The Red Lion, St. James's, London

Afer a day of sightseeing my wife and I stopped at this small, cosy pub for a relaxing drink last Saturday in the late afternoon, at about 4.30 pm. We were having a most enjoyable long weekend break in London.

My reason for going to this particular pub was that it's very favourably reviewed on the TimeOut website. I was impressed with the charming old world atmosphere and general ambience. Moreover, the staff serving at the smallish bar were courteous and 'not unfriendly'.

When I lived in London in the seventies, I would never have described "Johnathan Ross type" Cockney Londoners as courteous or friendly. Most of them were **. So full marks for the Poles, Aussies, Scots, Geordies, Paddies and even the Frenchies for making London pubs better than they ever were.

My wife enjoyed her half pint of Fosters lager and I enjoyed a pint of draught Tribute bitter. I didn't notice any other real ales. The bill came to about £5.10, which is par for the course in this area of London. Based on our short visit, I'm not sure if it deserves a "high" 3-star rating or the 4 stars I've given it. We didn't sample the food, but this is the type of pub where I instinctively feel like staying for another beer. It was as good as the first!

My wife thought the stairs up to the ladies toilet and first floor fuction/lounge room would be dangerous if one were a wee bit tipsy.

I will definitely go back to this pub the next time I'm in this area and feel like having a relaxing beer or two. On this occasion TimeOut seem to have got their review right, but I would not go as far as giving the pub a full five stars.

There are 100s if not 1000s of back street pubs tucked away in London and surviving on nothing more than Friday night trade and a loyal clientele.
If you're on the tourist trail and have yet to visit a traditional pub, this one is close to St James and Pall Mall, but far enough of the beaten track to feel like a local.

Fabulous and friendly pub reputed to be London’s second oldest.

A small but attractive and very busy local tucked away just off Pall Mall, with many original Victorian fittings, and what claims to be one of the oldest licences in the area.

Crown Passage is a wide alleyway with something of a feel of 'olde London’ - or as much as it can muster, given the number of expensive and trendy eateries along its short length.

But the Red Lion, at least, is very traditional, from the pilastered brick frontage to the hanging baskets above lead-light windows. Look out for three original gas-lamp brackets, now painted red (below awkward electric replacements). A grade-II listed building possibly dating back to Georgian times, the cosy interior has extensive oak panelling - and beware, it is very cosy and gets very crowded indeed. Upstairs there’s a larger function room, also used as an overspill when they’re busy.

The pub has a sign claiming it to be 'London’s last village pub’ and, while that might be pushing the hype a little too much, it does have something of the feel of a country local, except for the accents: a mixture of well spoken executives and foreign tourists. But it’s still miles better than many of the alternatives in central London.

Beers include Adnams Bitter and St Austell Tribute, so real-ale fans are well catered for. They also serve food, although getting a table can be a bit of an Anneka Rice challenge…

Oooh, this is a sneaky little place. And one of the best little hidey holes in Mayfair. There are some great pubs in this areas, but the Red Lion still seems to have space to breathe - even on a Friday evening.

It’s got a pretty old crowd, but that’s no bad thing if you just fancy a quiet drink. I came here with my friend and his dad and we all had a great time. I remember only planning on staying for a quick drink and ended up drinking a few more glasses of red than I was planning. To me, that’s the sign of a good pub. (Or the sign of me having no self control… let’s not go there.)

My love for this pub may be linked to my love of sneaky little passageways in London. If I can help it, I won’t walk down a main road. But all in all, for a quiet pub in Mayfair that isn’t wonderfully overpriced, you could do a lot worse.

When you head down crown passage you feel that you are being transported back to Dickensian times with the cobbled narrow streets and buildings that overhang the walkway, it is appropriate that the Red Lion is located here as it is supposedly the second oldest pub in the capital. This is a traditional boozer with a small bar area downstairs, upstairs there is a large room which resembles your grandparents living room in its décor and its warmth. This is the perfect place to meet up if you want to have a good chat and not be distracted. In the summer drinkers spill on to the street outside. I would imagine that there are a lot of locals here and this place is probably one of the most traditional pubs left in London which makes it a real find.