There are two Red Lion pubs in St James’s. One claims to be in Mayfair and sells Argentinian malbec to bumptious folk wearing monk strap loafers. The other is worth going to.
The latter is tucked away along Crown Passage, in the same block as Lock & Co Hatters and Berry Bros & Rudd. It’s the sort of pub favoured by old waiters who grace the moneyed floors of Wiltons and The Ritz; by black cabbies and glamorous receptionists; by over-refreshed restaurant critics; by royalty, even. By soldiers, too. The last time I was in, two Grenadier Guards were having a pint after working some lavish event.
