please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
The Black Lion is a seemingly popular Youngs pub at a set of traffic lights. It was busy with locals watching 2 different football matches on the TVs. Youngs Bitter & Special were the regular beers. But there were also 2 guests - Twickenham Sundancer & Island Yachtsman's Ale. Ok. But nothing special.
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Really good pub, very relaxed and pleasant atmosphere. Excellent food and service, recommend!
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Simply a meeting place for the local surbiton 'down and outs' as evening falls its full of fowl mouthed filthy old gits sitting at far right end of the bar with nothing to do but try to make friends with fellow unemployed pennyless nobodys
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Went to this pub on Saturday evening @21:00 to find a so-called 'mother' bouncing her 3 month old baby on a high table with glasses on it, get it .. GLASS. Someone in the pub complained to this idiotic woman about the careless attitude to her new born child and she simply reply "so what", whilst the manager stood there watching, case for Social Services
If you want a good pint in the evening and adult chat.. find a real pub not this kids playground
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Ok boozer but a few issues. Not keen on having my beer served by a novice on first day training......
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Authentic feeling boozer with different areas as if grown organically over time. Decent beer quality on my visits but can get packed easily when there's sport on TV. If you want sport you'll be likely to get a better view at the Victoria as it's rooms are wider and if you want to avoid the sport and/or get something other than Well's and Young's the nearby Lamb is the one.
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My favourite pub in the centre of Surbiton. Cracking ramrod n special and served correctly. Can get very busy as it was for the boxing at the weekend but importantly there was enough staff and getting served wasnt a problem. I dont know whether its insisted on but a nice touch was the staff actually looking for waiting customers rather than us having to try and get their attention. Nothing worse than waiting whist they try hard to avoid eye contact. Top place
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Average pub, very busy. Not the most welcoming atmosphere, some staff were loud and dismissive. Will not be visiting again.
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Better than the Victoria as it is quieter and more characterful. A very decent pub overall.
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Really nice pub; My group of friends enjoyed a drink in here last night and found the beer quality to be really good, the locals and publican to be friendly - I'd make this my local if I lived in the area.
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Youngs pub with the expected ales available. Very mixed client�le ranging from attractive young females to old guys drinking on their own. No great character to this pub, but very acceptable as part of a Surbiton 'crawl'!
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Best pub in Surbiton. Great service, good beer, excellent beer garden and now they do home cooked food which is also very good. Bands are now playing regularly which are a good standard. Mark the landlord is big on customer service and really takes care of locals and new comers.
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Youngs Ordinary, Special and Waggledance. Clean and friendly.
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ok local pub, always busy but not a patch on The Lamb opposite
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I am a local living on Portsmouth road. I go here every other weekend with my other half and often before and after going for a wonderful curry in the Red Rose next door - a ritual followed by many it seems! Black Lion pulls a crowd from all walks of life and that mix seems to work better than your other Surbiton/Kingston/Wimbledon pubs. I suppose you could say you have all classes enjoying a drink together with no prejudices or people being a bit up their own arse. The owners will remember your face even if you only go in there once. There is a warm christmassy feeling when you walk in the door on a cold evening and equally a great summer beergarden for hazy summer afternoons and balmy nights.
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This pub has been newly decorated and reportedly has had �100,000 spent on the refurb. It has the same layout but new furniture and decor. Now much improved. It sells Charles Bombardier alongside the usual Young's beers.
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Surbiton has quite a few pubs but not many that are any good. I kind of agree with most of the other comments here but for some reason this pub has character and a nice atmosphere. The BL also has live bands at the weekend sometimes, I saw a band called mad mods a few weeks ago and they were great. Not the best pub in the world but one of the better in slummy surbiton.
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I went once and I swear everyone drinking in there looked like they had served jail time on more than one occasion. Old man pub - shit and oddly expensive.
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A popular locals pub which serves Youngs beer. A long lounge with comfortable wall seating. Beers are well kept. A pleasant friendly atmosphere. There is a large screen TV at the far end and according the boards it does quiz nites, karoake and live bands. Some areas of the lounge could do with some rectification work.
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Anything but glamorous, but definitely has the most character of all the pubs in The Surb. Mark the landlord is a one-off, and his quiz performances deserve their own gameshow. It's also the best quiz in the area.
Oh and I agree - the barmaids are generally gorgeous!
anonymous - 16 Feb 2007 14:52 |
Old man's pub and nothing else. If you like spor, a non inspiring bar and pissing in a filthy toilet then go here. I'm sure it's regulars like it that way - but I'm afraid it's the sort of place that you could leave for a couple of years to travel or live a fulfilling life somewhere else, and then come back here to find the same old tired thing. Depressing.
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Go and see the GB's at the Black Lion, fab band and gets the pub absolutely packed if that is what you like - bit of atmosphere and always a brilliant night. The pub is just like the Vic in East Enders (and so are most of the people) but all very friendly and you don't have to get your glad rags on! A credit to Mark and Danny. Bit smoky though.
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sticky floors, old men and the faint smell of piss apart from that a nice boozer
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What they said ... gorgeous bar staff but a proper pub, pints of Youngs Ordinary and Special at normal prices, a jukebox, a rambling and friendly place.
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Nice down to earth unremarkable Youngs local. Worth visiting if doing a crawl in the area
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The dogs xxxxxxxx
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I have been drinking in this pub for 4 years, i have drunk in other pubs, but this is the only one that u feel at home, Mark and Danny, are legendes, and always make you feel welcome, as does the other staff. there are lots of different people who drink in there, some are odd, but most you can have a laugh and a joke with. it is quite expensive, but most dont mind paying a bit more in here because its worth it.
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Didn't seem particularly welcoming at first, but gave it a try anyway. Atmosphere is alright once you get into the vibe. Beer is typical Young's stuff, nothing special but far from undrinkable. Live music on Thursday. Bar staff are absolutely gorgeous!
Will2 - 28 Jun 2005 11:43 |
Top boozer, bit expensive but then you get what you pay for.
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Needs doing up but it is friendly and not bad for a quiet drink, but I wouldn't take the misses.
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The landlord is a legend! good quiz night. You always get a smile off the bar staff.
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One of my fave pubs in Surbiton, normally pop in here for a pint while I'm waiting for my curry from The Rose (best curry in Surbiton). Always friendly and full of characters.
Jim - 29 Oct 2004 15:45 |
It's got character. Which means it needs a damn good clean! If you're unfortunate enough to get a seat up by the loos you'll leave smelling like one.... yuck.
But you see some characters in there and the beer tastes alright, what can you say? Friendly and relaxed but needs a going over with some Flash
Jane - 17 Aug 2004 12:12 |
THE PLACE IS GREAT, YOU HAVE ALL SORTS OF CHARECTERS FROM THE VEG,THE GEORDIE DANCER TO UNCLE CLIVE WHICH IS ODD AS HE'S NO ONES RELATION.NEVER SEEN A GIRLS DART TEAM BUT KNOW THE MENS IS VERY GOOD.AND SPANK HOLIDAYS IS ALWAYS A WINNER IN THERE!!!!!!!!!
BUNNY - 26 Jul 2004 12:13 |
The Black Lion is an amazing pub. all the bar staff and the punters are lovely and very welcoming. The drinks are at a reasonable price but they are also worth the money. I have never seen drinkers in the pub thatlook under 18 ( i should no as im drinking in there everyday)It is an enjoyable pub and you can have a good laugh with the staff and the punters.
lucy malcum - 21 Feb 2004 21:10 |
I adore the black lion. i've seen the ladies darts team play , might I add whilst being stared at in awe by quite a few of the regulars at the same time . who can blame them though ? it's good to see a few young faces in there. well made drinks, good prices and nice people. As a former landlady for 15 years of the coconut in kingston a few years ago , i definately recommend this pub if you're looking for a relaxing but fun evening whether with friends or alone , because you can always count on a friendly local saying hello.
Joan Wharwick - 4 Feb 2004 16:56 |
This is the best place in the whole entire world ... i work in promotions so i get to see alot of those places too ! i drink in the black lion regularly and it's been known to be my second home ... not only are you welcomed into a friendly atmosphere with genuine , nice people ( bar staff , tiddys , danny , mark , and the black lion ladies darts team ) but you see a real sense of community. and expensive ? average price .... for a middle-class expensive area ... have u seen the house prices in surbiton recently ? and to the man below about the '' chavs '' ( where the hell are you from ? ) they happen to be not 14 but all in yr 13 doing their a - levels .. i should know i go to college with them . to conclude .. thank you to the drinkers and the owners of the black lion for making it what it is .. a little piece of heaven right here in sunny surbiton .. lots of love , see you tonight , yuriko .. p.s. good luck to the black lion ladies who i am captain of , in next season's league
Yuriko - 4 Feb 2004 16:47 |
My word, this seems to have gone down hill recently.
Rip off prices, and the pub now seems to resemble a youth club.
Can someone please explain why 14 year olds with tracksuits and baseball caps are allowed out after 8.00pm.
<sigh>
Another Surbiton drinking whole polluted by fecking chavs
Alex - 26 Jan 2004 00:58 |
I work at the Black Lion and I think it's a damn good complement.. that one of our members of staff looks like Kat slater THANK U! .. after all..if you'd forgotten.. she has been voted for the third year running the sexiest female on television.. and as far as being expensive...i think you need to look around luv, we are in an expensive part London.
One of the lovely ladies that works there X
Christina Reeves - 25 Jan 2004 23:29 |
I went here with a few friends on the basis of the BITE recommendations and was a bit disappointed. I found it to be overly local, in the 'everybody stares when you walk in way', and even more expensive than the Victoria - if that's possible! Other than that, nice enough in the way that all the local Youngs pubs are. The woman behind the bar I saw was less cat walk, more kat slater. Perhaps I went on an off night. Will try again when I've saved up enough.
Nick - 6 Jan 2004 14:58 |
The Black Lion is the best pub in the world, and I should know, I've been in a few. It's unbelievably friendly, fabulously cosy and serves a damn nice gin and tonic. And Mark and Danny are legends.
Becky - 31 Dec 2003 12:10 |
Great home made food, a real neighbouhood pub with a great crowd. Both Danny and Mark make u real welcome, and im sure marks not gay.
Janet King - 17 Oct 2003 00:17 |
a traditional english servery that does what it is suposed to do good beer good wine good fair
and mark is a sexy beast
+ he seems to get his bar staff from the cat walk no pun intended
worth a visit
simon - 16 Oct 2003 21:43 |
very nice - cosy beer garden, not too expensive, very hospitable and the rooms are nice.
Michelle - 5 Aug 2003 14:26 |
Very friendly atmosphere.
excellent food.
Good bar customer service.
Weekly entertainment.
Great night out......
Kathleen and Bridget!!!!!!!!! -x- - 19 Apr 2003 22:09 |
Serves a very nic pint of Guinness
Mike - 24 Mar 2003 17:33 |
Good food, good beer and great people (staff and patrons). If your looking for a nice evening and a good pint this is the place to be.
The Canadian Girl - 17 Feb 2003 00:52 |
It is a cool pub, where Elvis is alive, once uve got in youll never escape!!!
jenny - 5 Nov 2002 16:21 |
Another old local:
Carol, Fred, the landlords, Nigel, Derek the Postie and that great Sunday raffle !!!!!!.
Warren Stevenson. - 25 Jun 2002 18:58 |
