Going Out

Lion comes roaring back

Once there were a mind boggling 40 pubs scattered along Oak Street - you could barely stagger a 20-yards without coming across another - plus Bullards brewery at the road's city end.

Those were the days when Norwich had a pub for everyday of the year - or so the saying goes, a time that nowadays seems a long way off as more and more pubs go to the wall.

In fact for the past few years, there hasn't been a single pub on Oak Street. It is therefore great news - and something of a gamble - that one has re-opened.

The Old White Lion, which has stood boarded up and looking sorry for itself since closing its doors more than three years ago, has been brought back to life.

It has been bought by Cambridge-based Milton Brewery, which has restored the building, and is now being run by Ralph Holland and his Polish wife Anna-Maria Draganek-Holland.

It's a brave move and one that has taken some effort given that the building had been in a sorry state attracting both squatters and vandals.

Located just off St Crispin's Road, the pub is a bit of a hike from the city centre, too far to attract much lunchtime trade. Yet Oak Street itself is surprisingly busy and if they can attract ring road traffic to make the detour they could succeed where previous landlords have failed.

Though this part of the city has been a surge in new houses in recent years, you get the feeling the venture's success will rest on providing something special that will encourage enough people to make the trip.

With that in mind they've already got in impressive range of real ales on tap.

Inevitably the selection is dominated by Milton beers, including Dionysus, Minotaur, Pegasus, Sparta, but also a couple, Classic Blonde and Westgate Gold, from Wakefield-based Clarks Brewery, plus Cromwell Gold and Lionheart, produced by Nottinghamshire brewers Milestone.

There is also a very tempting choice of bottled beers and continental ales, including Barbar Blonde, Chimay Blue, Hoegaarden Forbidden Fruit, Kwak Kwak, St Bernardus Prior 8 and Westmalle Tripel.

Even the choice of lager is a bit different: a quality British lager from Taddington Brewery in the Peak District, which real ale lovers have been raving about.

The pub itself is roughly split into three rooms, the main bar, a side room and a surprisingly large back room. It has been given a red and dark wood décor with a slightly ramshackle selection of tables and chairs, sofas and wood pews.

It's still a bit rough and ready around the edges at the moment, and having only been open three weeks it doesn't yet have that lived in cosy feel.

But on our visit it was quite busy, with curiosity a big factor judging from the conversation. The challenge will be to turn these visitors in regulars.

Mr Holland says: “We want to make it a community pub and get the local residents and businesses involved. The pub's got the history and the character, and we're confident that, despite the credit crunch, we have a good future here.

“We want to keep it as a traditional real ale pub with good wholesome traditional English food, which we should be serving from next month.”

We wish them all the best.

The White Lion, 73 Oak Street, Norwich, 01603 632333, www.individualpubs.co.uk/whitelion/

Open: Mon-Thurs 12pm-2.30pm and 5pm-11pm, Fri-Sat 12-11pm, Sun 12pm-10.30pm

TV sports: No

Music: No

Food: Not a moment

Real ales: Up to a dozen

RATINGS

Beer: *****

Wine: **

Atmosphere: ***

Family: *