The best jukebox in Soho? So the Golden Lion bigs itself up – and this may well be true. Its certainly odd, having two machines feeding to what one must assume be one Jukebox Hive Mind controlling the pubs tunes. How this works if tracks are being picked simultaneously we do not know. That said – even if it is the best jukebox in Soho – it is relatively difficult to tell if your drinking companion insists on slapping godforesaken rubbish like The Waterboys “A Bang On The Ear” on. He’ll get a bang round the back of his bleeding head if he does that again. (For those of you not there I shall just say CMOT3M to you – you know the score).
I was actually in The Golden Lion twice this weekend. Saturday night it was rammed and the juker was not an option. I did ask the award winning (but surly) bar staff if they could turn the TV on to Match Of The Day – as VH1 with the Jukebox is a deadly sin. They refused, causing chagrin. On Sunday the place was much more salubrious and football had made its way on to the television. However the blokes toilets were under about four feet of water.
All this said – The Golden Lion is one of the best pubs in Soho. Its unassuming in a sea of pub poseurs. A bit rough and ready, and the beer selection is nothing towrite home about. But if the alternative is the horror of LVPO’s over the road – you are certainly better off. As Romilly Street hits Dean Street, for looking, and we’ll get back to you on the jukebox.