I’m not sure how to put this without sounding erroneously negative, but The Red Lion & Sun should not exist. Not in Central London and not a forty-five minute walk from dreadful three-laned Euston Road.
Peeking underneath the wooden tables reveals sleeping dogs and country boots covered in mud attained from leisurely walks and horse rides amongst the hills of beautiful Hampstead Heath.
I have a reoccurring daydream about running my own pub. A place for family, friends and neighbours to have hearty lunches and dinners, to stop by for a pint of hoppy craft beer or a cold glass of oily Alsace Riesling. I relish the summer sun with my loved ones underneath the beautiful flowering trees or am sharing the armchairs in front of the crackling fireplaces on a cold winter evening. Then I catch myself realizing that I have been to this pub of my dreams many times before – it is not much else but the The Red Lion & Sun.
The roasts are unapologetic, traditional and truly carnivorous. Bones stick out of a rich and tasty puddle of gravy, the crackling is layered around the slow cooked meat in vast abundance.
When out for a weekend roast I despise nothing more than the nagging feeling that I have been overcharged for something that with a little effort I could have made myself, at home, without the restriction on portion size. There are too many examples all over London where this is the case, but you will be safe on North Road in Highgate, I promise.
Get a dog, go to Hampstead Heath, get your boots muddy and eat a roast at the Red Lion & Sun. Bring your family and friends. It will be a perfect day.
[8.5/10] The Red Lion & Sun, 25 North Road, N6 4BE London
