The Lion at Basford

Located in the shadows of the magnificent Shipstone’s Brewery, The Lion Inn at New Basford in Nottingham has an enviable reputation for cask ales and live music. Its' rustic charm and great ale house ambiance has made it very popular with locals and travelling customers. Since the opening of the Nottingham Express Tram (NET) access to the Lion has never been easier. Shipstone Street tram stop is right outside. An entry in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide for the past ten years the Lion has a virtual beer festival every week. All day, every day there are at least 10 cask ales available. The blend of products on sale is managed extremely carefully. You may expect to see choices from Castle Rock, Pheasantry, Dancing Duck, Welbeck Abbey, Little Critters, Kelham Island and Oakham plus many more. The real success of the Lion however comes from the exposure that is given to local and regional micro breweries. In the past 12 months over 500 different ales from micros have been on sale. These include many local to Nottingham including Nottingham Brewery, Mallard, Magpie, Milestone, Springhead and Castlerock. Kelham Island, Abbeydale and Ossett from Yorkshire have always proved popular. As have those from further south like Hook Norton, Crouch Vale, Exmoor, and many others. The beer cellars at the Lion are amazing. Two floors down and formed from one of Nottingham’s natural caves the cellars here are amongst the deepest in the city. Live music at the Lion is as legendary as Robin Hood!! The Sunday Lunchtime jazz session is an institution. Local and travelling bands play a variety of sounds on Friday and Saturday nights. The pub also has a great reputation for food. Traditional homemade food is served every lunchtime and evening with a special selection of roasts on Sundays. Summers at The Lion have always been the busy time. There is an excellent beer garden and elevated patio adjacent to the well lit car park. In the winters real fires and log burners make for a warm and friendly atmosphere inside.