Stoke Newington pub The Lion to reopen in March, new owners announce

The Lion in Stoke Newington’s Church Street will remain a boozer, its new owners have revealed.

Frontier Pubs has taken over the running of the venue, which is undergoing a “major renovation” and set to open again in early March with a “facelift”.

That will mean the venue’s function room, which until last week hosted comedy, cabaret, live music and life drawing classes, will only be available for local groups to hire during weekdays. It will double up as an extra cocktail bar in the evenings and at weekends.

The pub’s menu will focus on craft beer with a wide range on draught, including Dalston’s 40FT. Frontier said there will also be the usual offer of wine and a “bespoke cocktail list”.

Of course, it wouldn’t be right for a new business in Church Street to not dish out pizza, and bosses have come out fighting saying they will rival the best the area has to offer.

That will soon include world famous Naples pizzeria L’Antica Pizzeria Da Michele, which is set to open its second restaurant directly opposite.

Frontier’s Peter Myers, also a local resident, said: “We’re delighted to be taking on The Lion, it’s a traditional pub that’s the heart of the community and we very much wish it to remain this way for many years to come.

“We’ve working hard to retain the pub’s character, while giving it a much needed refurbishment and adding a new kitchen, to allow us to serve our trademark pizzas.”