The Lion and Unicorn, Kentish Town

Refurbishment completed so popped in for a quick pint so these are just first impressions.

The pub has gone from one extreme to the other - from a dark cavern for regulars necking lager to a food-led gastropub crammed with colourful soft furnishings - if the editor of Ideal Homes had to decorate a pub this is probably what you'd end up with. It's a more successful refurb than the leopard-print and chandelier acid trip round the corner at Annie's Bar but may not be to everyone's taste. There's plenty of seating inside and out (perhaps a few too many tables in truth) and the banquette seating towards the back would suit larger groups, as would the sofa in the middle. Front and back gardens had both been refurnished and look quite smart if a little too neat and maybe lacking in character. The kitchen is towards the back and is close to the punters without actually being open as at the nearby Oxford Arms or Junction Tavern.

Usual mix of brand-name lagers (Staropramen, Stella and so on) and ciders on the bar. There were five handpumps on the go though not all were available yet (eg Adnams). We both had Sharp's Cornish Coaster (pulled by a barmaid who thought violently yanking the handpump was the optimum technique) which was tolerable if perhaps a little too cold.

Wine list and food looked to be as you'd expect from a gastropub (pig's cheeks, fish & chips, duck breast - at least no sausage and mash!) and the prices were probably fair enough if not bargains, but as we didn't eat I can't comment on value for money.

The staff are clearly fairly new and are still coming together as a team. It looked as though bar staff were dressed in pink polo shirts whilst waiting staff had purple shirts which is a rather unwelcome echo of Wetherspoons or similar. Hopefully over time they'll relax into their roles and this rather ridiculous distinction can be dropped.

The great draw for this place will be the theatre upstairs with resident theatre company Giant Olive consistently drawing plaudits. The offering downstairs is just right for pre or post theatre drinking and eating so hopefully both Geronimo Inns & Giant Olive will recognise their mutual interest in bringing in the punters.

I liked it more than I thought I would and I will go back to but you can't throw a brick in the air in NW5 these days without hitting a gastropub so competition is fairly fierce. A provisional 6.5/10.

1 May 2011 13:48

The Lion and Unicorn, Kentish Town

Been bought by Geronimo Inns and undergoing the gastro makeover. Will be interesting to see if they can draw some of the punters away from The Oxford but this pub is in a relatively quiet location so if you don't know it's there you're not going to stumble across it.

Will be competing with a ton of other local gastropubs including the same owner's Lord Palmerston up in Tufnell Park.

4 Mar 2011 06:14

The Volunteer, Baker Street

Used to be a busy pub with plenty of drinking. Often full of people who have been playing sport in Regents Park and had a reasonably good atmosphere.

Sadly it seems to have undergone a refurb, with the old dark corners repainted in boring pastels and with wine glasses and salt/pepper grinders ostentatiously laid out on over half the tables below the bog-standard gastro-pub blackboard. There's no exposed kitchen though and the menu looks too big for any small kitchen to cope with. I didn't eat but I heard people trying to order and being told several dishes were off - in fairness it was a fairly quiet Tuesday night.

At the same time drinking has clearly gone down in importance, with several lagers and ales not available either.

I'm sad to see how The Volunteer has changed in this way and hope the rugby/cricket/tennis players in the summer colonise the eating area and reclaim it for boozing.

4/10 for the new pub, 7/10 for how it used to be...

4 Mar 2011 06:10