The Blue Lion in Camden

Rude and dismissive previous owner, glad to hear it changed hands.

Lovely pub, and what a great Guinness they sell, new management can’t beat it

I love the Blue Lion after work. The guys behind the bar put my pints in a glass that makes it taste better… I don’t know how they do it!!! Staff are so nice 💜💜

Pub changed hands in March after 16 years of previous ownership. Was great, lord knows what it's like now.

Cool pub with nice space out the back. Mahou is a great pint

A bit lacklustre with terrible acoustics that made it difficult to hear the person opposite. But They don't sell beer !, a few indifferent lagers and a fridge with very little choice. Ended up going elsewhere.

Tired looking old pub, surprised it's still open. Rough.

Someone in the family rented this place for a private party and it was great. The staff were fantastic. Generally just a nice pub

Amazing, positive experience from first enquiry to post-event. Can't fault the manager, Cheryl, and her team. I had a 70th birthday party for almost 100 people and everyone loved the venue, the food and the friendly and helpful staff. My DJ's urgently needed a vital bit of kit and one of the staff rang round his friends and got one brought round to the pub to save the day! Soooo kind! Definitely recommend.

AMAZING venue! I had a great 40th birthday here. Ordered buffet food which was great. Played my own Spotify playlist and the speakers were loud enough to hear the music over the noise of everyone talking. Friendly staff! Everyone was really impressed by the venue and I’d thoroughly recommend it!

Popped in for a lunch pint. Very nice x

WOW! I loved the Blue Lion; it was the perfect pub. The staff were accommodating and friendly. I hired a space for my friends for my 20th birthday. My theme was denim and navy, and the blue lion was an excellent fit. It also helps that it was dreamily located between friends who lived locally and those arriving from around London, with Kings Cross nearby. The other pub merrymakers in the pub were nice and friendly, so lovely clientele too.

Visited on a Friday evening in the run-up to Christmas. Sad to hear that food offerings are only offered for a short duration during the day, so did not stay. Polite staff and nice atmosphere.

My friends and I hosted a birthday party at The Blue Lion and I couldn’t recommend it enough! Cheryl and her team were so helpful and accommodating, and the food and atmosphere were amazing. Thanks to the whole team who helped make the night so great!

Lovely rustic pub with very good ale and very friendly staff. Food is about £10 for a very hearty main, pints are £6ish.

We hired the pub for a private party for 90 people and it was such a great experience. Cheryl was so helpful & the pub is lovely with great value drinks. Would highly recommend for hiring for events!

We hired out the Blue Lion for our wedding party recently and had an outstanding time. Cheryl and the team are quick to reply and happy to answer any and all questions, to help us plan out our event. We got to visit ahead of event to understand the layout, which was really helpful. Cheryl and the team made our evening brilliant, through their helpfulness and kind characters. Everyone said it was a great venue - we would certainly come again and recommend the pub to anyone looking for a private venue to celebrate with friends and family! They offered a very reasonable buffet with vegan and vegetarians options, which were provided in abundance. Cannot recommend highly enough!

Held my husband’s birthday party here. Cheryl and the team were so helpful beforehand and on the night they were great. We had 100 guests and every one of them commented on what a great venue it was, that the food was lovely and service was great. I’d highly recommend this venue.

Hired out this pub in Sept 2023 for a joint family party and it was a joy working with Cheryl. Everyone complimented the venue as being ideal for our celebration which we could decorate ourselves and easily play my Spotify playlist. Food was very good (loads of it!) and bar staff were friendly and quick to serve. Thank you Cheryl and the team!

Nice rustic pub with paintings and old pictures dotted around. The pool table is decent, £1 a go. A good selection of classic games such as jenga, trivial pursuit, and scrabble to play as well as some books to read.

Had my 50th there. Great place for a party 🎉😁

It's quaint, but for a place that advertises a kitchen the food tastes like it's fresh out of the microwave. Peas tasted like they were dumped out of a can and the mash was too hot to even approach. Also, the only of four working casks was... likely turned.

Super nice Pub! Loved flair and the red beet burger! Also super cool music playing. Would love to come back again for one of those delicious Ales.

Celebrated a 30th birthday here! The space is ideal, the staff were so welcoming and helpful, and made sure we had the best possible time. Highly recommend! We’ll be back!

Terrible experience would t recommend 🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮😑🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮

We had my sons christening reception here and it was an absolutely amazing experience! The staff were great, the buffet was fantastic and the venue was dressed beautifully (just as we requested). The only down side was that we didn’t have access to the outside yard area at the back due to licensing which would have been ideal with temperatures of 30 degrees. But other than that it was an amazing reception - thank you to Cheryl and all the team at the Blue Lion! :)

Booked for my 50th birthday party. Cheryl the manager very prompt in replying to anything queries . Venue itself is light and airy. Great selection of beers on draught ( including alcohol free). Perfect for 80-100 guests. Bar staff were very helpful and pleasant. I ordered buffet platters - they were very good quality ( artisan meats and cheeses and great bread selection). Sound system basic but fine ( I played out playlists from my phone ). Would recommend without reservation.

Disappointing. Looks cozy from the mews side but barren and dead inside. Was there on a Friday night and it had only a handful of punters. No real ale on. One good thing is that it has got a pool table.

Bar lady Shud washed her after using the wash room!!!!! Really and you serve d drinks not good

Our joint 40th birthday was hosted at the Blue Lion and we couldn't have asked for a better venue. Cheryl was so helpful in the planning, very flexible in options, and the team on the night were so lovely and gave us a superb party. We had a belting time, it's a great pub and we'll definitely be back for more!

Helpful & friendly staff. Excellent selection of drinks. A few decent vegan options on the menu (wish there were more though!). I highly recommend their beetroot burger & chips.

Good beer selection and service

Fantastic pub and staff. We were there for a private party with our two-year-old and they couldn’t have been more welcoming. Great food too. Would definitely recommend.

Really good atmosphere full of young people after work and pub food!

Very nice pub, would be 5 if they had outside space!

We booked the pub out for a whole day on Saturday for a christening/civil partnership for around 60-70 people. The pub was fantastic for the day, loads of room for families and kids to play, speakers for music and just a very easygoing, relaxed space. They did a great spread of food for us, with no one going hungry, and the bar staff were all really cool and understanding. Cheryl made everything really easy and straightforward. Would recommend to anyone looking for a lovely, relaxed place to celebrate an occasion.

Full english breakfast very nice. Camden Hells also. The pub looked rain-beaten, from inside.

I recently had my 30th birthday at the blue lion and I couldn’t fault it one bit! Cheryl was so easy and happy with any ideas I had and nothing was a problem. I hired an external company to come in to put up a projector to show a rugby game and this was not a problem for the pub at all. The sound system for the rugby and music afterwards was perfect. Welcome drinks were great and constantly being filled, the pub allowed me to put on two signature cocktails that went down a treat. The buffet was outstanding and a lot of people came up to me to say how good the food was. The 3 members of staff behind the bar all night were great, no queuing for drinks and they were so friendly and nothing was a problem. We had the pub from 4pm to 1am and it was just the best birthday party. Thank you again Cheryl! I will be highly recommending the pub to anyone searching to hire a venue for parties etc.

Staff is friendly and the prices are reasonable, but the music is so loud it's hard to have a conversation.

Proper pub, decent music , no massive sports TV on in the background

I had my Retirement drinks party at the Blue lion a pub which I found by luck as I was searching for a venue walking the streets of Bloomsbury some weeks before . I knew it was the pub for me straight away when I walked in there , spotlessly clean , a fabulous centre bar and just a friendly warm unpretentious atmosphere . The afternoon and evening of my party went just flawlessly. Very friendly accommodating staff , a delicious buffet and a well stocked bar all made the event memorable. A well lit open fire place and meeting up with some old friends simply put the icing on the cake . The Blue Lion is a fabulous choice to have a party and enjoy oneself or just to have a quiet pint .

Lovely beer lovely fish sandwiches

Friendly staff, good food, nice choice of drinks. Great for after work meet up

Nice little pub hard to find but very helpful friendly staff dog friendly too👍

Had an awful 40th Birthday Party here. Discussed our requirements to use the their speakers so we could dance until 1am .. which then was not allowed after 830pm, (the staff member told me i had signed a contract that music was not allowed) and then proceeded to take photos of the female dj and took the others into a private room to tell them off for using the volume above speaking level.. The entrance to the mews was closed and if anyone used it they got shouted at with no respect whatsoever. The staff (one in particular) were incredibly rude. No music is allowed due to NO LICENSING FOR MUSIC after 9pm according to staff member, and also the owner apparently living above the pub who doesn't like it loud on a Saturday. Altogether it ruined the evening as I was constantly being forced into arguments with the staff about the MUSIC BEING ABOVE SPEAKING LEVEL. If the owner does reply that the staff have moved on etc it was their fault,; she could have been there, and she could have been honest about the licensing or her own rules before we booked it. Perhaps these issues have been addressed, please confirm all of the above before booking if you do and that the owner will be available if there are any issues. We were offered no compensation for a global party of >90. I don't normally do these angry reviews but it was really disappointing for my 40th and still leaves a bitter taste. Also beware of 1 review reviewers (90% of the good ones here..) pretty easy to create a new email account, just like it's easy to spoil a special event.

A pub with a nice gentle vibe, food was good and a good selection of drinks

A lovely little pub tucked away , friendly staff and great prices.

I recently hired out The Blue Lion for my 30th birthday party. From start to end Cheryl, the manager, was excellent to communicate with - answering any questions and helping with menu choices etc. The bar staff on the night were extremely capable and friendly. The music system was perfect to plug in your own playlist, with the back area behind the bar acting as a dancefloor. I had comments from several guests on what a great space the venue was and how tasty the food was. Overall, couldn't be happier and would 100% recommend as the perfect venue for a party.

I booked The Blue Lion for my 40th birthday party. It's ideal for a Saturday night because they are closed so you can hire out the entire pub, it's a perfect size venue for a party, the staff are friendly and worked super hard, the buffet food was good and well priced and I was allowed to decorate and have a hired photo booth. Highly recommend if you're planning a party.

Great ale and food nice to sit and all that for reasonable prices too Thank you very much

Open specially on a Saturday night for a birthday party. Good range of beers, some of which I've not seen before

Nice place to chill, some food available. Pool table is available to but the cue needs to changed.

Good food beautiful staff,excellent service .Highly reccomended.

One of the best pubs in town, certainly the best in the area. I love drinking here. Great mews out the back, lovely bar area. Also had my birthday party here. Free to hire, pool table, played our own music and the staff and management are all so lovely. Cant recommend this place enough.

This is a difficult one, the bartender was so nice and atmosphere was nice, a bit quieter than what you would expect from a pub in the city. The place needs an overhaul, also no food, no chef on the Tuesday we went. Not sure if that's always the case. The ceiling was leaking, staff put bowls down, we were told coming from the flat above. Thought I will leave the worst for last, we all saw a mouse scurrying across the floor a few times. To be fair, as I said earlier the bartender was so sweet and apologised, tried to say its only one, at this time we thought it was best to leave, last bell had gone by that time. As I said its a tricky one, staff are really nice, just the place needs some TLC. With all that, would I go there again? Hmmmmm the jury is still out.

Lovely atmosphere !!! Awesome staff !!!

I recommend the Blue Lion , we had a private event here . We ordered food which was good value and very tasty . The organisation was perfect Cheryl was so helpful and made our event run without a hitch. The location is great right in between Russel square and Kings cross. The prices for a central London pub were very reasonable. We will be using this venue again

We used the venue to throw a party for my mother. Was a great set up and so much space!! The staff were always happy to help with questions, requests and just generally making the experience go well. Cheryl was fantastic in the build up, answering every query and helping with viewings in the build up. Its a very good location and perfect for a spacious, private occasion. Highly recommend the venue!

I run a London social community called London Stayers and hired The Blue Lion to host a charity party. From the moment we booked we were met with warmth and professionalism and we couldn't be happier with the event we had there. A beautiful huge open pub with a great bar selection, well located and the friendliest staff. My group asked me to book more events here while we were still at the party and I couldn't wait to make more bookings. We can't wait to be back! You are one of our new favourite places. What an outstanding venue.

It can often feel more of a dining pub than somewhere just for a drink, but even if you aren’t eating it’s still an enjoyable experience every time. Service is always efficient, there’s a relaxing atmosphere and a good range of seating depending on the size of group you’re visiting with. Pleasant enough and I’ll be returning next time I’m passing.

It can often feel more of a dining pub than somewhere just for a drink, but even if you aren’t eating it’s still an enjoyable experience every time. Service is always efficient, there’s a relaxing atmosphere and a good range of seating depending on the size of group you’re visiting with. Pleasant enough and I’ll be returning next time I’m passing.

Great beer, great food and really great staff😎

Held a 90th birthday party in the Blue Lion in June. Excellent venue, the food provided was delicious and the staff were very professional and helpful. Everybody had a great evening. Would definitely book this venue again!!

Ni e little out it was closed to public for my friends party. Excellent food, good choice of drinks.

Hired the whole pub for a 40th birthday for 70 guests and it was a blast. Pre-event communication with Cheryl was v quick and I sent many questions over the previous few months. We also visited a few months before to talk over some questions with the staff, again all answered quickly. The venue was very accommodating allowing us to safely store party things across the weekend too. The bar is really well laid out allowing for separate areas for food, sitting/chatting, and dancing. The night itself went really well. The music volume was more than adequate for a DJ/playlist, the food was reasonably priced and went down well with the guests, and the bar staff were v good too. No negatives from me at all other than wishing I could turn 40 once again... but the Blue Lion can't help with that one.

This is an outstanding venue for a private event. I held my birthday party here and the food was excellent, the staff helpful, and the communication with Cheryl, the owner, first class. There is plenty of room for people to sit and as the front windows open wide it is also airy and light. It's also extremely good value. I have no hesitation in recommending it very highly.

We held our celebration at the Blue Lion in May 2022. From the moment we booked till the event ended, the team where fantastic, friendly and went out of their way to ensure everything went smoothly. Can't recommend The Blue Lion highly enough.

Hidden gem. Bigger than it looks from walking by. Good real ales and pleasant atmosphere.

I used the Blue Lion for a 50th birthday celebration (about 50 people), and I cannot fault the team in any way. The pub provided the perfect ambience for an afternoon of relaxed conversation and board games, followed by a party into the night. The buffet catering was excellent, and good value.

We held a party on a Saturday night at The Blue Lion for my husband’s 60th and Cheryl and her team were just amazing. The venue is a great size and a really flexible space. We had about 40 people and it felt intimate with lots of nice nooks and crannies. The sound system is excellent, we just plugged in a laptop and a Spotify playlist. The food was delicious and so easy. Cheryl advised us on exactly the right amount to order for a vegetarian buffet (we would have over ordered) and we had our own cake delivered. Everything was slick and really well thought through from arrivals drinks to a microphone for speeches. If you’re planning a private party, I can’t recommend the Blue Lion highly enough.

I stumbled across The Blue Lion when searching for a 30th birthday celebration venue for my boyfriend and I was blown away by what they had to offer. After a visit to see the venue I secured the booking almost immediately. Communication with both Cheryl and the assistant manager Maria was seamless throughout. All questions/ queries were never too much and were promptly replied to! We were allowed to decorate the venue and hire our own external DJ. Cheryl helped me plan my food order to ensure there was enough for guests - the food was also incredible, and there was plenty to go round and very reasonably priced! The minimum spend is INCREDIBLE for a full venue hire of a central London pub on a weekend until early hours! All my guests were commenting on how amazing the venue was, and asking for the details for their future events. Thank you for helping me throw such an incredible and memorable celebration!! I would not hesitate to recommend, and will definitely have The Blue Lion in mind for any future events! Thank you!

We booked at joint 40th here and Cheryl and her team were nothing short of fantastic, it’s a great place for a party of pretty much any size up to 120. The drinks, catering and communication were spot and it was far cheaper in terms of minimum spend than smaller, worse looking places.

Great place for a quick pint and some food. Loved the atmosphere here.

I held my wife’s surprise party at The Blue Lion I couldn’t have asked for a more fantastic venue. It was great being able to have to whole pub to ourselves. Cheryl and her team were amazing both in helping in the run up to the party and on the night. Nothing was too much trouble. The food was amazing and all our guests commented on how good it was. The staff on the night were friendly and professionally and really helped the party to go smoothly. The Blue Lion is a great venue with brilliant staff making it a great place to hold a party.

Very clean and friendly staff smart place nice to see a working fireplace great place

Very nice Pub. You can also play snooker.

The venue is great and really central. From start to finish organising my 30th party here was a breeze, staff were responsive and friendly. Really accommodating and helped to make the eve a truly special occasion.

Vibe isn't that great and it closes really early

We hired the Blue Lion for a birthday party and we couldn't have been happier - Cheryl was very communicative in the lead up to the event, the space was great and the staff on the night were incredibly friendly and accomodating. Would (and have) recommend to anyone looking for a great venue for a large group

Nice atmosphere and attentive staff

Good weekday pub, seemingly mostly orientated to the (mostly white collar) workers in the Grays Inn Road area. Accordingly it is closed at weekends! Do-it-all venue for a lunchtime pint or a sit down evening meal, or taking your colleagues out for a few rounds, or a discreet meeting drink and anything in between. Prices are about what you'd expect for central London. Have been an occasional user for a number of years as our office is opposite and haven't had cause to fault them - the whole show seems to be run with care and attention to detail. Bring the kitchen back soon!

Very nice fish finger sandwiches lovely washed down with a freedom ipa

I hired the whole of the pub for lunch for a group of naturist friends. Really friendly staff, good food and a great selection of beers behind the bar as well. Highly recommended

Decent boozer with a well chosen selection of ales usually in good condition. Good pub food on offer, usually quiet at lunchtimes. Gets very busy with the after work crowd, ITV are just across the road and they clearly enjoy a pint! Pool table at the back which is a nice bonus.

Joined a group playing board games, staff were friendly and accommodating

Nice pub and great food. Staff are nice too. Would definitely visit again.

Spacious, clean, not too busy, pool table. Burgers have a list of extras that includes black pudding.

I booked a big party months in advance, a couple of weeks before the party the venue cancelled due to them double booking. Whilst I understand sometimes these things happen I can't help but think that they just had a better offer of a party worth more money as there was no remorse! I don't think that the manager would have behaved in the same way if it was a genuine mistake as they just didn't care at all!! I did get my deposit returned but there was no follow up, no helping me out to try and find a suitable alternative venue and not even a sniff of compensation! It wouldn't have been much to give us a bottle of fizz to apologise for the amount of stress caused and last minute panic. Unbelievably though I didn't even get a follow up text or email to see if I managed to sort out another venue or even wish me a happy birthday - TERRIBLE!

Nice place to sit with friends.

Great place, good staff, good beer selection

Llegó a tomar una pinta y almorzar durante una visita al cercano Museo Postal.  Un antiguo pub victoriano que se ha modernizado hasta cierto punto.  Algunos asientos para banquetes, muchas mesas y sillas de madera y el extraño sofá crean un ambiente agradable e informal, junto con muchas fotos antiguas en las paredes y 2 chimeneas abiertas, una de las cuales albergaba un resplandor.  Buena elección de cervezas. La comida tenía un precio competitivo. Mi sopa era bastante sabrosa y casera pero un poco tibia.  En general, nada excepcional pero perfectamente razonable y buen servicio amable.

I didn't really expect much but found the blue lion to have good beer, atmosphere, service and food

Reasonably good pint (though they always seem to be running out of whatever we are drinking). Food is ok (but nothing to go out of your way for). Pool table is a bonus!

Amazing! We can’t thank Cheryl enough for making our wedding party so easy to organise from overseas - advising on arrangements and taking care of everything on the day. The Blue Lion is just perfect - friendly and full of character - with a really a wonderful team. Delicious food got rave reviews from everyone, from small kids to parents out way past their bedtime. We can’t believe there’s a better place in central London for a weekend party. We'd recommend you to all our friends, but most of them were there and are already enthusiastically spreading the word. Thank you again. You made this newly-hitched couple very very happy.

Very disappointed with burger, insanely tough large lump of meat and inconsistently poorly cooked chips. Fine place for drinks.

Private Hire - Me and my wife booked the entire venue on a Sunday to celebrate our wedding and we had the best time ever!!! The bar staff looked after us throughout the night and ensured we had a great time. The food was gorgeous and plenty and the drinks were reasonably priced and varied! We brought in our own DJ, chocolate fountain, sweets and other props. Our aim was to make sure our guests had a night to remember and they truly did! I cannot praise this venue enough for making our night so special. Thank you so much! :)

Was there for a private function, great atmosphere, great food spread. Leon behind the bar is an absolute don too. Give that guy a raise!

It's a pub with a working pool table. Score!

Well seasoned food. I had the sausages and mash. Fast service and a nice atmosphere. Loved the fireplace. The music noise level is perfect. Lovely experience.

I had my 50th birthday party at The Blue Lion on Saturday and I can honestly say everything went brilliantly, and totally exceeded my expectations. The layout of this pub is stupendously good for a private party. I had 60 guests and there was plenty of space for people to sit and talk. There are sofas, booths, tables - places to chat and drink and eat the incredibly delicious food that Cheryl and her team provided from a menu that I pre-ordered from a week before the event. The lighting was fab, the pub was warm when we arrived on a cold, wet November evening. I had my own DJ, who plugged into the pub’s speaker system and this worked great. I was in great hands as Cheryl clearly thinks about everything and simply knows how to put on a superb private party. Its the perfect pub party venue in my opinion. I am honestly delighted with how my party went and still full of a warm, happy feeling from the night. Cheryl’s staff are friendly and relaxed too. We added decorations when we arrived - balloons and banners etc. Booking everything with Cheryl was effortless, my party was a success and all my guests were happy. If you are thinking about having a party in a pub, this place is perfect. It does look different in the evening to the daytime e.g. lava lamps and other cool lamps in the evening are nice touches - so do check out the photos other people have posted.