The Golden Lion in City of London, Westminster

The best english pub, nice food and Domi from the bar is super nice and helpful!

I love traditional, historical pubs. We found this one just recently, on a quiet road, near St James Park, after watching the VE day celebrations. Staff were courteous and efficient even though the place was packed. We sat outside and enjoyed the atmosphere.

The staff are polite and very helpful, there is a great atmosphere and the food was excellent 😃

Visiting London, this looked like an atmospheric place. Turns out it is part of a chain. Burnt burger, frozen fish and inedible chips. Table was dirty. Do no recommend.

An excellent pub where you eat and drink well, friendly staff

Was just passing on Friday afternoon and thought we would pop in for a quick bite to eat. The food was cooked really well and tasted lovely, will definitely be back when in the area again.

I had a terrible experience here, myself and 4 friends stopped for lunch and was told there would be a 30-45 minute wait for food, we said this was ok. After over an hour of waiting we asked where our food was, the waitress said she would follow up. After near to an hour and a half after ordering, one of my friends meals arrived, a chicken burger, and it was so unbelievably dry she was unable to eat it. My other friends food showed up around 15 mins after, which was an hour and 45 minutes after ordering, we left after 2 hours and my food never came. The waitress serving us was very apologetic and issued us a full refund, this issue seemed to be caused by the kitchen. This was so disappointing, after wasting 2 hours waiting and not eating, I had to go somewhere else to eat something and the food my friends received really wasnt worth the wait. I would not go back here again.

Otro viejo pub encantador. Hermosa por dentro y por fuera. Londres tiene tantos pubs antiguos hermosos. Personal amable. Excelente ubicación.

Beautiful experience at this pub. Fast service and delicious food, the lovely young woman Mia served us. She had a wonderful politeness and smile. Will be coming back with my daughter…

lovely young lady by the name of mai served us and she displayed wonderful customer service (so polite as well!!) will definitely be coming again

Lovely pub and great food!! And thank you to Maia for the great service! Will be back

Came here the other day and the staff were lovely. Nice girl called miya was very welcoming and professional, her service was 10/10.

Great atmosphere and food, staff very friendly and helpful

Beautiful old building, well maintained, and the food was lovely and good value

Very crowded pub, permanently busy that day due to Cheshire Cat hunt, went to stand on pavement instead

Staff are very nice and had me served quickly. Miya was very friendly and attentive, deffo coming back!

I came in for drinks yesterday, It was super busy, but I think the staff handled it well! Shout out to miya she served me very well upstairs :)

Nachos are average, everything else is top, I recommend

The food was really good and fest, just what I would’ve expected from a local pup. Not that many tourists except for us. The service was great, the manager made the visit. She was truly amazing!

The dishes that the previous people left have been left on the table for the past 40 minutes, we ordered drinks from the website/app that didnt come, no soap in the bathrooms

Typical English PUB, with an atmosphere that breathes history and thousands of liters of good “pints”. It is a local chain, but it is nice that it is genuinely local. Nice, good music and the food is very good. The fries are remarkable. Burger and Steak Pie.. an 8

Great food and service from the staff (Miya)

Locale storico nella zona dello shopping esclusivo di Londra: una sosta veloce per una birra di qualità servita dalla simpatica Dominic e poi si riprende!

Cozy and nice. Nella zona piu’ raffinata e discreta di Londra un antico pub, ex teatro, con avventori locali, legno scuro e buone birre. La barista Dominique (una giovane polacca) davvero gentile e simpatica ci ha servito con cura e un sorriso felice.

Super nice staff and a beautiful looking pub.

really lovely pub, was served by the even lovelier miya!

great pub, thanks miya for being so kind and welcoming ! we’ll come back for sure!!

I went here last week and it was such a lovely experience, Maya was so attentive and kind. We’ll definitely be back!

Great service and lucie was very helpful Will visit again :)

Just popped in for a drink to meet a friend and ended up staying for the evening. Had a great meal and fantastic service from Dominika, she couldn't have been more attentive and always with a smile on her face. Highly recommended and a big high five to Dominika, thanks😊

One of my favourite pubs, staff and drinks are always amazing! Thanks guys

Fantastic boozer,service excellent as always.

Fantastic pub all round! Mai gave excellent service as always - will definitely be back! My regular!

service was great, mai went above and beyond to make sure my needs were met :)

The best pub in St James HANDS DOWN. Miya and Sophie are amazing and always the BEST service - fast, fun and enjoyable- great beers and wine too

Came in for a meal with my family and was served by Mai, 10/10 service. serious

miya did an amazing job boosting the energy for the night, paid good attention to the customers and gave blinding customer service she really slayed 10/10 would recommmend

Good food, amazing service by Miya!

Went in for a some food and drinks and was served by Mai and her uplifting vibes had no trouble placing my order with her…absolutely amazing service

Miya’s customer service was absolutely incredible! She was so accommodating and served us swiftly and efficiently. Will definitely be returning!

Went with my wife , the pub is really nice , great atmosphere, fantastic beer. We order couple of burgers , services was fast , i definitely will be back , great pub in London!!!

Drinks were really well made (and decent price, especially for London), good atmosphere inside. Our server Lewis was really friendly and had great service on the night. Great London pub, will definitely be returning!

I'm really stunned - something like this wouldn't be acceptable in Germany given the way people treat and eat. The service was really the greatest disgrace I have ever experienced - my eight fellow travelers were also speechless. Some people made fun of guests who waited 1 1/2 hours for their food. You should get the food at the counter because the waiter has “no time” to distribute it. The restaurant was almost empty. Evening ruined.

Well located, friendly staff, but the food I asked was all vegetarian and it all came tasting like fish.....

Great lunch. The staff was really kind to us- and accommodating our son.

Thank you Golden Lion, for your hospitality, convivial atmosphere and excellent service. Hazlitt Pub Quiz, 18 Feb 25

Lo pasamos muy bien en este bar. Estábamos caminando y nos encantó la energía, luego nos atendió Dominika y ella era un gran anfitrión! Terminamos quedándonos más tiempo de lo esperado y lo pasamos muy bien. Si te gusta la vieja moda: ¡prueba su banana de la vieja moda, es enfermizo!

Nos encanta este bar / restaurante. Vibra es genial. Pero Domi el camarero mixólogo era increíble 🤩 Me hizo un Banana Old Fashion. Lo cual es delicioso. 😋 (tenía 3 ) 🤭

Dropped in for a quick bite to eat nice food

Maravilloso servicio de Dominika que cuidó de 21 de nosotros del Rotary Club de la ciudad de Londres - sin duda iría al León de Oro de nuevo

Paige is so accommodating and so patient and kind. Would recommend 100%!!!

This pub should be named “we don't have this love!” Dont order from the app with the qr code, you will pay, they will come to say “ we dont have that,love” and they dont give your money back, because they dont know how and have to ask manager…..

Gran lugar. Buena comida. Piri Piri alitas y cerveza de barril eran fantásticos. Me encantaría volver de nuevo. Diferente selección de cerveza que los otros pubs que visitamos que bebieron bien.

Tuvimos un tiempo realmente encantador en un hermoso pub de Londres. La encantadora dama que nos cuidó, Domi, fue la cantidad justa de atención. Me encantó 😊

I went to this pub with my husband, by chance. It was not crowded and we found a seat upstairs, drank some good beer and ate two good dishes. We had a really good time, after so much walking, really relaxing and comfortable. An added value was Domi, of the staff, kind and helpful, with whom we exchanged a pleasant chat in perfect Italian!

We had a great time at the Golden Lion! The food was excellent (Fish & Ships and Steak & Ale Pale) and Domi at the upstairs counter was so pleasant & welcoming!! (despite our broken English). Everything was perfect! Go ahead with your eyes closed 🥰

We were a group of 10 who'd been on a guided walk and had reserved a table in the upstairs bar. We were all tired, hungry and looking forward to a nice drink and meal. On arrival , I must say the pub is very quaint and cosy. A drinks order was taken but it was at least three quarters of an hour before they arrived, in fact our guide couldn't wait any longer so had to leave as he was guiding another walk later in the day. The food, when it eventually arrived (after nearly an hours wait ),was ok but couple of our group were told they didn't have what they wanted only after the food arrived, not when they ordered. The staff came across as stressed ,rude and unhelpful. Reading other reviews maybe we were unlucky, perhaps there was a staff shortage that day, but its put us off visiting again

Best Guinness I ever had. Lovely craft bears and ciders. Definitely visiting in the future.

Sadly most of the forces not available, staff were bad tempered verging on rude. I have scored the food poorly due to unavailability of most items including ding a simple burger. We left without eating.

Bar downstairs with a seating area for dining upstairs. The downstairs can get quite busy and loud but upstairs is quieter and more spacious for dining. Food was okay but not amazing.

Despite the pub being very busy, the staff took great care to accommodate us & the food was excellent.

Well, it's worth a visit if you're shopping in St James

Really nice little pub tucked away in the back streets of St James's. We went there after attending a carol concert in St James church, Piccadilly and spent a very pleasant afternoon in the upstairs bar. Food, drink and atmosphere all good. Menu had pub classics as well as festive specials - we had pies and fish and chips which were all great value. Would definitely go there again.

Great historic pub just around the corner from Piccadilly. Friendly staff, easy pub food and nice atmosphere. Thank you

Great Christmas meal for a large group - Scott and the Team were fantastic when it came to making everyone's orders go smoothly. They really went above and beyond! Lovely festive table set-up as well.

Nice place to eat and drink well. Waiting times a little long for lunch but the place is packed. Excellent Fish & Chips

Aunque era partidario de los pubs londinenses en particular y de la industria hotelera en general, esto fue muy decepcionante. No había cerveza de barril y varios platos no estaban disponibles. De esos que pedimos el pescado frito parecía y sabía como si estuviera reformado y había sido congelado, y la hamburguesa era pequeña y más - cocinado. Un pub en la calle. El SW 1 de James debería funcionar mejor. Dos estrellas solo para el personal amable y servicial.

Proper afterwork traditional pub with good prices for such a central location, and the Christmas decoration is very well made. Minimum waiting times when when it's busy.

DOMI was soo lovely and helpful !!!! 🩷

Great place for a traditional pint and a catch up with mates

Didn't eat myself, but it looked good being served to others, very busy and a good atmosphere.

Just popped in forba quick toliet break and coke

Really nice bar like hidden gem of London really cozy nice for one or two

45 minutes for a hamburger and a fish seems absurd to me, having paid before we felt hostage of this place, don't go there unless you have time and patience to waste...

Ordered a shandy and she accidentally poured soda instead of lemonade but even after drinking half the drink and thinking 'this doesn't taste right' I confirmed with my table and they agreed it was soda! We took it to the bar and they replaced it with a full shandy and just had abit of a laugh about the mistake. Was lovely service and lovely that they replaced it no questions. Very lovely pub with a nice atmosphere and location

Excellent pub with outstandingly good ale! Great service , highly recommended

Gran pequeño pub, joya en Mayfair, excelente servicio, disfrutar de mi tiempo, cerca de la calle James Park, arriba sala de estar para una cena

Food times are minimum 30 minutes and go undisclosed until customer complains. Been waiting on simple dishes for 40 minutes and they’re still not here.

A great little pub, with a great atmosphere. Service is very good until it comes to the food. It's not until the order arrives do they tell you the main you ordered is not available, so you are presented with just chips and a salad. Then, when you ask for a steak sandwich as an alternative cooked medium rare they give you one that's been cremated. Disappointing.

This place was wonderful! Bar staff where so friendly and helpful. This was my first pub I went to in London and if I'm ever back in town, I will be coming back! Had the fish and chips and it was amazing.

Did ot have food but great atmosphere and service.

Great service very good British pub food espe ially enjoyed the ale!

Me encantan los verdaderos pubs británicos este tiene un ambiente encantador. Realmente disfruté de Golden Lion ale. Nos reunimos con amigos disfrutamos del almuerzo aquí filete fue muy bueno mis amigos disfrutaron del pollo César ensalada personal es muy amable y eficiente recomiendo encarecidamente que pase por si alrededor de Pall Mall.

I was greeted by a very empathetic and friendly red haired waiter, he helped me choose the menu. The atmosphere, although casual, was a bit noisy.

Mientras que el camarero era muy agradable, tristemente el servicio desde la cocina era increíblemente lento. Tardaron una hora en entregar papas fritas y un almuerzo de solomillo asado. Peor aún, la cena asada, el pudín Yorkshire, la carne y la coliflor estaban “frigoríficos” fríos, literalmente acababan de salir de la nevera con cero intento de calentar los artículos. Realmente no estoy seguro de lo que pasó aquí, si un chef no estaba. Afortunadamente me reembolsaron esta comida, no soy de los que se quejan como muchos de mis amigos y familiares tienen restaurantes, pero la comida que viene directamente de la nevera simplemente no es aceptable : ( y el tiempo de espera para la comida también es demasiado largo.

Un fish & chips spettacolare!!! Filetto di pesce morbido ma fuori croccante , con patatine ottime!! Un po’ defilato dal casino di piccadilly.. vicino a St James..comodissimo e consigliato. Ci sono tanti altri piatti interessanti che proveremo la prossima volta

Good pub. We didn't try any food so can't rate that

Had a table booked for food we arrived the bar staff completely uninterested in serving us or communicating. We found our table no one came to ask us if we wanted drinks or food. When we went downstairs to order we were told bluntly that there would be a 30 min delay on any food we ordered. The pub was not busy and looked like no one else was eating. We decided to leave and go elsewhere. Felt like they didn’t care or want to do the job.

Had a table booked for food we arrived the bar staff completely uninterested in serving us or communicating. We found our table no one came to ask us if we wanted drinks or food. When we went downstairs to order we were told bluntly that there would be a 30 min delay on any food we ordered. The pub was not busy and looked like no one else was eating. We decided to leave and go elsewhere. Felt like they didn’t care or want to do the job.

A great little boozer away from

A great little boozer away from

Decent pint of small selection of cask ale.

Great old school pub... Delicious burgers and amazing beer from all over Europe!

Busy pub with lots of people. Food very average.

Lovely old pub.Worth to visit and have a drink when you are in the area

They do not have much of what is on the menu in stock. This pub is also authentic and atmospheric. Lots of nice beers on tap. For food you're better off going somewhere else.

Came during a scavenger hunt. As it's quite small it was very loud despite not many people being here. Plus a little pricey.

I think the food is quite average for the price, the staff is friendly and the atmosphere was not to my liking.

Great Pub with nice Ambiente and lovely staff. Food was also great, 5/5 stars! Def. Worth a visit, we enjoyed it a lot.

I actually love this pub. The beer is well kept and the food is solid. It’s tiny, rather beautiful and has the potential to be a something of a jewel. But it’s badly let down by repeatedly sullen and miserable bar staff. I go here fairly often and the manager is generally pleasant but other than that, it’s really not good enough. Usually there’s a totally wordless transaction: I make an order, it’s served in dead silence, then I pay. I feel truly blessed if I’m deemed worthy of a word of pleasantry or even a vague smile. If you interact, you might occasionally receive some monosyllabic reply, again with no smile or flicker of charm. Ultimately, this is a pub: and it’s in desperate need of people who understand what a pub should be instead of assuming you can treat customers as if they’re short of money for a pack of loo rolls in Lidl. In addition, there is hot competition nearby in the form of two Red Lions not a hundred yards away - the very welcoming and charming one on Crown Passage and the picture book one on Duke of York Street. Again, this could be a real gem of a pub and I really hope it’s able to pull its socks up and fulfil its potential soon.