The Black Lion in Epping Forest

It's not 18th century at all it was built in 16th century. Best pub in Essex . The landlady is a legend.

A couple of us managed to convince our group to try the Black Lion for one of our groups leaving drinks - a couple were a bit unsure, claiming it to be an 'old man's pub'. Well, yes, they weren't completely wrong, but to be honest, I thought the experience was pretty good. We noticed there was an outdoor area, so we sat outside - the lady working in the bar kindly came out and put the electric roof up for us, as well as the heaters. The drinks prices were pretty good in comparison to where else we could have ended up in town (we made use of the shot offers!) and there was a good variety to choose from. Don't let this pub put you off from what it looks like from outside (it's an old pub, so it sort of makes sense it doesn't look all new), and from our experience the service from the lady working in the bar was great. At some point I may pop back and make use of their 'buy a pint and get a sandwich for £1' offer...!

Excellent pub, service and atmosphere on match days. Recommend.

Quiet on occasion, loud on the other hand, great sports room

Great spot for a drink while the Mrs is shopping

Nice pub. Great Guineas. Had a great time on a Saturday afternoon!

Best pub in Epping by a country mile

Based off of our experience I will not be going back. The only thing you could smell in the pub was the filthy toilets, the whole place reeked. The staff were pretty inattentive, always chatting in the other room of the pub and leaving us ages when we tried to order. They never collect glasses or plates and I don’t think I saw a single smile. The food was terrible, very bland and cheaply made. I don’t know why they bother, their menu is tiny and yet the food was still terrible. Beer was ok, but can’t say it was anything special. You aren’t spoilt for choice for pubs in Epping, but still this was pretty poor.

Popular local sports bar, bar snacks and great service.

Very good inn the date says 1539 unless that's last orders an old English inn with atmospher old timbers comfy and enigmatic

First visit today with family. Lovely food, friendly staff and customers.

Small little local pub & friendly welcoming staff. There is a large outdoor seating area which is lovely in the evenings. They have a few tv’s where they show sports inside the pub

Very old pub small garden at the back and carpark

The cool atmosphere and the view from the back garden are amazing. Last but not least, the waitress is drop-dead gorgeous for a change, I was beginning to question the hiring process of pubs in England.

Lovely old pub , good service and cosy in the winter and plenty of outside space well cared for . Really nice staff !

Nice pub,one of a few remaining in Epping,friendly staff nice selection of drinks if you're a football fan 3 different areas with screens im glad its survived The cull i remember when there were at least 9 pubs in Epping i think its now 3

Nice quaint little pub with friendly service.

This pub sits across the road from the Funky Monk hotel who dont do draft beer, so came in here, great service. Think is a pub is if your looking for local trades person you'll find them here, and sky sports.

Been meeting my pal here for a number of years, He lives in Epping, very friendly pub, nice staff, usual pub prices, ALLEN The publican often pops out for a chat, can't fault it,

Had a great meet up before Christmas, staff were great, lovely old pub full of atmosphere

Nice cosy pub with free parking

Nice pub, lovely staff. Good beer.

Wonderful quaint little gaff, as old as the hills.

Great staff! And Theatre in the Barn went down a treat!

Nice friendly pub good beer a nice surroundings staff friendly would you just pub regularly.

Had a lovely glass of Sauvignon on the sun terrace, very nice.

Wonderful old traditional English pub

Proper olde worlde pub in a high street setting - staff and locals friendly.

Love the lion. Service is usually good. The most friendliest staff available in the evenings

I’ve always love this pub.. Garden is excellent

I prefer craft pubs with lots of beers but I always enjoy the black lion

Staff are friendly. Good place to drink.

Decent pub but be careful heading down steps to loos, mind ur head. No signage if ur over 5ft 9" ur gonna bash ur head....

My 3 friends visited this small pub on a Saturday evening for an hour and it was very quiet of people but we didn't mind as the manager lady was very friendly and she made us some tasty cocktails !x

What a nice little pub in Epping High Street. Had a pleasant pint of Guinness there this afternoon. Built in 1539 it is really something special.

Best owner in Epping best staff even with the restrictions table service is prompt and on time honestly best run pub in Epping

We have lived in Epping for the last 10 years and could not live without our trips to the Black Lion. We missed the friendly chat and great atmosphere while we were in lockdown, and despite the COVID restrictions Natalie and the team have made us feel really welcome & explained the new restrictions & changes introduced on safety grounds for dealing with the pandemic. There is a fantastic beer garden which allows us to enjoy the sun & in the winter the real fire is always lit and offers a welcome warmth. Great real ales served and they have linked up with the restaurant across the road offer Mezze food as well. You are always welcomed with a smile

I like the food in this place and beers in the garden. Will defo visit again to have some time in the garden

My family went today there for a quick drink and snack. I have a 4 months old baby. As we were getting ready to leave I stood up with my baby next to our table. The manager, a very rude woman, told me to sit down, that this are the rules of COVID restrictions. I told her that the baby is going to cry if I don’t hold him up, he had enough of sitting down and that I am standing by our table. She shouted again that I HAVE TO SIT DOWN NOW! I felt terrible. She was lucky my partner was in the loo at this moment. I cannot believe that this is also coming from a woman, probably a mother. Rude, horrible, disrespectful! I don’t recommend to anyone going to that pub. Left such a bitter taste, and ruined our outing.

Nothing special here, just a pub, but they have nice garden and nice to sit during the summer, that is all

Best pub in epping since the lockdown, made it a real pleasure spending time in there. Can't wait until we get out of version 2 of the lockdown for another round!

Lovely old pub with friendly staff and nice outdoor area

Propper old fashioned pub with beer garden . Silly C-19 one way system but nice beer and staff

Plenty of spaces to sit outside and enjoy a glass of wine.Good service

Brilliant pub, sell staropramen too.

The garrison, the armoury, the garage, whatever you want to call it.. pure vibes. Live and breathe this pub, when it opens again I’ll live here ❤️

We had not been in this pub for years and were looking forward to it. The barmaid takes at least 5 minutes to appear for each order. It is so dirty with dirt all around the floor and the bar stools are all torn . Such a shandd Ed it could be and was lovely. Please tidy it up

The pub has a nice beer garden for the summer. The downside is the fact that the wine options are shockingly bad.

Probably the best pub in Epping. The staff are extremely friendly and polite. The tables were clean and tidy and although it was very chilly outside it was lovely and warm in their bar.

Been coming in here on a regular basis for the last three years. They serve, without doubt the best pint of Guinness I've had outside of Ireland! Lovely easy going atmosphere created by it's friendly, helpful staff. If you're hungry the food is reasonably priced and of excellent quality. I've taken several friends to the Black Lion and they've all commented on the friendly atmosphere. Laura, Natalie and Holly, Thank You Ladies, Rob. X

Still a nice little place in the high street. Friendly staff. Good selection of drinks. Popular with locals.

Good place to come bar staff friendly specially natalie had a good time as also everyone had a good time.

We have booked the Black Lion twice for occasions with work and will definitely be using again. The staff are helpful and accommodating to requests. Also there are always plenty of staff on the bar which means that everything feels very smoothly ran and you can get the all important drinks with ease without queuing for long periods. There’s a nice selection of drinks available as well and the food is always lovely with a huge selection of buffet food on offer for events.

Love it here, bar staff friendly. Huuge garden and barn. The staff take steps to ensure its a sensible and sociable environment. Recommended for friends and girlfriends and mates, but not maybe privileged youths claiming rights and privaledges on their parents credit cards

Thought we would visit this pub as it was showing the football on tv and two of my friends live close by so we met there. My 18 year old son phoned and asked where i was and then decided to drive to meet us there too , and we sat out the back on our own to watch the game. The landlady ( did not think she was the landlady at first as she is not customer friendly at all ) came out to collect some glasses and rightly so , asked my son for some I.D, which he did not have on him . I did not see this as a problem as he did not want an alcoholic drink , just to sit with us with a coke and watch the game , and when i said this she stated that the law requires him to be over 18 with I.D after 8.30pm . I questioned this as i do not believe this is the case, and the fact that he had literally just driven himself all the way from woodford to meet us, and the way she answered me was unbelievable. I was really shocked the way she retaliated and then told him to go home and get his I.D or she would throw him out. He was obviously not going to do that having just come home from work, and so left and went home. I have since checked up on the 'Law' and it is not the case , so well done Landlady for losing 4 potential customers , as we will never go back there again and in this day and age of pubs closing at a rate of knots , i can not understand this kind of customer service. This is not a moan or a rant to get back at her terrible attitude , as she is completely the wrong type of character to take criticism on board , as one of her replies was "whatever" , but merely a warning to other possible first time customers what to expect, and i would avoid at all costs, as i and my friends will be doing in the future Well done.

Built in 1539 with tonnes of history. Great staff that are very welcoming. Lovely atmosphere . Just how.pubs should be

Having visited the pub during many lunchtimes we decided to have our leaving party there too after being made redundant.

Had a fantastic birthday celebration recently and I can't thank the landlady and staff enough. Love the place x

Visit the pub on most occasions best landlady manager and staff going always treated amazing service is superb food is amazing always clean and tidy staff friendly welcoming and always there when you neeed them

Visited the pub with friends, the bar staff working that night was rude and it came across very personal one member was drunk I was told to quieten my laugh ......... when I asked why this was offensive to the land lady she asked me to leave... gob smacked ....... I thought going to a pub you was allowed to laugh .... it is the worse pub ever years ago there used to be a great atmosphere it seems not the case now. My advice go to the Duke or George and dragon much nicer staff and how pubs should be.

This pub is the most welcoming and friendly pub in Epping, the landlady is always welcoming and friendly. All staff here are very polite and the service is amazing and quick. I recommend this for family’s with children. It is a great night out highly recommend.

This pub used to be such a great place to go for a few drinks either as a couple or with friends. How times have changed . The new landlady seems to have chased away most of the locals,the great atmosphere has gone and the service is appalling. Such a shame the high street really needs a good pub.

Love this place ! Always clean and well kept , lonely vintage feel with friendly helpful bar staff. Thank you Nat for looking after us so well. We will definitely be back

My girl n me went in n sit drink relax look view great old building great we didn't try look menu but short time went tube back to where my home . So we will Deffo back try meal .give them 4 stars if you n partner try go it worth it fabulous love it

Very well priced and nicely presented. Would recommend certainly for lunch and very well placed for shopping on epping high street

Nice old pub on the high street in Epping. The pub has two parts. Men’s toilets on the right hand side need updating. Beside las that serves a good pint.

The rear barn has several large screens ideal for football / rugby on TV. In the main bars the food is served, good hearty pub grub. Numerous beers and staff are friendly. This is a no frills pub what you see is what you get but is has its place in a small town with limited selection of pubs

The Landlady and her staff were extremely helpful. The party room was decorated by balloons and banners I gave them, beautifully. A good time was had by all. also inside and outside seats which is nice if weather is good Thank you again for. A great time.

No estábamos seguros donde ir para mis hijas 19 cumpleaños con sus dos abuelas. . . . No queríamos un ruidoso pub, pero queríamos algo de buena comida y ambiente. Este pub ofrece un menú estupendo y "David" nuestro camarero me dio un servicio excelente, incluso la organización de acceso a una planta baja así que uno de los retretes de las abuelas no necesitamos para subir las escaleras.

Reservamos el granero de nuestra casa en Australia para un 50 cumpleaños y nos la distancia 1 long street reserva Laura he tomado y ella estaba nervioso, con razón. Pero cuando llegas al pub y ver lo que ella ha construido, te das cuenta de por qué ella es claro y concreto sobre lo que ella quiere.

Really liked this old pub. Lovely atmosphere. Great range of beers and ales. Very nice outdoor decking area, perfect to sit out on a nice afternoon . Went to watch the football but the spots area was packed so had to go into the our...

Como un viejo estilo local. Buena selección de ale, así como la obligatoria sidras y cervezas. El personal es muy amable, me hizo sentir como uno más de la familia. No comimos, pero la sal bocadillo de VI se sirve un aspecto encantador y me...

Un maravilloso pub agradable! ! Pasamos un día estupendo y el personal es muy acogedor y servicial! ! Comida excelente! ! Buen día por supuesto! ! Altamente recomendado! !

Tengo que decir que para contradecir una revisión poner aquí antes. Resulta que en el pub cuando el gran grupo, a pesar de peticiones y quejas siguió siendo perjudicial y grosero y totalmente ajenos a los clientes en el bar. No estoy recogiendo aquí, pero...

It was my birthday celebration and a group of us went to the Black Lion. The manager was very rude to us. Turned the music down and told us we were being too loud. When I complained she didn't come down to talk to me. I thought pubs were for having fun. None of us will be visiting again. I have lived in epping for 20 years and have never been treated so badly.

Lovely little country pub amazing atmosphere , excellent food , excellent team behind the bar was made to feel very welcome came here 5 years ago and was not impressed decided to give it another try as heard it was under new management glad I did as the turn around is amazing well done to everyone at the black lion.

Having drank and eaten here a few times i can say the staff and management are polite and if you ask nicely u can get table service if you sit out the back on the decking area .It's a nice old style pub which host a sports bar out the rear of the main pub ideal for watching the football

A lovely quaint pub in the heart of Epping. Bar staff were friendly and courteous. Good range of drinks and reasonably priced. A most enjoyable evening in a relaxed, amiable environment.

El pub tiene un fantástico ambiente íntimo, con una buena selección de cervezas y and bitters" de barril. El personal era cálido y acogedor. Tienen una pequeña zona de tumbonas para aquellos agradables tardes de primavera en el Sol británica.

Booked the 'Barn' out the back of the pub for a 50th celebration. 60 odd guests comfortably...We had our own 'doorman' & 2 bar staff all night. Finger buffet went down very well & Laura the landlady made it all stress free by decorating the room for us with our decorations during the day. We just turned up & partied ! Thank you !!Would recommend it !

Having worked in the city for years and eaten a lot of salt beef. I can honestly say this pub does the best salt sandwich ever. It's huge, no fat, just lean meat. All the extras. I could go on but it would be forever. A brill pub! And wow!!

Well, this certainly isn’t the only old man pub that I visited while I was in London (not that that there was any in the city centre that really stood out), but since it was located in Epping, which happens to not only be on the rural fringes of London, but also at the end of the Central line, I wasn’t really surprised that this was the case (that it was an old man’s pub). Mind you since it it technically a suburban pub, it is more likely than not going to be frequented by the regulars that have been coming here for decades, and is going to have that really homely feel about it. Mind you, I found the pub to be really charming namely because it had that really rustic country English charm about it, something that a lot of the pubs closer to the city had lost. It also had a beer garden, which was actually pretty cool as well since that was something that pretty much all of the pubs in central London also lacked.

I have not actually had the pleasure of the new chef, but must inform people that John has moved on, the Black Lions loss. I shall try the new chef soon, but can't say yet how good the new one is. Will let you all know asap.

Lost a lot of regulars due to the new "management" who clearly has no idea what she is doing. Rude to customers and throws people out for no apparent reason just so she can drink all the stock.

We moved to Epping two years ago, desperate to find a watering hole we set off on a journey which would result in new friends, great atmosphere and a lovely new local. Confused at first with the two entrances we soon released that one side of the bar has more energy and if you wanted a quieter beverage you should use the left entrance, both sides are cracking. Showing a range of sports throughout the week the black lion is the place to be, music on a Friday night has educated me somewhat I'm pleased to say.Best place to be if your looking for a wide selection of music, great beers, sport and some great folk.

Friendly staff, good choice of beer, pretty garden area, and serving basic lunches. Ploughmans was good value and tasty.If you like old pubs you'll love this.

My daughter lives in Epping and took my husband and I out for lunch here at the Black Lion and we were quite impressed. If you walk along the High St you could almost pass this place and not know it was there as it's so small but when we went inside e we were very surprised and to find they had a large seating area out the back was an added bonus. As it was a nice sunny day we decided to eat lunch Alfresco. I ordered a Toasted Cheese and Ham Sandwich which was very nice but I was a bit surprised as it had no salad garnish with it. My Daughter had the Ploughmans and my husband had a Panini which were both ok. On the whole this place was a little gem and these days it's very hard to find a typical British pub and this place is. We will definitely go there again.

Charming pub, good choice of beers, friendly locals. Food is pretty decent as well. Good value for money. Will definately visit again.

We wanted to take our aged parents to a pub lunch. Luckily we went here to the Black Lion. The menu was just what we wanted. Homemade pies, fish and chips and I had the best liver & bacon I've had for ages. It took a time to come as its all cooked from fresh but we were in no rush sitting in the bar of this very historic pub.Very nice, thanks for looking after us.

Service was slow and unless you are a regular not a welcoming place. We gave up after waiting for locals to be served and when our turn came barmaid left to serve the other side. Same service on two occasions and our friend who lives locally was reluctant to go in the first place as she had the same experience. Give it a miss.

we booked the barn at the rear of the pub for a family gathering of 35-40 people and also ordered a hot buffet for 35.The barn was a good size for that amount of people with room for a few children to run around as well.The buffet was fantastic and the staff were very friendly and helpful.All in all a very pleasant experience and a most enjoyable afternoon.

Drinks were cold and fresh. Unfortunately so was the pub. Despite log fire being on this place was extremely cold and had to have our coats on. Extensive food menu, typical 'pub' food. Although not tried.

Epping is fast losing its pubs, this pub is one of the older ones left, it has a great management team and great friendly staff that always smile , I've never eaten here but often enjoy a drink of 10 here,the people that drink here are friendly and easy to chat with,

Quaint small pub in the high street. X2 separate bars and as to be expected quite narrow and small - narrow is a pain small not necessarily an issue. One side seemed to to a gathering of "hardened" horse race followers and a little intimidating. Lower level a little dark and seems unused following a lunchtime visit which is a shame. Nice outside seating area and a separate building which hosts private parties and sporting events. A car park at the back which I did not realise was there - a little side entrance leads the way to a private secured car park with a coin operated machine (coin from the bar) to allow departure. I have to say that the new owner is ticking the right boxes with improvements to the pub (following a visit some 2 years ago!!). Lovely young lady behind the bar serving. Worth a visit in due course. Again, the narrow bar rather off putting. Atmosphere not quite right especially for new visitors! Menu was ok with some interesting options.

Great little pub in the middle of Epping high street. The food is great and very well priced. John the chef is a great guy who will accommodate everyone even if you have food allergies.

Small quaint little pub, with so much more inside to offer. We were a party of 10 and we just happen to go into the Black Lion late afternoon on a Saturday. John the Chef said he could move tables around and accommodate us all. I had two family members with food allergies. One has a nut allergy, the other a wheat allergy. It can be quite difficult to make certain that nothing will affect them. We asked the waitress to check with the chef if the meals we were ordering would be safe for each of them. John came to the table and explained that there would be no problem with the wheat allergy, but the other person who had ordered could not have his choice as it had nut oil in it and made an alternative option which would be safe. All ten of us were extremely impressed with the standard of home made food, cooking of food and the size of everyone's meals. They were all beautifully presented, hot, plentiful and very tasty. We asked to see John the chef after our meal, to say thank you for all the above and to pass on our own individual thanks for a super meal. The waitress Nitsa, (who was actually John's wife) was very attentive to us, and waited on us without being intrusive. The whole evening was a fabulous event. But what topped it all, was the bill for the food!! We were all shocked! Excellent value for money. Drinks were served from the bar at bar prices which were normal but not expensive. We were so impressed that my husband and I have been back several times since and all the people we have taken were also very impressed. It has a side car park (you get a token to get out) another function room as well as inside, outside dining area and is also child friendly. Nothing was too much trouble. You can book or just call in. Highly recommended.