The Red Lion, Bromley  

The area to the north of the town centre is not short of pubs, and mostly good ones too, but the Red Lion is a standout on any pub crawl in these parts. It was south-east London CAMRA pub of the year in 2007 and it's easy to see why. It's been run by the same couple for quite some time and the landlord - who wears a tie and is invariably present - takes a hands-on role in running the place. It's evident that high standards are carefully maintained: even their standard bitters, such as Sussex, are very well-casked. The most striking decorative feature, apart from original tiling, is that one wall of the seating area is dominated by well-stocked bookshelves offering a range of books we can only describe as eclectic, and which one may dip into whilst drinking. There is also an original, old-style cigarette machine by the gents' lavatories which adds a further nostalgic touch, especially with the old boys playing darts nearby. The menu is short and no-nonsense, but we like it that way, and it's good value too: on our last visit we enjoyed a mushroom omelette with salad and chips for £3.50. The residents of North Road are blessed - this is a superb local, tucked in amongst bright, attractive early 20th century terraced housing. What's galling is that they also have a number of other decent places (notably the White Horse) - not to mention a highly rated Chinese takeaway - within a stone's throw. We guess some people just have all the luck...

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