The Red Lion, Barnes

£8 - £20 / British, Vegetarian options

2 Castelnau, London

Awards

Excellent Roast Beef 2024

Opening hours

11AM-11PM

Sunday 12PM-10:30PM
Monday 11AM-11PM
Tuesday 11AM-11PM
Wednesday 11AM-11PM
Thursday 11AM-11PM
Friday 11AM-11PM
Saturday 11AM-11PM

Cozy Haven with Top-Notch Sunday Roasts

Ah, The Red Lion in Barnes – a veritable bastion of what I can imagine is every pub-goer’s night-before fantasy when daydreams fast-travel from stodgy Sunday nights to dreams where ‘roast’ is a verb not just reserved for swine. Perched rather unfortunately at a bustling crossroads (making outdoor dining delightfully chaotic), this 'boozer' combines quintessential British charm with the irony-stripped expectations of modern gastropubery. Thankfully, it resoundingly succeeds much of the time by marrying all-round good food, more than amiable staff, and what might accurately be described as some of the most indulgent calories south-west London has to offer.

Those seemingly luminous adjectives are slightly tempered, of course – perfection remains out of reach. Service here is something of a lottery, but much like unwarranted compliments, even surly waiter occurrences will eventually make you grin, if only in hindsight. And amid the storied charms, tucked mysteriously into entrancing nooks with superfluous gins and creatively concocted cocktails – oh dear, did I taste a Grand Mimosa? – there lies an almost familial warmth. With culinary highlights ranging from chicken and leek pies, cast in dreamy mash beds slathered in wine-dark gravy, to superbly seasoned (albeit occasionally super-salty) veggie delights, it’s hearty enough that home could… one daringly suggests… feel overrated. Nevertheless, pull up with zest or restraint (depending on your obviously shrewd reservation skills), settle in tightly with friends and pets, and let Sunday thatch your memories with indistinct joy, butter, and beef. — Penelope Savory