ....
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Just to follow on from earlier, there were some magnificent ales - especially one or two from the Alehouse brewery laid on specially. Of particular interest were beers featuring lime and even chilli! Peter and I enjoyed these thoroughly and, contrary to the anonymous remark left earlier, I was one of many who drank Alehouse and Church End beers albeit not exclusively so.
Long may these festivals continue.
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Bl00dy great pub! - Went in there for the first time this monday on a day out to St Albans, very impressed with the range and quality of all the beers (as well as reasonable prices for the area - �2.40 for a pint of mild). I was also pleased to stumble across the end of the beer festival - which I am lead to believe happens on quite a regular basis... A classic interior and a lovely location - the garden looked nice too. All round a top notch pub, they don't come any better than this!
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It was a good festival, a few really good ales to be had.
Unfortunately the ever present
Alehouse
Bartrums
Church End
still manage to appear, I didn't see anyone buying any. I guess it all gets knocked out on the cheap on the Sunday or Monday when the good stuff has gone. When will they learn?
anonymous - 28 Aug 2007 14:26 |
Fantastic festival this weekend! Visited on Friday; excellent, relaxed atmosphere pervaded, late licence until 1am and a barbeque in operation until 11pm. Well done Kevin and the team - worth every penny of the train fare coming up to St Albans for this!
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To the previous post - Why do you keep going then? Sounds like personal issues with the landlord rather than anything of substance. I, along with the other posters who have nothing to hide (like their name), continue to enjoy this pub. If it's so bad, don't bother going back and leave it to those who appreciate it.
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my mate got served a very poor pint saturday,definetly going downhill.Ill stick to the White Lion thanks!
anonymous - 23 Jul 2007 19:21 |
Visited again on 17th July, and had a stonkingly good pint of JHB. The Brown Cow Liberty and Plenty was excellent too. I wonder what pint the previous poster had? If he complained about a pint of the Alehouse, I am not surprised the landlord and brewer were "offhand". The landlord has always given me a new pint if the beer is off.
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Served a VERY bad pint. Landlord VERY offhand and refused to change it. Would never have happened with the old team ... standards on the slide, and profits too, one supposes, as there are MUCH better pubs in St Albans
anonymous - 17 Jul 2007 10:50 |
I live in St Albans, and this is my pub of choice, despite the occasional "beer spotter". Excellent beer and friendly eccentric locals. Kevin the landlord runs the Alehouse Brewery and previously worked at the Church End Brewery, and all the staff are knowledgeable about beer. I suggest you try before you buy if you don't know the beer - for example Northumberland Brewery can brew sour iambic beer, which is not to everyone's taste, but is how the brewer intended it to taste.
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I concur with Ladnewton. Never had any problems here, with either beer or service. Didn't think it could get any better until I visited during the May's beer festival - absolutely brilliant. An almost perfect pub.
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Pete and I paid another timely visit to the LRL last Tuesday and enjoyed a fine alehouse stout alongside one or two other beers. We were not at all disappointed with the quality, and seem to have limitless luck insofar as each time we visit a pub that is reportedly so variable, we consistently enjoy quality ale!
My original rating remains unchanged
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There are some real issues with quality in this otherwise excellent pub. It's not been the same since the new team took over. I suspect their understanding of how to keep cask ale is simply not up to the job. But worst of all, if you do happen to take a pint back, they won't ever change it ...
anonymous - 9 May 2007 10:49 |
Lovely pub with friendly helpful bar staff and great selection of real ales, maybe 7/8(?) when I visited on Sat, but are they stocking too many without adequate through-pull? The two we sampled were not crystal clear and, while not quite rejectable, did not taste as clean as one might expect in what is obviously a beer haven. Sadly, I was a little disappointed this time.
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One of those pubs in which one feels at home as soon as one enters. There is something about a real fire that makes pub visits in Winter more enjoyable. The right-hand bar boasts two, although one of them is gas as is the one in the left-hand bar but their respective fireplaces are impressive. My impression is of a pub that exudes warmth (not just from the fires) and the beer choice (9) is excellent. A must.
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Been going there a few years now, and since last of the old management team left, quality has slipped a little.
Still a good pub but some weeks the selection is limited.
anonymous - 3 Feb 2007 18:32 |
I read the bad reviews below so I thought I'd have to go and see for myself. The pub is still superb, the beer was in excellent condition, 6 real ales and 1 real cider, the service was also first class. Still well worth a visit.
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Terrefic pub with real character. Oh, and 6 real ales. Worth searching out. 9/10
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The proof of the pudding is in the eating ... Bad beer, bad customer service, it all tots up. Let's hope things improve. The guy below is right in that the landlord is newish - pub sold 18 months ago if memory serves? Maybe he does need to think about retaining trade.
anonymous - 8 Dec 2006 17:19 |
The "New" landlord has now been at the LRL nearly two years and is also a professional brewer. So I would expect his judgement to be better than most. It must be said that the beer choice isn't as adventerous as before, with more established breweries featuring and well known ales appearing on the bar with more frequency. Would have thought that this would aid quality, considering some of the beers I've sampled from new breweries. There has been a period of further change recently with his business partner (also a partner in the "old" management) retiring. Hopefully things will settle down again over the coming weeks.
The prices have just gone up! The first time in 2 years for the JHB. Admittedly expensive by countrywide levels but cheap for St. Albans. Typically 30p pint cheaper than the other good beer pubs. Let's hope Santa brings us an improved LRL!
anonymous - 8 Dec 2006 15:17 |
I'm in reluctant agreement with the multiplying comments about the declining quality of the beer at the Lower Red Lion, and it's comething that's really quite saddening. When the pub was sold recently everyone was reassured things would continue as they always were, with the same high standards. But I was presented recently with a glass of fizzing vinegar that was as off as could be. As we all know, this can easily happen if the barrel seal is faulty in some way, and it is not necessarily an indictment of the publican's standards. Very politely, good humouredly, quietly and without rancour or complaint, its undrinkable condition was raised at the bar. The landlord was very defensive, said there was absolutely nothing wrong and refused point blank to change it. Another customer had exactly the same experience later. There are lots of other places to get fine ales in St Albans, and the new landlord's judgment fills me with sadness.
anonymous - 5 Dec 2006 14:31 |
I think the standards here have continued to slide (downwards) I see many of the old faces from here appearing at the White Lion. I can see why. The LRL beer selection is not as good as it was. Too many bad pints, admittedly changed upon request but the old team would not have allowed that to happen. Not as cheap as it was either, I fear something has been lost and its not likely to be got back.
I struggle to come up with a reason go here these days.
anonymous - 29 Nov 2006 15:39 |
As ever, there are some very interesting and tasty beers on at the moment. But the pub seems to have a new policy of only having one barperson on duty at any time; this can cause delays - Friday night, for example.
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Still one of the best pubs in SA, and well worth a visit. It does seem to attract more "beer spotters" than any other real ale pub I've been in though. Very odd.
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It does not come better than this!!!!!!!!!!
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what a carry on - i'm giving this place 10/10 for the beers, the landlord, and the other customers !! Constructive praise where it is due, looking forward to next beer festival August bank holiday
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this is the kind of boozer you'd travel for. suffice to say on a bright sunny lunchtime it was dark and deserted. this is talking my kinda language.... AND I'M ALSO FROM LONDON! Get me....walking on the wild side.
anonymous - 30 Jun 2006 11:40 |
enjoyed the dart board in here.. back in the days when i used to play darts
which london borough is Alton in tanderson7???
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i'm from london and i'd like to say i think this a charming little pub. proof that you don't have to be in the capital to get a good pint.
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last reviewer seems bit up herself
this is one of the best pubs in herts
quiet during day, gets well busy on a saturday night, full of people of all ages
anonymous - 29 Jun 2006 09:32 |
With disregard to the banal comments of earlier today. I was here at one of their "festival" nights last month and everyone (of all age-groups and all walks of life) seemed to get on.
Last time I rated the Lower Red I gave it a 10 last year, and think it deserves to keep that mark. And the "anonymous" people who aren't to keen on the pub can always drink somewhere else and leave the Lower Red to those of us who are.
Also I over-heard pub management at the Lower Red read our BITE comments and often act on them.
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Re: "old fart" comment - pretty ignorant. Just because a place is nice and traditional doesn't mean it is somehow out of bounds for the young. Some young people have taste.
anonymous - 27 Jun 2006 14:06 |
Found this place to be an extremly old fart type of place, the ale was ok thought
bevey - 27 Jun 2006 12:49 |
I am not in agreement with the anonymous reviewer of 08/06/2006. Visited the pub last night with a friend and found everyone behind the bar good-humoured, informed and wholly approachable. I am neither a local nor a regular, I live in London and visit the Lower Red Lion once a month to once every six weeks. I have never been made to feel other than welcome here.
The LRL remains one of those pubs that you leave in high spirits wishing there was a place like that nearer to you, and furthermore Kevin is to be commended on the excellent Alehouse brews available here amongst others.
Fully deserving of the 10/10 ratings it is attracting.
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I take more notice of the posters comments than the markings and I suspect most people do. Incidentally, I agree with the comments about good pubs in St Albans. Try the Holly Bush also in nearby Potters Crouch, a country pub owned by Fullers that is highly recommended - its within walking distance of central St Albans
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Stonch, Your comments are spot on. Yesterday morning the 15th person (me, as it happens!) voted for the Rose & Crown and it entered at number one. This morning no fewer that 32 "people" have suddenly voted for it, and it is nowhere in sight.
The comments on this site are always worth reading, but the marking system and Top 40 are pretty well discredited, thanks to the various "clowns" you mention voting pubs up or down without ever visiting them. Oh well.
Meanwhile I live just round the corner from the Lower Red Lion and can confirm that it's as good as ever.
anonymous - 20 Jun 2006 08:05 |
The pub I referred to below but failed to name is the Rose and Crown in Oxford by the way.
anonymous - 19 Jun 2006 21:58 |
Firstly can I say I love this pub - I visited it on the strength of reviews on this site and was not disappointed in the least. For me its a definite 10/10. However I think the reason it has fallen so far down the chart today is because the moderators have finally deleted all the ratings given to it by the same clown who kept trying to put the Kinh Stag in Bushey and other pubs in this area into the top ten. This one will rise again I am sure, though will be glad to see the back of the King bloody Stag...
I notice another great pub - and one I heartily commend to one and all - had its well deserved turn at the top today, but of course it has now been knocked down again.
To be fair to the moderators they always do act, though it did take rather a lot of time with the King Stag.
Anyway I hope we see some genuine 10s for the Lower Red as it deserves them! Worth a trip to St Albans for this pub alone though there are plenty other good pubs close by.
anonymous - 19 Jun 2006 21:56 |
Too right it's "suspect". It's clear that a lot of people (or a few very persistent offenders) are rating pubs "0 out of 10" without having been there or without posting any comments about them just to knock them off the leader board. It happens every time a "new" pub appears on the leader board after getting the necessary ten ratings to qualify. It happened with the Criterion in Leicester and with Fernandes' Brewery Tap in Wakefield, both of which entered the Top 10 after I was the tenth person to give a rating, and both of which dropped straight out again the following day because an eleventh person rated it zero, but didn't bother to explain what was so bad about it. Watch out for the same thing to happen with The Red Lion at Snargate, a fantastic pub in the middle of nowhere on the Kent Marshes - last time I looked it had a rating of 9.8 from nine users, but as soon as a tenth rating puts it at the top of the pile you can bet the spoilers will be out to knock it off again.
I sent a message to the site admin asking if anything could be done about this (e.g. discounting the highest and lowest ratings, or just discounting any rating below "x" with no comments posted) but got no response. Frankly the marks out of ten are worthless on here, you just have to gauge from the comments and after a while you get to know which other regular users have similar tastes to youself and can be relied upon to give you a good idea of what to expect. It's still annoying though, as seeing a new pub on the Top 40 is good publicity and encourages people to at least think about paying a visit.
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Of course it is. I gave this pub a 10 recently, having upped it from a previous 8 or 9. I am quite sure that if rating anonymity was lifted, these sudden leaps and nosedives in the popularity of pubs such as these, seemingly occurring within a matter of minutes rather than months would be unmasked and would ultimately cease.
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How come this pub has been knocked so far down the chart, very suspect
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The usefulness of beerintheevening proved itself again. Thanks to Timkholman who mentioned Grand Union MILD (3.5%) & Oscar Wilde MILD (3.7%) being available made a detour via St Albans on Sunday 4th June. Iceni Maris Otter MILD (3.8%) was on tap, an excellent drink. Conversation about MILD led to the production of an amazing list of the DARK drinks in the cellar waiting to go on.
Highwood Dark MILD (3.5%)
Red Squirrel Dark Ruby MILD (3.7%)
Dark Star MILD (3.6%)
Naylors Sparkeys Monday MILD (3.4%)
Buntingford Parmetters MILD (3.7%)
Cains Creamy Stout (4.2%)
Clarks Black Gold (4.0%)
Great Oakley Delapre Dark (4.6%)
Ulverstone Laughing Gravy (4.0%)
& at the top of the list was Northumberland McRorys Irish Stout (4.8%) which had already gone.
With this selection just had to upgrade my previous rating. At the time of our visit early evening it was very quiet. Unlike my previous visit when it was definitely buzzing.
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The Lower Red has developed a disappointing attitude problem since the last change of management. The premises are still delightful, and the beer range just as extensive, but service can be slow and surly (I walked out as couple of weeks ago when the I heard the barman use the f-word to some customers), short measures are the rule rather than the exception, and the place is infested by bar-hogging cliques who make non-regulars feel quite unwelcome.
Several other pubs in St. Albans are on the up under new management. Sadly, the Lower Red is going the other way.
anonymous - 8 Jun 2006 12:32 |
Sunday evening 4th June.
Armed with a London A-Z and top class navigator, 50 minutes after leaving the Pentonville Road the MLF with stus.search.4.mild and me arrive at the Red Lion. No wrong turns and no cameras tripped.
Who needs a bloody Satnav? - Wimps
LRL is a pleasant enough place; peaceful, quiet and no threatening atmosphere that perhaps reflect the fact that we are now in rather twee St Alban�s. I guess it�s a tad too expensive for the chavs and proles to set up camp in this part of the world.
On the other hand that tweeness could to some be a touch cloying and as such this pub lacks any atmospheric frisson of expectancy. In essence it lacks soul. Cannot be helped one imagines as it no doubt caters for all the New Labour Guardian reading oh so polite elite.
Nevertheless the importance of this pub is that in a MILD desert this boozer has at present a stock of MILD in the cellar waiting to go on tap and so it was that the MLF were able to sample a few enjoyable pints of dark stuff in the form of Maris MILD.
As MILD drinkers we have to be satisfied with one MILD on at a time in view of the dark stuffs lack of popularity. It is a shame that the trendies do not try it for a change. MILD is proper beer (contrary to what some alleged CAMRA people have in the past asserted to us) � it may be dark in colour, not have a pointless name unlike many bitters, but it has flavour and MILD does not necessarily mean weak.
A further advantage is that no matter how many pints you have � no headache the morning after or the terrible gut wrenching indigestion associated with bitter and chemical beers.
The bitter drinkers in this pub we noted, because they have such a range to choose from tend to drink in halves. So for them it must have the feel of a mini beer festival as that is usually the only time the MLF sees men drink halves.
A friendly landlord who also drinks in one of our favourite pubs � The Great Western � on his trips to watch the Wolves play.
All in all a good score from us while all this MILD is being made available.
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Lower Red Lion is one of the best pubs I have ever been to. I was there at the beginning of the week and saw nothing but ordinary folk relaxing over a pint and having ordinary conversations with each other. Being a bank holiday weekend, they were hosting a regular beer festival that's bound to draw in ale enthusiasts and camra members. I found them all very friendly and easy to chat with, and know that the place is a lot less crowded on other days.
And don't forget where the pub is, either. St Alban's is camra's birth town so they are quite entitled to keep a good pub with spot-on beers here!
Keep it up, and I suppose congratulations due for being BITE's top pub right now.
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its gets a 6 from me, not a 0. i think the real shame is that the supporter/supporters of this pub on the site keep giving it multiple 10s while giving everything else 0
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Have to say this is proberly the best real Ale pub i've ever been to.
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I wanted to like this pub but sadly there were too many beardy weirds in here.
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Missed the milds on Bank Holiday Monday. Three beers from Alehouse brewery AKA Farmer's Boy. All three were full-flavoured and highly enjoyable. The last beer in the marquee was Grand Union Stout.
Pub still remains well worth the First Capital Connect (ex-Thameslink) journey from London!
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For the MILD fan, don't despair! The LRL is currently serving Grand Union Mild (3.5%), and there is also Oscar Wilde Mild (3.7%) available at this weekend's beer festival. So perhaps your campaign is now being heeded.
anonymous - 29 May 2006 10:37 |
Wonderful pub ad a few ales there last night. Fantastic place. did'nt see the ghosts either.. lol
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Ah but they put pump clips on the back of the hand pulls as well so that you can see what's on on the other side if you have the eyesight for it
anonymous - 26 May 2006 12:45 |
There is a problem with this pub, and I've finally worked it out! (Sorry, the old braincells work quite slowly nowadays.)
The problem is that the pumps containing all the exotic, interesting ales are in the left-hand bar. Most social activity, and the drinkers with any life in them, are in the right-hand bar, yet the pumps on this side are fewer, and for more 'boring' stuff like London Pride or JHB. If this bar is busy, it's often easier to panic and order a 'boring' drink, rather than peruse the pumps opposite.
Perhaps it's just me, but I do feel the pub might be missing a trick here.
But other than that, the quality of the ales is as fine as ever and it's good to see the LRL at Number One in the charts - and with such a commanding lead!
anonymous - 26 May 2006 12:34 |
It's the same old story, ask for a pint of MILD, there isn't any, we had some last week it was very popular. It's the same at beer festivals the first ones to go are the MILDS. So why are there so many pubs around that do not cater for the MILD drinker? Let it be said this is a good pub was offered samples of loads of wierdly named drinks, so many didn't need to buy anything. Visit St Albans once a year in January, hopefully MILD will be a regular drink next time.
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There is actually a pair of ghosts in this pub, and they have been witnessed by many different patrons. They are discribed as a young woman and a small boy. I have been to the pub many times but have never had the pleasure of meeting them.
Fabulous establishment lots of character and great selection of Ales.
has to be 10 / 10 just for the myth surrounding the place.
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Did you know about the ghost in this pub, Landlords allowed to serve sprits as long as he's over 18.... lol
anonymous - 16 May 2006 15:07 |
I love this pub and am pleased it is top of the chart but I notice everytime its score goes up dramatically all scores of the other pubs in the top 10 mysteriously go down.
So someone is registering under lots of names and giving this one 10/10 (which is deserves) and giving other great pubs 0/10 (which they don't).
STOP IT
anonymous - 10 May 2006 20:07 |
Full of real ale bores, but apart from that an ok pub.
anonymous - 10 May 2006 13:13 |
Perfect pub, perfect beer. No more need be said.
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Visited here on a day in St Albans, ended up coming back after seeing the cathedral. I really haven't got the energy to list all the reasons why this is just about the best pub I have ever visited, but it is. In fact it is the best pub I have ever been to hands down. Had about 8 pints of the excellent Storm Chaser mild, a pint of meltdown, a half of jacobins kriek and a half some 9.5% ABV headbanger brewed by the landlord at his microbrewery across town as well as a cheap and tasty lunch. Must have spent at least 8 hours in here yesterday. In a class of its own and if you live in London and love real ale, its worth coming to St Albans just to spend a day here in the beer garden. Perfect. 10/10.
anonymous - 23 Apr 2006 17:08 |
for quality ales and a quiet drink this place is unbeatable in St Albans, will be perfect when the nicotine addicts are removed next year.
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Sorry to be the one who bucks the trend but I don't think the LRL is as good as it was. Just a few too many ales that are not quite right, too many pints that are not full enough and the prices seem to be creeping up.
The new owner is also involved in a new venture Alehouse Brewery and recently they had a festival of his "homebrew" again a little too variable and too pricey.
I do hope they don't let this great old pub slide!
anonymous - 18 Apr 2006 15:40 |
I think we're drifting from the point here. The Lower Red Lion certainly isn't an Irish pub, just somewhere that has built on CAMRA's early work and now has a rotating selection of 9 real ales and regular beer festivals (next one at the end of April).
If you're in St Albans and real ale is your 'thing', then a trip to the Lower Red Lion is a must. Other local pubs are starting to serve more real ales too, and jolly good luck to them. They're all fine places and we drinkers can only benefit by having such a wide range of choices. The pubs themselves will also benefit, as St Albans' good reputation spreads and more people come here.
anonymous - 15 Apr 2006 17:06 |
The problem with this site is that you can see all of another person's reviews. I read your review of this pub with interest, yet clicked your name to discover you have written a review about "one of the best O'Neill's I have ever been to". Which has made me worry - perhaps St Albans "as a place" is like a grim Ukranian provincial town and all the pubs are Oirish themed, even the Lower Red Lion. And the dude in the photo above is called Tim O'Tei
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Go go go, Lower Red Lion! Number One again!
Stonch, the local CAMRA website states that the first CAMRA meeting was indeed held at the Farriers Arms. It even quotes the date: 20th November 1972.
I'm fairly new here, but St Albans "as a place" has loads of good pubs and shops, there are many friendly people and it's very convenient for transport. On the downside, the cost of living is high and I've never seen so many roads with potholes.
Still, as I say, most of the pubs are good and that's what counts!
anonymous - 8 Apr 2006 08:31 |
From Wikipedia's entry for St Albans:
"The first meeting of the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) was held in St Albans. Although long thought to have taken place in the Farriers Arms in Lower Dagnall Street (which has a blue plaque commemorating the event), a number of those present insist that the meeting was actually held in the Lower Red Lion in Fishpool Street. The latter was certainly the first pub to revert to selling real ale (Young's Bitter) as a result of the Campaign."
Seems worth checking out. What is St Albans like as a place?
anonymous - 7 Apr 2006 15:25 |
not surprising that london pubs dominate when (i) upwards of 11m people live in Greater London and (ii) a higher proportion of people in London use internet than elsewhere and (iii) London pubs are better.
Have been to this place as my cousin is from St Albans. Its ok. Just a normal pub with a few fans on this site who vote for it lot, good luck to em, seems to working.
7/10
anonymous - 5 Apr 2006 14:18 |
This pub is a real ales drinkers paradise, absolutly exquisit pub.
Great to see a pub not in central London at the top of the chart.
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If you like real ale in a genuine pub look no further the town with its lakes and cathedral make this a very worthwhile day trip.
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A decent Real Ale pub pure and simple. Picture post card, nr Cathedral and on the way to museum makes this a delightful stop off for an hour or three. Two basic bars and a couple of fires does the job. No music or Sky footie to spoil the atmosphere either. Staff polite. `Golden Brew` was the highlight, will come back for more.
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Not been in since the change in management a little while back. A good excuse to revisit!
So what has changed? Very little it seems. Still an impressive range of beers on tap, of which the 5 we went through, all in good condition. Staff seemed quite cherpy and friendly as well as knowing a reasonable amount of knowledge on the beers. Not as much as perhaps usual, but then different staff, different nights etc.
The decor has remained the same, with the same 'used' carpet there has been for ages. So you would be hard pushed to know there has been a change! Alas the usual general water (rather than anything else) damp floor in the gents. They have still not fixed the slow leak by the looks of it.
It was however fairly quiet for a Saturday night, in that pitching up a chunk after 9pm, we were easily able to get both seats and a table. Previously needed to fight on this harder. Maybe due to being early Feb, so not so much going out weather?
Still one of the best pubs locally with brilliant beer range. As they say, "I'll be back!"
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Terrific 17th Century coaching inn, two fairly similar bars either side of the central main entrance. Very cosy on a December night with blazing fires, half-timbered walls and sagging ceilings.
Seven ales were on offer and were generally well kept, but I can't help feeling they might be vending a couple too many to turn them over quickly enough; all were served very clear and bright but one or two tasted a bit tired. A couple of pints of JHB went down well, although I'd have preferred it a bit younger; a Salamander seasonal beer was very nice, a Fernandes Dark Mild (sampled out of sequence after I mis-read the ABV on the pump clip) was clearly past it's best, a Ringwood Christmas ale was the best I had; a half of White Star (7.2% ABV) Christmas ale rounded off a nice session.
Certainly well worth a visit, in an ancient residential street near St.Albans Abbey. I recognised the exterior of the pub from an episode of "Foyle's War", when a lecherous Group Captain was shot dead and it was supposedly in Hastings!
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2nd visit since the management change. New lot again seem rather less blessed with product knowledge and yet less keen to offer a sample - a problem when only obscure fayre is on offer, Pride & JHB apart. Managed to find an excellent pint in the end but not sure it's worth the bother. Try again after Christmas when they are perhaps more eager to please.
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Visited the pub on Friday evening (21/10/2005). Although under new management everything that was good about this pub remains fully intact, and it's with great pleasure that I can document the following improvements since my last visit.
The range of beers is just as good as it's always been, with five or six microbrewery beers alongside permanent Fullers London Pride and Oakham JHB. The beer quality has improved generally, with all four beers that I drank being in perfect condition. The range [on Friday] was dynamic, too, including two exquisite dark beers (Dark Destroyer and Bete Noire). So well kept were these beers that all the flavour subtleties were noticeable.
Couple this with very friendly, attentive staff and management, and you have a pub in which I have had one of the best sessions this year.
You have to pay a visit and see for yourselves, I was thrilled with all aspects of the session on Friday - keep it up guys!
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Me and my friend had the pleasure of staying at this pub for three nights during the The St Albans Beer Festival 2005. Clean room, great food, very friendly barmaid and landlord, not to mention the well kept beers. Nine real ales on cask! The pub was a festival in itself. Must be one of the best beer places in the UK.
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My wife and I came in out of the rain, received a friendly jab about being bad weather indicators as we removed our wet jackets. Had a great pint of JHB and felt comfortable enough, even though it was obvious to the locals we were American tourists. (Note: This was back in May 2005, when the Lion was apparently under different ownership than it is now.)
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Bad news - This pub changed hands a few months ago.
Good news is it appears to be business as usual.
Though I did eat here a week or two ago and wasn't impressed with the Sunday roast - Ratatouille with roast Lamb! I think not. Small and uneven portions of the main veg and pots across the group of us)as well.
Still can't knock the beer, its also about the cheapest pint in St.A.
anonymous - 19 Sep 2005 14:52 |
like beer come here,like seeing the lager boys faces when offered only excellent lagers like budwar ans anstel,"what no tasteless Fosters landlord"
anonymous - 31 Aug 2005 14:37 |
No-one can disagree with the comments about this pub (unless you like shiny plastic pubs that serve shiny plastic beer, in which case I would recommend spending some quality time in here sampling what proper beer tastes like). Over the last 2 1/2 years I have visited St Albans regularly and always enjoyed a pint or two here. A pub crawl in itself with around 8 ales all well kept from all over the country. And that is without a festival!!
If you are in St Albans, this is a must. The local tourist information should include it in their things to see and do in St Albans.
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I made no plans for New Years Eve, just turned up here with a mate. No nonsense about tickets of entry fees or gorillas on the door. In fact the pub had a free buffett on for their punters!!!
The beer is the best in the area and the landlady is a true expert and enthusiast whose opinion is second to none on matters of imbibement.
Just a great pub.
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The beer has improved since my last visit and I have now upgraded my rating from 9 to 10/10 - well done & keep it up.
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Great beer is always on tap as well as good service in an old fashioned pub which hasn't been tarted up.
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An excellent pub with great staff and excellent beer.
Accomodation is just right.
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A wonderfull bolt hole to escape to. Lovely food, but best of all the Ale's are the best in town. There is always more than five to choose from and thay change almost weekly. The pub quiz on a wednesday is hard to beat. The welcome is second to none and the feel of the place is very homley.
There's also accomadation available
Simone Cheverst - 17 Jan 2005 18:03 |
A truely classic pub in the olde worlde tradition. Great, friendly staff - superb beer and if like me you are a fan of belgium beer they have a great selection. The beer garden is great in the summer and the ale festivals are just superb. Go and enjoy!
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This is a fantastic pub that serves 7 or 8 real beers in a real pub.
The hosts are truly special - this is a superb place to have beer (or few beers)in the evening, or at lunch!!
Cobbo - 12 Oct 2004 10:53 |
Welcome back Mary & Alan
TC - 1 Sep 2004 19:45 |
I can only agree with all the other comments written here. The next beer festival is over the August Bank Holiday weekend. Go there, you won't be disappointed!
Dave - 22 Aug 2004 19:23 |
A real ale mecca. Regular beer festivals, with loyal supporters from far afield. Lager-drinking louts will hate it, but for anyone else this is a really good pub.
anonymous - 5 Jul 2004 21:57 |
Great pub with good beer and friendly staff. Real ales from micros available in the left-hand bar. Expect to meet like-minded drinkers within.
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This is one of my favourite pubs anywhere and well worth the train journey from London for an evening out. The beer festival over the May Bank Holiday weekend just past was most enjoyable.
Stephen Harris - 5 May 2004 21:14 |
Great pub - either on its own or as part of a Fishpool/St Michaels pub crawl. Friendly staff, no muzak, tellings off for mobiles ringing. And lovely beer. Perfect
NorthernBloke - 15 Apr 2004 17:01 |
Excellent pub, wide range of interesting beers and continental lagers. Obscure bottled Belgian Beers available also.
Friendly staff and customers
Gary - 7 Apr 2004 15:31 |
Brilliant pub for real ale, nice garden and strong commitment to beer festivals. Good community spirited pub, with friendly landlords (Feb 2004).
Allan Stewart - 18 Mar 2004 01:04 |
A wonderful pub, always new and interesting beers but not to the detriment of atmosphere, customers etc.
I used to run Beer Festivals at the Philanthropist & Firkin (yes! a while ago) and one year we lashed with the Lower Red Lions Beer Fest - so they came to ours and we returned the visit to theirs.
I may be biased but they had more interesting beers than the Firkin Fest.
Welcome back Mary & Alan, they used to run the LRL then moved to Biggleswade to run the Brown Bear and then "retired from the trade". Moments later St Albans had regained one of the Premier Teams in running intersting pubs.
I wish you well and will see you and your merry band of tickers very soon.
Why is this not in the top 40???
Maybe tickers don't understand computers?
TopCat (Mr Jinx) - 20 Jan 2004 11:37 |
Excellent pub, can only agree with all the comments.
I've heard they've had over 850 different beers on tap during the course of 2003 so there are many different beers to try....watch out for the strong ones!
summary: recommended by an australian visitor
nmguy68 - 1 Jan 2004 00:57 |
They have a great selection of unusual beers and tasty bar snacks. I really like this pub and should probably go there more often but it's a little out of the way although this is probably a good thing but only if you're planning to stay there for the whole evening.
anonymous - 29 Dec 2003 17:55 |
This is a fine historic fashioned town pub, close to the bustling town centre but far enough to deter circuit drinker. An ever changing range of real ales (many from unusual micro breweries) awaits the discerning drinker. Also a good variety of Belgiun bottled beers. Limited, home cooked food available at lunchtimes. No music. Highly recommended.
Simon Fyffe - 13 Nov 2003 10:47 |
I recently stayed overnight during the St Albans beer festival and can now recommend the accomodation as well as the food and beer. Comfortable, friendly and reasonably priced.
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Following Lee�s recommendations usually results in a nice find and this is definitely one of them. A small friendly pub dedicated to real ales which is well worth travelling to. The JHB is still a regular although the landlord may be looking to replace this soon. There is also London Pride.
The real treats await you in the left hand bar which is often referred to as the �Lower Lower Red Lion�. Here I found Blewitts Head Off, a strong, smoky ale, Golden Phoenix and Luscious Lisa from the Wissey Brewery, and beers from Bartrams and Church End breweries, the latter being an interesting pear based ale. On my second visit just a week later there was a whole new range of beers to try. I can also recommend the Sunday roast.
The walk back up the hill into St. Albans can be a little challenging after a visit, but don�t let that put you off.
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A very enterprising freehouse in the southern end of the city. Two bars offer a cosy open-fire environment in which hearty conversation flourishes. No music. A superb constantly changing range of ales is available, with Oakhams JHB the only regular beer. Frequent festivals take place here which include at least thirty beers some of which are served in a specially erected tent, complemented by a very good barbeque. Interesting snacks available at the bar include flavoured poppadums and some unusual crisp flavours. Easily the best overall beer pub in St Albans although the Farmer's Boy comes a close second! Give it a try and see for yourselves. You will be glad you came!
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