The Black Lion

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.

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.

Beautiful room with a Victorian vibe. Delicious grilled vegetable appetizer. Sunlight streams into the windows in the late afternoons. Leather furniture. Acoustics good for chatting with friends.

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.

Always very friendly with good food!

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 crème brûlée 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?

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 décor 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.

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 décor 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.

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?

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

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

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.

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.

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:

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.

In terms of décor 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.

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 décor 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.

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 décor 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.

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.

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.