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There’s Enough in this Camden pub’s recent history to warrant a (very) Long Read in The Guardian. The Golden Lion’s landlord Dave Murphy nearly had his family pub bought mysteriously from underneath him. It was saved from developers in 2015, but only after exhausting months that shifted the mood around a boozer that had been the family’s pride and joy. This year, though, Murphy has partnered with Trevor Hunt and Aaron Carter (not that one) to move the pub on.
As punters, the pair knew the best bits about the Lion, so only light-touch changes have been made – notably, the removal of a pool table and fruities – to make way for dining. But that doesn’t mean suede furniture and stiff formality. Handsome features remain, like the gorgeous partitioned bar. And a spread of generations was in when we visited: a young rockabilly couple at the bar, two geezer dads out with their sons and some pensioners gathered underneath the bunting.
There are now decent craft beers (all £4.50 on ‘Craft Thursday’), but real ale from the likes of Dark Star is still on the roster. And as for the Sunday roast, it’s hard to believe it’s real: a whopping plate of pork belly, with knockout crackling and lashings of trimmings costs only £10.95. Hunt worked at Islington gastropub The Drapers Arms and is a runner-up in London’s illustrious Scotch Egg Challenge, and it shows. From here, it looks as though this Camden pub is entering a whole new golden era.