The Red Lion

Why are there so many pubs called The Red Lion? In an era when most drinkers were illiterate, it was King James I, an early branding guru, who decreed that the Stuart coat of arms be adopted by publicans throughout the recently united kingdoms of Scotland & England. Current tankard fillers include Adnams & Bass on tap or Stella Artois for lager lovers, while whisky buffs will appreciate a notable selection (including Berry’s Own Selection single malt from 1974 at £7.60 a shot). The food offering, meanwhile, is sandwiches only – think roast pork & stuffing or corn beef & pickle. We like this particular lion for its old-school charms & a feeling that it cocks a snook at the spreadsheet obsessions of corporate roundheads, a message not lost on latter-day cavaliers who gather here on the last Saturday in January to mourn the 1649 execution of Charles I at nearby Whitehall Palace.