The Red Lion & Sun
Highgate, London
Restaurant in London, United Kingdom
Book with PearlThe Read
Dress
Smart Casual
Why go
The Red Lion & Sun works when the brief is a relaxed Highgate pub meal with a stronger wine signal than the average local. Go for lunch or an early dinner rather than a formal occasion; choose something more restaurant-led if the group wants a named chef, tasting format, or highly specific menu experience.
About The Red Lion & Sun
The Red Lion & Sun is a London venue open daily from 12–11 PM, with a smart casual dress code and recognition from Star Wine List (2026). For cuisine, signature dishes, pricing, service format, or room details, check directly with the venue before making plans.
Use it as a practical planning option rather than a full menu review. The key planning signals are timing, dress code, Star Wine List recognition, so focus on when you want to go and whether the smart casual setting fits the occasion.
A London venue to plan around daily hours and smart casual dress
The Red Lion & Sun is open Monday through Sunday from 12–11 PM. That daily schedule gives diners flexibility. If a specific lunch menu, dinner format, price point, or style of service matters, check directly with the venue before making plans.
For a broader search, compare it with other options such as Bull & Last, Fabrizio, Haylaz Brasserie, Rossella, 500. If the plan is bigger than one meal, broader London pages can be useful for sorting restaurants, hotels, bars, wineries, experiences without treating every venue as interchangeable.
Use the Star Wine List recognition as the signal, then keep expectations practical
The venue is recognised by Star Wine List (2026). That is a useful signal for diners who care about wine; for details such as the current drinks programme, bottle list, pricing, pairings, or signature orders, check directly with the venue.
Plan around The Red Lion & Sun as a London option with daily 12–11 PM hours, smart casual dress, Star Wine List recognition. For anything more specific, including cuisine, menu detail, chef information, or price, confirm directly with the venue before you go.
Planning details
- Location
- 25 North Rd, London N6 4BE, United Kingdom
- Website
- theredlionandsun.com
- Phone
- +44 20 8340 1780
The take
The Take
The Vibe
The Red Lion & Sun reads like a village pub that quietly prioritises familiarity over fashion. It sits on Highgate’s domestic high street with low ceilings, wood finishes and a bar counter that organises the room rather than theatricalises it. That restraint creates an intimate, charming atmosphere—less a designed destination than a natural part of the neighbourhood—where regulars and newcomers alike settle in to drink and talk. The writing on the place frames it as a wine-drinker’s retreat: a comfortable, unshowy room that invites return visits and keeps the focus on convivial company and what’s in the glass.
Best For
This is a venue for relaxed, wine-forward evenings when conversation matters as much as the bottle. The room’s residential scale and settled seating encourage lingering—good for solo visitors who want to work through a glass, post-work drinks that stretch into dinner, and small groups who prefer a convivial, unpressured setting. It deliberately avoids the theatrics of high-design restaurants, so plan for an experience that prizes familiarity and ease over formal rituals and long tasting menus.
Ordering Tips
Approach the menu with a sharing mindset and wines chosen for conviviality rather than ceremony. The pub setting nudges you away from hyper-formal tasting rituals: order approachable bottles or glasses to sip across the table, and pair them with hearty dishes—think the roast plates or the cheeseburger—that read well in a low-pressure room. If you’re coming with friends, pick a bigger dish to share and a bottle to pass around; solo visitors can enjoy a glass and a single plate without the need to treat wine service as a performance.
Venue details
Ambiance
Cool light blue interiors with simple wood furniture, long bar, glassed-in conservatory, and heated garden areas evoking a country pub experience amid herbaceous Highgate.
Tags
Vibe
Best For
Experience
Sourcing
View
At the Table
- Dress Code
- Smart Casual
- Noise Level
- Conversational
- Service Style
- Upscale Casual
- Meal Pacing
- Leisurely
- Capacity
- Medium
Signature Dishes
- suckling pig
- roast potatoes
- cheeseburger
Planning details
Location
Recognition and awards
Also consider
Where to go if this does not fit
If the pub brief is firm, try Bull & Last first. If the group wants a more restaurant-shaped meal instead, compare availability at 500 or Rossella.
Restaurant context
How it compares with nearby London options
Bull & Last is the closest useful comparison because it is also a gastropub and traditional British option at ££. Choose Bull & Last if the group wants the clearer gastropub category signal; choose The Red Lion & Sun if the priority is a Highgate pub setting with wine recognition and an easier, regular-use feel.
Fabrizio, 500, Haylaz Brasserie, Rossella are better treated as restaurant alternatives rather than like-for-like pub swaps. Pick one of them when the meal needs a more conventional dining-room structure; stay with The Red Lion & Sun when informality, timing flexibility, a wine-led pub mood matter more.
For value, the decision is about format rather than headline price. A pub meal here makes sense for repeat local lunches, small groups, low-pressure dinners; a restaurant peer makes more sense when the occasion needs clearer pacing, a stronger cuisine brief, or a more defined room.
Around this place
Discover more on Pearl
Unlock the full The Red Lion & Sun guide in Pearl, including awards, comparisons, FAQs, planning details, and nearby places.
Compare The Red Lion & Sun
| Venue | Location | Cuisine | Awards | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Red Lion & Sun | London | ; | 2026 Estrella Damm Top 100 Gastropubs · #32026 National Pub & Bar Awards Venue Winners · #4Star Wine Lists 2026 | ; |
| Fabrizio | London | No published awards | ; | ; |
| 500 | London | No published awards | ; | ; |
| Bull & Last | London | Gastropub, Traditional British | 2026 Estrella Damm Top 100 Gastropubs · #39Star Wine Lists 2026Michelin Guide Great Britain & Ireland 20262026 OAD Casual in Europe Recommended2025 OAD Casual in Europe Ranked · #754The Good Food Guide 20252025 Michelin Plate2024 OAD Casual in Europe Ranked · #6052024 Michelin Plate | ££ |
| Haylaz Brasserie | London | No published awards | ; | ; |
| Rossella | London | No published awards | ; | ; |
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How The Red Lion & Sun London compares with similar nearby venues.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
How far ahead should I book The Red Lion & Sun?
For bookings, plan around The Red Lion & Sun’s London location, daily 12–11 PM hours, smart casual dress code. If timing or availability matters, check directly with the venue.
Is lunch or dinner better at The Red Lion & Sun?
The venue is open 12–11 PM every day. Choose a time that fits your schedule and confirm current food or booking details with the venue.
What are alternatives to The Red Lion & Sun?
Other options to consider include Bull & Last, Fabrizio, Rossella, 500, Haylaz Brasserie. The Red Lion & Sun stands out for its Star Wine List (2026) recognition, daily 12–11 PM hours, smart casual dress code.
Is The Red Lion & Sun good for solo dining?
For solo dining, plan around the daily 12–11 PM hours and smart casual dress code. If seating style or bar availability matters, contact the venue before going.
What should I order at The Red Lion & Sun?
The venue is recognised by Star Wine List (2026). For specific dishes, menu format, signature orders, current food and drink details, check directly with the venue.
Is The Red Lion & Sun good for a special occasion?
That depends on the occasion. The dress code is smart casual, the venue is recognised by Star Wine List (2026). For details such as private dining, group capacity, set menus, pricing, check with the venue before planning a special event.
What should a first-timer know about The Red Lion & Sun?
The Red Lion & Sun is in London, opens every day from 12–11 PM, has a smart casual dress code, is recognised by Star Wine List (2026). For specific cuisine, menu items, prices, seating details, service format, check directly with the venue.
