I found this local gem on Google maps and decided to give it a try for the famed British Sunday roast. I made a reservation same-day but not sure if it was actually necessary because there were plenty of open tables when we arrived. We were greeted by the bartender and given the choice to be sat at a table or booth. They offer several different proteins for their Sunday roast and on this occasion I opted for the beef sirloin. Although the portion looks huge I did not leave feeling sickly. It ended up being the perfect serving size! I especially loved the Yorkshire pudding and generous helping of gravy atop my meal. For dessert I had the sticky toffee pudding with custard and it was to die for. I loved it so much I was craving it again the next day but sadly they only offer this treat on Sundays. As others have mentioned, their staff are not the most welcoming, but we didn't come across any major issues. I didn't get the vibe that they were excited to have us as guests so deducting one star for lackluster service. Don't let that deter you though, it's still worth a visit for the delicious food! read more

The Black Lion - Sunday roast - beef sirloin - Pubs Near Me - London, XGL

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Food was wonderful, and I appreciated that this restaurant was so close to our Airbnb. The service was fast and friendly, and the ambience is really nice. I really enjoyed the naan and the sweet potato fries. Plates are also large and there was plenty for the next day. read more

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Not friendly service. Rude staff. Food ok but will not returning. Much better places in the neighborhood to visit.

The room is very comfortable. The food is amazing. The drinks are also amazing. It's nice to see a good crowd at the black lion. The bartenders are very helpful and kind. we stayed here and everyone was very kind The bed is actually comfortable. read more

In terms of decor this place is a gem. Huge main room fantastically adored with amazing ceilings and floors, plus everything in-between. If you are interested in unique pub designs, this is a must-stop. That said, I didn't eat and thus cant comment on the food. It's also a hotel and so reviews might include sleeping quarter experiences. read more

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The most beautiful pub in one of London ugliest High Roads. It has been a while since I had any food here but I still remember the size of those fish'n'chips ... As I'm more of a wine drinker than beer aficionado, I can only comment on the former. Fairly impressive list with only the most important 250ml optioned listed next to the price for a whole bottle - £7 for a glass of wine really is steep. Luckily smaller units at 125ml and 175ml are also available for some false economy ... Despite being absolutely massive, the Black Lion is always well attended which is probably due to the fact that it doubles up as a guesthouse. All in all a perfect meeting place before or after performances at the Tricycle or gigs at the Good Ship - both across the road. But you can just as easily spend an entire evening here, enjoying the elaborate ceiling and period features. Did I already mention how beautiful this place is? read more

The Black Lion - Pubs Near Me - London, XGL

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I spent a month in Kilburn a few Summers ago and stayed at this amazing B&B. It was full of charm and the people were great...I felt like family. They even gave me a card when I left! How sweet is THAT? I never ate at the restaurant, but the pub was perfect. Some nights were quieter than others, which suited me fine. My room was on the third floor, and even though the stairs were a killer it was worth it. Just beautiful. Quiet, clean, and with a nice breeze. I'm American, so maybe it would be different for locals - but this beautiful place was exactly where I wanted to stay. I can't wait to return. Oh...and I saw David Mitchell, too...he was getting drunk with Robert. Super nice guys. read more

The Black Lion - Right by a beautiful park - Pubs Near Me - London, XGL

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Stopped in here for a bite before heading over to the nearby Tricycle theatre. I hadn't heard of the place before but it looked cool (see photos I've uploaded) so I thought I'd chance it. Very glad I did! Interior decor has great charm with the decorated ceilings and wood detail everywhere. Beer choice was good, and the food fresh & delicious. I had the haddock special which was perfectly done, the fish was absolutely delicious. I must admit the portion seemed small at first but after I'd gobbled it down I was plenty satisfied. My husband had the steak with peppercorn sauce which he said was lovely, and the chips were nice & crispy. Staff was friendly, prices are average for a gastropub type place. As I've only been here once and during the afternoon I don't know what it is like in the evenings. However, I would go out of my way to visit again. read more

The Black Lion - Pubs Near Me - London, XGL

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Lovely, homely place. Great beer, reasonable prices (for Kilburn) and some great food. They've got some lovely benches outside, which in this sunshine is amazing. When the sun's out it's perfect for a pint of cider. When it's cold, there are some lovely old couches by an open fire. And the food! So good, great for a meal before seeing something at the Tricycle (which is just across the road). Grace Dent did a pretty funny review of it: http://www.standard.co.uk/goingout/restaurants/grace-and-flavour-the-black-lion-8515334.html read more

The Black Lion - Pubs Near Me - London, XGL

My dad chose this gastro-pub to have his birthday dinner last night. It was incredibly quiet in the restaurant section as we were the only one in there for most of the dinner. Dad previously visited on a weekend, and said it was very busy on a Saturday. The pub section is very pretty - there are ornate carvings on the wood wall panels. The seperate restaurant section decor is different with tree patterned wall paper and a roaring fire. I am not convinced they have a very exciting beer selection. I am not a big beer drinker myself but the boyfriend seemed a bit disappointed that he ended up with only a Budvar. My food was surprisingly really delicious. I had trout - deliciously pan friend with fennel and potatoes - and the portion size was good too. You can also order from the bar menu so if you want a bit more of a selection request to see that too. I'm a bit surprised that the waiter was a neglectful of a few things - i.e.. milk for tea, forks etc when we were the only costumers in the restaurant to serve. There was a bit of a language issue with getting our order across too, however he was polite and courteous. I'd like to go back but probably on the weekend for a less ghostly vibe. read more

One of the most beautiful pubs I've come across in London so far. I've been in a couple of times, when its quite and when its busy busy. There is always a fire lit and a warm atmosphere. Highly recommend, for a nice early quiet pint or a with a group of mates for a louder and later pint. Definitely my new local. read more

The Black Lion is like a welcoming beacon in the darkness that is Kilburn High Road. This place is a wasteland for food and drink, we were walking along for ages trying to find a decent pub that we could go into for dinner and eventually this place shone out of the rain! It's quite a large space with a separate bar and dining room. We grabbed a big squashy couch and settled in with drinks to look at the menu. The place is made quite cosy with the lovely lighting and I can imagine it would make a nice local! Unfortunately I was after something healthy that night and the closest thing on the menu was a salad with bacon and cheese. The menu is quite indulgent, lots of meat and burger dishes, bacon wrapped salmon and a whole selection of tapas. Don't get me wrong, normally that would be right up my street but I'm trying to turn over a new leaf. The food we did see whizzing by looked pretty good so I'd recommend you pop in and try it if you're in the area. read more

Best Sunday Roast in NW London!! I know it's a big statement but when you have had one to many awful tasteless roasts in your lifetime you tend to appreciate finding a place that can get it so right. This is it, once you can get past the dark, overcrowded front area of the pub and walk a little further into the venue there is a bright area that can be reserved. They also have a beer garden, which has a BBQ running during summer days. Every single time I have been here the roasts have been delicious, generous portion and cooked well. The staff are friendly, attentive and efficient. read more

The reason i discovered this pub was after one of my many visits to the Tricycle Gallery. It's a huge, fantastic building with a splendid Victorian interior, inside is a bar and a separate restaurant where they serve up their yummy meals. Lots of fish dishes and pies - proper pub grub done really well. The bar is quite imposing, with a fabulous ceiling and lots of chairs dotted around on the many tables, some cushioned, some not, all very random and mish mashed (which adds something to the ambiance). Very good for large groups, if you manage to nab a table and a random seat. Great in the winter, purchase and Guinness and sit gossiping with your mates, warming your cockles as you go. Oh and i saw David Mitchell in here once - amazing! read more

Really spacious place. But it was such a nice evening I stayed outside. They have outdoor bench seating on the side of the place. Next to a lovely park so it was good people watching space too. I've driven by on the bus many times before and the little lamp shades in the windows made it look so cool Im glad I finally checked it out. Will come back again and try the food. Sounded like just on the right side of posh for pub food. read more

The first thing you'll notice when you walk into this pub is the amazing ornate ceiling and the, what appears to be, original décor of the building. One side of The Black Lion is a pub whilst the other side, which is separated off, is a restaurant. I really love the feel of the place because of the aged wooden furniture. One of the chairs is incredible with it's 8 foot (I'm guessing) back-you feel like a royalty when sitting in it. Because of the beauty of the interior I really expected the quality of the food to reflect this-It was nice enough but nothing special. The Black Lion used to be a lot busier but recently it seems quite quiet-especially in comparison to The Kilburn Tavern up the road. It would be nice if more people took advantage of the pub as it has a much better atmosphere when full. Upstairs they have a B & B which is ok. The front room is large and spacious but noisy from traffic on the road unfortunately. The other rooms are smaller and smell of smoke-I would definitely recommend the front room but take some ear plugs if you're a light sleeper. read more

The Black Lion - Pubs Near Me - London, XGL

I like this place. I really do. But it's very loud and gets very crowded - which is a testament to how much other people like it, I know. It just seems the waitstaff isn't always properly equipped to deal with it. I came here last night for dinner. We had reserved a table and were sat in the back, which is the restaurant section. Very glad that we did, as the bar area (where you can also order food) was completely full. Anyway, we had a bunch of dishes - clam and potato salad, pork belly, baked camembert, scallops, fish and chips... everyone really enjoyed the food. It got a little messy at one point as there was no extra dish to toss empty clam shells into, but I solved that by grabbing an unused water glass! For dessert we got some lemon curd and an apple crumble - both were excellent. I've had dessert here before (a creme brulee and a chocolate... thing) so can definitely say that dessert is something they do very well. I will say our waitress was very easily confused - she seemed to struggle a bit with English and the menu in general (even with us pointing at what we wanted to order while reading it off the menu). But all the food made it over, and we were very happy. It did take a long time to find someone to get us the bill - we waited for about 25 minutes after finishing dessert and finally went up to the bar to ask someone for it. My parents were pleasantly surprised by the food, which is high praise coming from them - they even asked if we could come back next time they're in town! TL;DR: Food = very good. Make a reservation, as it gets very busy. Waitstaff isn't top quality, but it's a pub, so what do you expect? read more

The Black Lion is a shining beacon on the Kilburn High Road. Its Grade II listed interior of black and gold is amazing and the ceiling is something you'll happily sit and stare at without realising you are doing so. The pub has a mixed age of customers and is very friendly. The fireplace in the winter is great to sit next to with the papers on a sunday if you are lucky enough to get the sofa's next to it. The bar staff are friendly and relaxed and the adjoining room serves decent food if you fancy a sit down meal, there are also decent pub food available in the main bar area. A small outside area for smokers can be busy in the summer and when they open the additional doors onto the main road it is a good spot for people watching. read more

This is a great pub that has an atmosphere that works just as well for a a lazy Sunday afternoon pint or a saturday night out. As others have mentioned the ceiling is spectacular with the fire another high spot as well as watching people feel uncomforable in the thrown-like chair. Although I've only eaten here once the food was pretty good too . read more

When I first moved to West Hampstead, before the gentrification of Kilburn began in earnest, this was a dingy old man's pub. Someone recognised the potential of the grand interior, though, and it became a gastro. I like the shabby-chic pub side, with old torn leather sofas and high-back chairs by the fireplace. It can be a busy spot, and - as others have said - is a great place to bring people to show off the interior: tin mouldings, old windows, and ancient wood. The food quality has varied over the years. When they first went gastro they had some of the best weekend brunches in north London. Then they went through a poor spell. I was back recently for dinner and the food was good. There's a dining room to one side. Service is OK. Toilets are definitely on the old and characterful side. read more

It's good to hang out here for a drink before or after a trip to the Tricycle Theatre. But don't order food. Good grief. Spend it on a KFC instead. The £4.20 Manchego Spring Roll is a joke. Really? Two pieces of wilted pieces, with a dip of melted butter?! And then the £3.65 Grilled Veg? More like 4 pieces of sliced courgette and one red pepper. It's like I've been served leftovers prepared by school kids playing at chef. Nice enough pub, but someone please change the cooks behind the kitchen. read more

Had a nice couple of bottles of Lagunitas IPA sat in the beer garden. Only Staropramen and Guinness on tap, which is the only negative really. read more

The Black Lion - Pubs Near Me - London, XGL

Lovely ancient pub! I didn't tried the food,not yet at least,but we'll definitely come back!

Highly recommended, just a really comfortable, non-pretentious, kind of old-fashioned pub to spend time in. The most amazing ceiling, wood panelling, fireplace, comfy couches, friendly staff and a few colourful local characters all add up to make the Black Lion a great spot to hang out. The food is good too and there's a proper restaurant with full menu. It's also a guest house - haven't stayed there but heard good things. Since the smoking ban, the picnic-style tables around the side have become more popular. Admittedly slightly more pricey than some other bars in Kilburn, but you can't beat it for either a pre-drink before a show at the Tricycle across the road, or a full night out with friends. read more

The Black Lion is the home of variety on Kilburn High Road with more drinks than you can shake a stick at available within the plush interior. With outside seating making it the perfect spot to enjoy a pint in the summer, the outdoor heaters make fresh air accessible in the winter too. The famous ceiling is ornately decorated and must be squinted at closely to see the finer details, especially in the dark. The food is good, but a little expensive, perhaps making it ideal for a one-off Sunday lunch, which is by the way, pretty darn tasty. Celeb spotters will enjoy regularly bumping into Mitchell & Webb who seem to live there... read more

I was here one evening for drinks with three friends who live in the Kilburn area. We had a few things from the bar menu, but the real star were the cocktail specials. Two of us had the fire place sour. As a Texan and lover of all things spicy, there was just the right amount of bite to the drink. Two others had the blueberry & elder flower rocks which they definitely enjoyed. There was a live jazz band playing and the interior aesthetic is lovely. Our server Julien was a delight, and I can safely say we'll be back next time I'm in London. read more

This pub sits on the junction of Kilburn High road and Grange park. It is a large light pub with lots of blond wood. The bar has a good selection of beer, lager and cider. There is ample seating and some benches outside next to the park with music piped outside. The pub also has a dining room where they serve a great sunday lunch for under £10 The menu is rather limited and does ot change very often, but what there is, is good. The wine listis pretty decent and not too expensive.Nice steaks and the bar/snack menu is good also. They also offer bed and breakfast accomodation. Overall a nice pub with nice staff, serving good food and drink. read more

This is a pub that thinks obviously thinks its address is West Hampstead rather than Kilburn, but I love it all the more for being in the latter and welcome more pubs with such character to Kilburn. The Black Lion is a gorgeous pub, the interior really is so inviting. From the ceilings to the wooden floor, to the high backed chairs. It has such a cosy feel to it for what is quite a spacious pub. For a renovated gastro pub, it has done well to retain its feeling of just popping down to the local. The large attached dining room always seems to be empty in the evenings, and seems a bit of a waste of space for this popular pub, but perhaps is busier during the day with the guests, as the pub is also a guesthouse. read more

This is a wonderful pub that falls frustrating short of being the perfect watering hole. The beautiful victorian interior, large bar and comfy seats are great. There's free wi-fi as well for lazy weekend afternoons with the laptop. They've recently started serving a couple of good real ales (Doom Bar and Timothy Taylor Landlord) - although too often they seem to have run out. It's quite lively on weekends, but even when crowded you can sit in their restaurant section for a quiet pint (don't be put off by the white tablecloths, the staff don't seem to mind). Weekdays are much quieter and have a laid-back feel to them. On the downside the wine list is excruciatingly bad. There really isn't a good drop to be had -- even if you fork out for an expensive bottle rather than the 'by the glass' stuff. And I would avoid eating in the restaurant at the moment, they have an infestation of small, furry friends in the kitchen and dining room. I'm told the mouse catcher is on his way -- I'll update when its safe to eat again (in the meantime try the North London Tavern just up the road for good pub grub). Despite that, it's still the best pub in Kilburn. read more

Really nice, old school homely feel. It's got open fires, comfy couches, and a restaurant that does pretty good food. It's not a party-party place (though they have done the odd music event, and occasionally take private bookings), but more a place you go with friends for a chat and a drink, with a lady for a date, or a meal before seeing something at the Tricycle (across the road). They've got a coffee machine, do food, and are quite close to public transport (a little walk down the way from Kilburn and Brondesbury stations). It never really gets that busy, which for me is a definite plus. read more

One of the best pub all around. My only decision when I have to go out for a great time with friends around a drink. The decor is absolutely amazing. The staff is available and friendly. The drinks are at a reasonable price and the food is great. Only down point ? Not enough seat available when you are only drinking. read more

Decent pub. Decent menu. Decent food. This pub is buck-standard and a safe bet in every way without standing out in any way.

I accidentally came here to meet friends (who were at the OTHER Black Lion nearby). I wish this was where we were meeting instead. What a beautiful pub! Great decor and lighting, friendly staff, a cozy fire for the winter and a nice courtyard for the summer. The menu looked great too. I'll definitely be back. read more

Exceptional pub. Good decor with casual feel. Good spirits selection and tap selection. Can't comment on regular menu selection as I stopped off for Sunday dinner. Had excellent lamb with trimmings. read more

This evening I decided to to my local (Black Lion, Kilburn) for a roast dinner with my housemate, as we do quite regularly. As normal we opened a bar tab with the friendly bar staff, most of who recognise our faces, we ordered our wine and 2 roast dinners at the bar and took our drinks back to our table. As we come here regularly we know that the roast dinners are of a good standard and the venue it's self is a beautiful setting with an open fire and warmly feel. After a good 2 hours we went back to the bar and asked for the bill, as normal they add service charge to the bill although you do not receive table service and have to order at the bar (The bar staff are normally happy to remove this for you as they understand there is no table service) However this evening we was met with a different re-action, we were told by a very rude member of staff "you have to pay service as we bring the food to your table" I then mentioned that this is not the case and I would be happy to pay service if there was waiter service, she then continued to argue with me, she eventually re-moved the service charge but was very rude and had an aggressive manor about doing so. As we were paying she continued to ask " Do you have anything else you want to say" Which I replied "No, do you?" She then responded "I have plenty want to say, non of which is very nice" to which I responded "Do not let me stop you" She then said "Put it this way, next time you come here I will spit in your food" Now shocked does not cover the way I felt after hearing this unprofessional comment, I then asked to speak to the manger, she responded saying "I am the Manager" I was reluctant to believe her so asked another team member who confirmed she was, so I asked for her name which he gave to me. The mangers name is Maya, and I can honestly say she is the downfall of this lovely pub, I have never known a manager to speak to a customer in this manor EVER! All the other staff are super friendly and helpful, its such a shame that the one person who is meant to be leading the team lets them down so much. As someone who works in the industry I was mortified by The conduct of Maya, who is meant to be a manger. read more

Clean, comfy, large room. Tad noisy at night but def worse on Friday night. Really good breakfasts and rather spoilt. Def stayed in worse and would book here again. Didn't eat dinner in pub but a fab Italian up the road called Small And Beautiful. Two really lucky finds. read more

I visited the Black Lion on a Saturday night. Not a particularly nice place and was pretty over crowded. My friends phone got stolen as well, the staff were extremely nice about this though. Won't be visiting again as really not my cup of tea... read more

One of the best on Kilburn High Road, no draughts unfortunately but a great place to chill by the fire on chesterfields. Great Sunday roasts too read more

The Black Lion is a great pub and guest house i have used both. It's in a great locating in Kilburn. The pub has a warm feel when you walk in and everyone is nice. There is not many pubs in Kilburn and London that are up to this high standard. Very nice pub. read more

My husband and I were on holiday and had dinner here. Wonderful staff and place. I recommend to anyone and I will be going back.