-
Pub info
-
Our pub info section has lots of information about visiting pubs in the UK...
-
This month's top pubs
Our top ten pubs of the month. this month and for previous months over the last few years.
-
Best pubs for...
Our favourite pubs for good beer, live music, best gardens and more
-
Pub visitor guide
Things everyone should know about going to the pub
-
Info for Landlords
Your pub listing on Fancyapint.com and other services we offer for landlords and managers
-
Featured pubs
Featured pubs guide - a collection of our sponsored pub listings organised by feature
-
Red Lion & Sun, Highgate
User rating: 
(4 reviews)
True, the ‘tellies’ have gone, but only in the sense of their being no longer a compulsory and permanent influence on everyone in the pub. Televisions are brought out during significant sporting competitions. In good weather, a section of the garden is set aside for those wanting to watch an outdoor television. Other customers are not affected. Televisions are servants, not masters, at The Red Lion and Sun.
The décor of any pub is bound to offend someone, so there can be no surprise at criticism of the gloriously un-cluttered and refreshingly clean-lined Red Lion and Sun. Anyone complaining about the present décor now cannot have seen the last offering. The ‘old’ Red Lion and Sun was dirty, smelly and dark. I’ve never met anyone who dared admit to eating in there during the last governorship. The overall gloominess was given a fillip by the complimentary surliness of the former landlord.
We read that The Red Lion and Sun is now a restaurant and is no longer a pub. This is rubbish and reflects a failure of observation. The character of the place changes through time. On Sunday lunchtimes, the place swings towards restaurant. Sunday is a traditional family day and The Red Lion and Sun caters for families on Sundays. What is wrong with that? Critics who hate the sight of families with young children ought perhaps to examine themselves and their own priorities, not the policies of The Red Lion and Sun. On Monday lunchtimes, the pub is a unquestionably a pub, with a cluster of locals chatting round the bar, dogs in tow, with a pile of newspapers available for those wishing for a quiet and solitary pint. During the rest of the week, the place is mostly ‘pub’, with periodic swings towards ‘restaurant’.
The team at The Red Lion and Sun have achieved a kind of synthesis, combining excellent food and drink in an ever changing environment. They attract interesting people who lead interesting lives which are reflected in conversation. ‘Pub’ or ‘restaurant’? Who cares, except a few ungenerous puritans? The Red Lion and Sun is excellent in both modes and all stages in between. The Red Lion and Sun is a marvellous facility. Well done all!
25 North Road, Highgate, London, N6 4BE
Mon-Wed 12:00-00:00
Thu: 12:00-01:00
Fri Sat 12:00-02:00
Sun 12:00-00:00
Please check opening times with the pub before making a special journey.
Rather sneakily, Highgate tube is a fair walk from Highgate Village. It should take about 15 mins to get from one to the other. Leave Highgate tube by the 'car park' exit so you're on the Archway Road. Cross the road and walk up Jacksons Lane till it meets Southwood Lane. Keep on Southwood Lane until you reach the almshouses and turn right up Castle Yard. This leads to North Road. You'll see pub across the road on the left. Alternatively walk (or catch the bus) up Highgate Hill from Archway. At the top of the hill in the heart of the village, the pub is over the other side of the mini-roundabout a minutes walk down North Road on the left.
22 Nov 11 Updated by audreyp
Overview
I am glad Fancy a Pint has visited us again after such a long period. I am sorry to read that you do not enjoy our pub. We gauge our success by customer feedback and repeat customer. Which I am happy to report is healthy and grows year on year. The beautiful thing about London is the diversity of pubs and their offerings. I am glad that you regularly visit and enjoy other fine local pubs as they sound more to your taste.